VAASAN bread for 160 years

VAASAN has been a part of Finnish bread traditions for 160 years. Its colourful history contains more than a century of crispbread and many other successful products.

In 1820, August Alexander Levón was born in Saloinen, in north-western Finland. In 1849, Levón was granted permission by the courts to establish Finland's first steam-powered mill in Vaasa, which he named Vaasan Höyrymylly (Vaasa steam mill). Levón wanted to set up a bakery at the mill, but according to the laws of the time, baking was classed as manual work so permission was not granted.

Levón's idea of a bakery was not realised until 1904, when Höyryleipomo Osakeyhtiö became one of Finland's first companies to produce bread on an industrial scale. In its early years, the new bakery produced all kinds of bread-based products, but later it concentrated on the production of crispbread. In 1952, the FINN CRISP brand was born, by which Finnish crispbreads and thin crisps are still known all over the world.



From grain to flour

In 1974, the company was involved in the biscuit and crispbread industry, but also produced flakes, pasta and animal feed. As a producer of crispbread, oat flakes, breakfast cereals and pasta, Vaasan Höyrymylly held a leading position in the Finnish market. Each year, every Finn would use about 25 kilogrammes of the company's products.

In spring 1981, the name of Vaasan Höyrymylly Osakeyhtiö was changed to Vaasanmylly Oy. The new name was modern but still reminiscent of the traditional company.

Successful products on the market

In 1982, the operations of Vaasanmylly were sold to the Suomen Sokeri sugar factory. In January 1984, the new subsidiary launched VAASAN Small Round crispbreads, which revolutionised the market. The product quickly became a national favourite and remains so to this day. Later, production diversified and the company switched from the crispbread and bakery industry to the manufacture of frozen bake-off products.

In 1990, the production of fresh bakery products recommenced. Vaasanmylly was joined by Vaasan Leipomot, which spawned the Vaasan Leivonta bakery division and the VAASAN umbrella brand.

In autumn 1991, the company unveiled its successful VAASAN RUISPALAT rye bites. Nowadays, 728 million pieces of this, Finland's most popular bread, are enjoyed every year, which is equivalent to every Finn eating around 137 pieces per year. In 2002, the revolutionary VAASAN MUHKU range of bread rolls was launched.

In 1998, the Vaasan Leivonta division demerged from Cultor Oy, creating a new independent company, Vaasan & Vaasan Oy. At the end of the following year, the company revolutionised the frozen food sections of shops by creating a new range of bake-off products. These days, VAASAN KOTIUUNIN bake-off products are among the most popular frozen bakery items in Finland.

Leading baking company

In 2007, ownership of the VAASAN Group switched to Lion Capital. The Group is now one of Finland's oldest food manufacturers, the leading bakery company in Finland and the Baltic region in fresh bakery products, and the largest producer of bake-off products in the Nordic countries. The Group is also the world's largest producer of thin crisps and the second-largest producer of crispbread.

Over the years, the company has succeeded in continually reinventing itself and responding to the needs of consumers. One indication of its sound professional expertise in baking is its unveiling of Finland's first breads made from 100% wholegrain wheat. Most of Finland’s best-selling breads are baked under Finland's leading bread brand, VAASAN.