Given the current workforce shortage, we must be smart and persistent in finding new employees. Our goal is to be a good employer and to discover new ways of ensuring our staff are happy.

How did you find your way to Kulinaaria OÜ and what is your role within the company?

I came to Tallinn from the city of Valga to study economics in the distance learning programme. I also needed to find a job to support my studies. The mother of an acquaintance happened to work in Selveri Köök and suggested that I join her – she said it was a nice job! In 2005, I started out as a packer – someone who prepares the goods for their dispatch to stores. Soon I moved on to taking orders. As e-stores were not very common back then, people who wished to order treats for their parties had to call the store.

When Selveri Köök moved to the new facility in Lasnamäe, I became Kulinaaria’s senior goods dispatcher. My responsibility was to oversee that the correct amount of goods was dispatched from the kitchen.

What do you like most about working here and what motivates you?

I had two children and by the time I returned from parental leave, my former position no longer existed. So, I went back to assembling. As a young mother, these working conditions suited me well. Five days a week and free nights to spend time with my kids – I was very happy with this work schedule.

After that I moved on to office work – I was an assistant for six years and a labour safety specialist for two years. Last December, I became the human resources manager.

My new position also requires new knowledge, which is why this autumn I will enrol in an economics school to study human resources management. In my speciality, I have to be competent and know all the legislation and regulations.

What is your favourite product and why?

The broccoli soup from our recently launched soup range. As for desserts, I really enjoy the Tosca cakes and the Winter Dream cake, which won the title of best Christmas product at the 2021 Tallinn Food Fair.

The post Employee stories – Kristina Solomatova, HR appeared first on Kulinaaria.

I definitely don’t intend to leave this place – for starters, the kitchen here is new and cosy, which makes it very comfortable to work here. I just love my job! My colleagues are nice, I know my role and I’ve got everything just the way I like it.

How did you find your way to Kulinaaria OÜ and what is your role within the company?

In 1999, a former colleague invited me from Kännu Kukk restaurant to join Selveri Köök to replace an employee on holiday. As the workload increased during my time here, I ended up staying for good – especially because several of my former colleagues already worked here.

What do you like most about working here and what motivates you?

I’m definitely a loyal employee. I have never changed jobs quickly, but I have really stayed put in Kulinaaria OÜ.

I also really like that we can learn our trade on site, although I had already finished my chef’s training when I came here.

I can’t complain about the routine either, because the working process and products change quite often. New technologies also change the way I work. For example, a new machine was recently set up in the kitchen for packaging desserts – before it all had to be done manually.

What is your favourite product and why?

During my time in Kulinaaria OÜ, our products have certainly become healthier. My two favourites are both desserts – kefir jelly and rye mousse. Both are light and contain lots of healthy ingredients. The rye mousse is made of wholemeal rye flour and apple juice and is similar to semolina mousse, only healthier – I would definitely recommend it!

hulgast – keefiritarretis ja rukkivaht – on samuti kerged ja kasulikest koostisainetest. Täisterarukkijahust ja õunamahlast tehtud rukkivaht on mannavahu sugulane, aga veel tervislikum – soovitan!

The post Employee stories – Liina Rannit, Chef appeared first on Kulinaaria.

In the interview below, Kulinaaria’s Business Development Manager sheds some light on whether the low sugar content in food products is an unavoidable trend and what the impetus is for launching new products.

Before starting product development, we study what materials and colours are trending in the fashion industry, among other things. If green shades are in, we try to choose these colours for our products too. All of these minute details must be observed because they are what draw the attention of consumers!

How often must the range in the food industry be updated? We all know that people tend to get used to their favourites and don’t want to lose them.

We make product development plans once a year. We try to introduce new products to every segment by removing less popular items in order to make room for new and trending products. Although our initial plan might be to launch only one new product, in reality it usually doesn’t play out that way. The actual number of new launches is always bigger.

