Source: Eat&Joy

Finns today want to know what they are eating, where their food comes from and how it has been produced. This can be seen in the trend that has already gained such strong ground in Helsinki that over 22 percent of Finns buy organic food products. One of the biggest and fastest growing ambassadors for organic and local food is Helsinki based Eat&Joy whose Eat&Joy Maatilatori (Farmer’s Market), opened in Lasipalatsi in 2008, turned out to be incredibly popular.

This year Eat&Joy has already opened a food store at the Helsinki airport and will open another store in May. In April, Eat&Joy also opened a similar store in Finland’s largest Prisma in Kannelmäki, in North West Helsinki.

In 2010, Eat&Joy received a price for being the most significant food culture act of the year. The price was given to Eat&Joy as a thank you for its persistent work in Finland but also abroad in creating and improving awareness concerning Finnish cuisine and restaurants.

In October 2011 Eat&Joy will open a new market hall right in the heart of Helsinki, in shopping center Kluuvi, offering produce from some 250 small local farms and producers. The market hall will sell cheese and bread but will also have some butcher shops. The market hall will cover approximately 550 square meters.

In addition to the food counters, the market hall will also include a milk bar and a café. “People can come to the milk bar and fill their own bottles with raw milk.“ says Aki Arjola, the man responsible for the Eat&Joy business. He continues: “I’m most excited about the milk bar while Eeropekka Rislakki, one of my colleagues, has always dreamed of large vegetable and potato cellars with ambient music playing in the background”.

The market hall project known as Eat&Joy Kluuvi hall will bring along with it not only the produce from small producers but also the producers themselves. “The market hall will also have cheese maturing cabinets where people can see the different stages of cheese production. They will not just be displayed.” explains Arjola. “Our aim is to bring traditional handcraft work stages and producers back to the city.” concludes Arjola.

We await this newcomer of fresh Nordic flavor on the Helsinkian food scene with eager!