Fazer's Vantaa Bakery turns 50 years today – Fazer Paahto has been baked in Vantaa from day one
In May 1971, a modern bakery opened its doors in Vantaa's Fazerila. The classic toast, Fazer Paahto, has been coming fresh from the ovens in Vantaa since day one. Fazer’s Vantaa bakery produces a whole range of beloved Finnish favourites, including Fazer Puikula oat portion breads, Fazer donuts, and Oululainen Reilu sliced bread. The bakery employs more than 300 people.
Fazer’s Vantaa Bakery is perhaps best known for its classic toast – the Fazer Paahto – baked in Vantaa throughout the bakery's 50-year history. Not only this, but Fazer’s famous Berliner and Omar donuts, the Dallas buns we all know and love, and Oululainen Reilu sliced bread are also baked in Vantaa. The company's oat-based product range has increased substantially in recent years, and approximately 5,000 kg of oat flour and flakes are used every day. Fazer products are made using only Finnish grains, milled in the company’s own mill in Lahti.
In recent decades, operations at the Vantaa bakery have been undergoing continuous development. The building has been extended several times and production lines have been automated. Sustainability is an essential part of daily work and food safety measures are world class. Production volumes have increased over the years: for example, 6.5 million bags of Fazer Puikula oat portion breads are currently baked in Vantaa each year, whilst approximately 18 million doughnuts roll off the production lines annually.
Delivery precision nearly 100%
Fazer’s Vantaa bakery operates seven days a week, throughout the year, and the company is a key employer in the area – more than 300 people work at the bakery alone, divided between three shifts. Fazer Bakeries’ customer picking and dispatching is centralised to Vantaa. Every day of the week, around 40,000 blue bread crates flow through the department, heading for grocery stores from Hanko in the far south to Utsjoki in the far north of Finland.
“The best thing about the Vantaa bakery is the great atmosphere and can-do attitude of our staff. We all pull together and this ensures we can offer a world-class delivery precision – as high as 99.5%. In recent years, significant investments have been made at the bakery, increasing both our production and shipping capacity. Technologies have taken a remarkable step forward and the level of automation has gone up significantly. We have also invested especially in ensuring our packaging materials are environmentally friendly and that our waste dough is recycled,’ explains Vantaa Bakery Director Antti Laasonen.
Fazer’s Marjapiirakka berry pies also having their 50 years anniversary
One of the oldest products still being baked at the Vantaa Bakery are Fazer's Marjapiirakka berry pies, which are also celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. The recipe for the dough used in the berry pies has remained unchanged, whilst the fillings reflect current trends. The jams used for the fillings are made from real berries, ensuring natural and genuine flavours.
Originally, Fazer’s Marjapiirakka berry pies were baked in aluminium trays, but in 2019 the company switched to more environmentally friendly paper trays. Thanks to this switch, the carbon dioxide emissions attributable to the product fell by almost 90%. The latest addition to the berry pie family is the Fazer Moomin Ompukkapiirakka apple pie, which hit shops this spring.
Further information:
Anniina Niemistö, Communications Director, Fazer Leipomot Oy, anniina.niemisto@fazer.com, tel. +358 40 674 4672
The Fazer media phone line is open Mon–Fri from 8 am to 4 pm, tel. +358 40 668 2998, media@fazer.com
Fazer Group
Fazer, The Food Experience Company, enables people to enjoy the best moments of their day. In 1891, the young Karl Fazer opened his first café with a mission to make food with a purpose – and a passion to create moments of joy for all the people around him. Shaping the next tastes, traditions and food experiences, Fazer’s vision is Towards Perfect Days. Fazer wants people to experience the Northern Magic it creates and builds on its strong heritage, consumer first approach and innovations to create the sustainable food solutions of the future. The Group focuses on fast-moving consumer goods, operates in eight countries and exports to around 40 countries. In 2020, Fazer Group had net sales of 1.1 billion euros and almost 8,500 employees. Fazer’s operations comply with ethical principles that are based on the Group’s values and the UN Global Compact.
Northern Magic. Made Real.
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