Customer cases

Valio solutions for bakery professionals – delicious taste to high quality needs

26.6.2023

Valio’s bakery consultant, Mika Parviainen, has baked a variety of sweet and savoury pastries using Valio ingredients. The scent of freshly baked pastries at Valio’s test bakery in Nastola is absolutely delicious!

Drawing on decades of production experience, Valio has developed a wide range of ingredients for global industrial customers. For the bakery industry, Valio has many solutions to offer. “For the last 30 years I’ve been working in bakeries, cake shops and cafes. This long experience is what makes it possible for me to work with Valio,” says Mika Parviainen, who works in Valio’s test kitchen as a bakery consultant.

Among his tasks are testing new products and developing appealing recipes for consumers. Mika keeps up to date with the current and emerging trends in the bakery and pastry industry. “I share tips that help our customers, and also help them to get new ideas. To bake the best goods and to offer unforgettable experiences, you need the best ingredients.”

Cristella is the largest manufacturer of frozen bakery products in the Baltic countries, visited Valio at our test bakery at Nastola. Cristella has been in operation for more than 100 years, and is one of the biggest frozen bakery producers in the Baltic region, with exports to several countries. Ideas for new products come from many sources, for example from touring around and from suppliers and customers.

“You have to know the market and what are the prevailing tastes in each country. We get feedback from many different directions,” says Cristella R&D manager Merlin Tikk. “Excellent ingredients are the most important competitive advantage in our products. In addition to that, of course, our customers also greatly appreciate the great home-made taste of our products and the modern technology we use.”

Cristella and Valio have been working together for a dozen years now, creating a broad range of taste sensations with top-quality ingredients and expertise. To make this possible and to ensure it continues, our ingredients and manufacturing processes must be of premium quality; and product development must also be top-notch. “Customers definitely play an essential role in helping us to further develop and expand our product portfolio,” says Mari Grewall, Account Manager, Valio international sales. By working together, we can create the customised solutions that are ideal for the needs of your bakery or food industry.”

Mika’s delicacies from the innovation day, baked with Valio butter and Valio fillings Wide-variety of tailor-made and ready-to-use fillings, marmelades and jams made in Valio Suonenjoki were tested during the day.