A journey through the stages of grain production
Our story began at a buckwheat mill in Virtasalmi in 1996.
We have compiled memories of events and changes over the years on this page as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations.
Clean and safe flour in the bag from day one.
In the early days, buckwheat samples were sent to Sweden to verify that they were gluten-free.
Finland's first gluten-free mill started up in Virtasalmi
Petri Karjalainen and Pertti Häkkinen, farmers from South Savo, built a mill capable of grinding 1,500 kilograms of buckwheat per day. Moilanen Bakery was involved in the project. The raw materials were sourced from the entrepreneurs' own fields.
New entrepreneurs featured in newspaper articles
People and the media are interested in new things. In its early years, the mill, which focuses on gluten-free products, received a lot of coverage in newspapers. Click on the icons below to open the relevant newspaper article.
Our collaboration with the S Group began right from the company's early days.
Viljatuote's first product hits storeshelves
The first product to be added to the S Group’s store lineup was Finnish buckwheat (500 g). Today, the S Group receives 19 different consumer products, and the selection varies by store.
The product line began to take shape around Finnish buckwheat, as it was a natural and genuinely gluten-free ingredient at the start of the company’s operations. Buckwheat represented local origin, purity, and traditional Finnish food culture—values that have guided Viljatuote’s operations from the very beginning. Starting with the first buckwheat product, a broader range of gluten-free products gradually began to expand.
Development work on our first flour blend began in 2004.
2004–2005 – The first flour blend for a grain product
Our first proprietary flour blend was the result of a collaboration.
In 2004, Viljatuote developed its first gluten-free flour blend in collaboration with Raija Alatalo, a product developer at the University of Helsinki’s Ruralia Institute. This development effort resulted in “ Dark Gluten Free Flour Mix,” which went on sale in S Group stores in 2005.
The dark flour blend marked an important step in Viljatuote’s product development and laid the foundation for its current line of flour blends. The product remains part of the line as a high-fiber all-purpose flour blend, with main ingredients sourced from Finland.
The bun flour is the best. The other products are good, too.
My mother was diagnosed with celiac disease 40 years ago. Back then, you couldn’t find just about anything gluten-free in stores! My daughter was born in 1996—30 years ago. Now the world has changed, and a gluten-free lifestyle is part of our family’s story! There are still some preconceptions and bad experiences with gluten-free products, but you can always be pleasantly surprised! My favorites are the 3-kg packages and great recipes!
I have used it, and I'm satisfied with the quality; I usually bake my own.