From Coffee to Spruce Shoots – New Paths to Growth from Local Strengths

The aroma of coffee in a historic factory setting. Fresh spruce shoots picked in spring. Water from Lake Saimaa, Italian gelato and a fishing trip by the rapids.

At first glance, they may not seem to have much in common. Yet for seven small Finnish businesses, they are raw materials, places and skills that form the basis of distinctive business ideas.

Finland is known for its forests, lakes and strong coffee culture. Something that feels ordinary close to home may be exactly what sparks interest elsewhere. New ideas also emerge when different skills, traditions and influences come together. Small businesses across Europe face a similar question: how can they build new opportunities from their own strengths and reach beyond their home region?

The Local Environment in the Product

In spring, soft, pale-green shoots appear at the tips of spruce branches. In Finnish forests, they are one of the signs that summer is approaching – a small and familiar part of nature that is easy to overlook. For Rahula Ranch Oy in Rahula, Mikkeli, however, spruce shoots are much more than that: they are a key ingredient in the company’s products. Hand-picked in South Savo, the shoots are used to make drinks and other products inspired by the forest. Through craftsmanship and product development, a familiar natural ingredient takes on a new role.

The Lake Saimaa region offers a different example. Based in Lappeenranta, Nuija Distillery produces gin and other spirits by hand in small batches. Water from Lake Saimaa, local ingredients and cooperation with other businesses in the area connect the distillery closely to South Karelia.

For both companies, the surrounding natural environment is more than a backdrop. It is reflected in their ingredients, production and connection to the region. Interesting ideas do not always have to be sought far away. Something close at hand and seemingly ordinary may provide the ingredients for a distinctive business.

Standing Out in a Country of Coffee Drinkers

Coffee is part of everyday life, celebrations and social occasions in Finland. In a country where coffee plays such a prominent role, a small roastery needs to find its own way to stand out. Differences emerge through the choice of beans, roasting and craftsmanship, but also through place, values and the experiences built around coffee.

Being distinctive does not necessarily require inventing an entirely new product.

At Kirjalan Paahtimo in Mikkeli, carefully selected beans, freshness and craftsmanship are central to the business. In Kuusankoski, KAPU Roastery focuses on ethically grown beans and small-batch roasting. Its selection also includes coffees from lesser-known producers. Stockfors Coffee Roasters takes a different approach. In Pyhtää, coffee is closely connected to a historic factory setting that is part of what makes the business distinctive.

A Reason to Visit

At Stockfors, the setting also shapes what visitors can experience alongside coffee. Roastery visits and coffee tastings make both the roasting process and its surroundings part of the visit. At the same time, the old factory finds a new purpose as a setting for contemporary business.

At Siikakoski in Kotka, the river is more than scenery. For Lohilaani, it is the starting point for the entire business. Fishing and outdoor activities offer visitors experiences shaped by this particular place. Nature is central to what Lohilaani offers and why people come there.

A river and an old factory are very different places, yet in both cases the setting helps explain why customers choose to visit. A place offers more than a backdrop for a business. It creates opportunities for experiences and services that cannot simply be transferred somewhere else. It also invites another question: what else could people do, see or experience in this particular place?

When Traditions Find a New Home

Flavours and food traditions travel with people from one place to another. In a new environment, they meet new people and gradually find a place in local life. In the process, something emerges that may not have existed there before.

Mirtillo in Lappeenranta is one example. Marina Vallongo’s business produces handmade gelato and pastries rooted in Italian tradition. The skills and ways of working come from Italy, while the everyday life of the business and its customers are in Finland. The tradition continues, even though the place around it has changed.

Mirtillo broadens the idea of what it means to be local. Not everything characteristic of a place has to have originated there or be the result of a long local history. People arriving from elsewhere bring skills, flavours and traditions that gradually take root in a new environment. Over time, something brought from elsewhere may become a natural part of what a region makes and offers.

Seeing the Familiar from a New Perspective

The businesses featured in this article start from very different places. A forest ingredient becomes a product, a riverside setting becomes part of a service, and an old factory becomes somewhere customers have a reason to visit. Even coffee offers many possibilities. A craft tradition brought from another country, meanwhile, finds a new home in Finland. What these businesses share is not a single formula, but an ability to recognise opportunities in what they already have at hand.

The next step looks different for every business. It may mean expanding a service, reaching new customers or taking existing expertise to wider markets. For a small business, change does not necessarily begin with a grand plan. It may begin with recognising what is worth developing and who might find it valuable.

Rural-UP explores these questions across borders, with businesses and regions starting from their own particular circumstances. There is no single ready-made model. Yet the examples in this article lead to one shared question:

What does your business already have that might look different when seen from a new perspective?

Read more about the businesses featured in this article →