Finland 100 years: Finnair showcases Finnish food culture

(Warsaw 27.6.2017) In conjunction with Finland’s upcoming centennial anniversary, Finnair is launching three new food collaborations for its onboard meals. The collaborations, intended to promote Finland’s healthy and hearty food culture, are done in cooperation with the ELO Foundation, an association dedicated to promoting said culture.

For business class customers flying out of Helsinki on long-haul flights between October 4 and January 9, Finnair’s Signature Menu chef, Eero Vottonen, has put together an exclusive 100 years-themed menu to celebrate the culinary nuances of Finnish food. The menu features delicacies such as Baltic herring, a Karelian stew and a cep mushroom soup flavored with cured elk. Vottonen finished sixth out of twenty-four participants at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or competition in Lyon, France last January.

“When creating Finnair’s centennial menu, I reflected on what Finland and its food culture represent for me,” says Eero Vottonen. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to introduce the tastes of Finland to thousands of passengers travelling through Finland with Finnair.”

For business class customers on most long haul flights to Helsinki Finnair will offer between October 4 and January 9 elements inspired by the special Finland 100 menu designed by the ELO Foundation to commemorate Finland’s centennial anniversary. These elements include pickled salmon, rainbow trout and a Karelian stew with beef and pork. Variations of the ELO Foundation’s 100 years menu are also served at Finnish embassies around the world, to commemorate the centennial celebration.
















For economy class customers on long-haul flights from July 5 to January 9, Finnair  partnered with the ELO Foundation and the Cygnaeus elementary school in Turku to create meals promoting Finland’s healthy and tasty school meals. The meals were selected by students from the Cygnaeus school during a workshop at Finnair’s catering premises, and tailored to fit the aircraft environment. The meals include traditional Finnish favorites such as potatoes and meatballs as well as macaroni and meat casserole.

“Our main objective in partnering with the ELO Foundation is to help promote Finland’s healthy and delicious food culture to hundreds of thousands of international passengers flying with us this year,” says Maarit Keränen, Head of in-flight service at Finnair. “For example healthy and balanced school meals are an essential element of the well-recognized Finnish school system, and we are proud to highlight these tasty meals as part of our in-cabin service.”















“Finland was the first country in the world to serve free school meals in 1943. Gradually, school meals in Finland have become more varied and are today part of a holistic pedagogic tool which extends far beyond the school lunch", says Seija Kurunmäki, Executive Director of the ELO Foundation.

Finnair will also serve rye bread and Karelian pies onboard its long-haul flights. Both items were in the top 3 when nearly 50 000 Finns voted to find Finland’s national food, as a tribute to the centennial anniversary.

For additional information on the ELO Foundation, please visit: http://www.elo-saatio.fi/en

World's best school food onboard Finnair (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsninAqPkz8

Further information:

Finnair Media Desk, +358 9 818 4020, comms(a)finnair.com
www.finnair.com, www.finnairgroup.com
www.twitter.com/Finnair
www.facebook.com/finnair
www.instagram.com/feelfinnair
www.youtube.com/finnair
Images: gallery.finnair.com
Finnair blog: blogs.finnair.com


Finnair flies between Asia, Europe and North America with an emphasis on fast connections via Helsinki, carrying more than ten million passengers annually. In 2017, Finnair's extensive network connects 18 cities in Asia and 7 cities in North America with over 60 destinations in Europe. The airline, a pioneer in sustainable flying, was the first European airline to fly the next-generation, eco-smart Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and it is the first airline listed in the Leadership Index of the worldwide Carbon Disclosure Project. The only Nordic carrier with a 4-star Skytrax ranking, Finnair has also won the World Airline Award for Best Airline Northern Europe for the past eight years running. Finnair is a member of oneworld, the alliance of the world's leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travellers.