For example, take our new Pallikesed product. The idea was to launch two new choices alongside the traditional rum ball. However, the product developer was very creative and so the tasting committee was presented with 17 different tastes. As they were all so delicious, it was difficult to choose only two, which is how we ended up launching four new tastes.

How do you decide which new products to launch?

We follow trends and, naturally, it also depends on our production capacity and machinery. Our production facility recently received a brand-new interior – in order to choose new robotic machinery, we went through our product portfolio and mapped our opportunities and needs. We also studied customer and market expectations as well as trends. The goal was to be able to produce both mass and niche products, and if a new customer arrived with a very peculiar product wish, we would be able to offer it. Currently, we can produce food in large quantities, but likewise we can also design new tailor-made products, if required.

What are the current trends in the food industry and how much do you follow them?

Before starting product development, we study what materials and colours are trending in the fashion industry, among other things. If green shades are in, we try to choose these colours for our products too. All of these minute details must be observed because they are what draw the attention of consumers!

Essentially, we are moving towards simplicity and healthiness, including only the fundamental components and nothing superfluous. We are striving to reduce salt and sugar quantities in our products but this, too, has its nuances. For instance, we cut the amount of sugar in our raspberry cake, but then sales of it declined. Some products just need to be sweet. The Alexander cake is a total sugar bomb, but it has sold excellently for decades.

We also focus on producing responsibly, reducing waste and offering products with additional value. By that I mean products where we have added vitamins, microelements or fibre to help bodies absorb nutrients better, to avoid having to consume food supplements. In this area, we work closely with scientists from the Center of Food and Fermentation Technologies.

Thanks to our renewed technology park we can prolong the expiration dates of our products without adding preservatives. The consumer wants products to be made with natural whipped cream, little sugar and be totally healthy, but you can’t have everything. Sugar and salt have preservative qualities – you must add something to make the product last.

Trends in ready-made foods indicate that people are eager to try various tastes from all over the world. As people are living busy lives, they are looking for simple alternatives to cooking at home or eating in a restaurant. With this in mind, we have launched new sauces packaged in plastic cups, including chilli con carne, Bolognese, tikka masala and chicken curry sauce.

You are one of the largest producers of ready-made food in Estonia. Do you regard your company to be a trend setter? Are others imitating you?

We can see that our party products are copied a lot. Also, in packaging our competitors tend to follow us – we have moved towards more environmentally-conscious solutions.

And, of course, we were the first company to start selling poke bowls and produce them industrially, so-to-speak – while restaurants were already offering them, they were not on the menu of large producers.

Our roll-packaged cookie dough is also a unique product on the market, both in content and form. This way of packaging is innovative and easy for the consumer to use – it’s quite straightforward to cut slices and put them in the oven. Our cookie dough with toffee and caramel was awarded the title of “Best Estonian Confectionery Product 2021”.

The post Trendy colours also matter in the food industry! appeared first on Kulinaaria.

Authentic Italian Bolognese sauce with minced meat, slightly spicy Indian chicken tikka masala, aromatic chicken curry sauce cooked in a unique blend of spices, and chilli con carne – a slightly spicy Mexican-style minced meat dish with beans. Serve with cooked rice or pasta, spread to fill a casserole dish or enjoy with tacos!

A bowl of Mexican-style ready-made sauce with beans and plenty of minced meat from Selveri Köök!

Bowl of nachos with chilli con carne

4 servings

You’ll need:

• 1 cup or 400 g chilli con carne from Selveri Köök
• a couple of big handfuls of nachos
• 1 dl grated parmesan or other hard cheese
• 1 avocado, if desired, split and remove the seed
• 1 jalapeño pod; remove the seeds and slice thinly
• a handful of chopped cherry tomatoes
• serve with canned pepperoni pepper pods, chopped onion tops and fresh coriander

How to prepare:

• Alternately spread the nachos and chilli con carne ready-made sauce on plates, a platter, oven tray or baking tray covered with baking paper. Sprinkle with cheese.
• If desired, bake in the oven at a temperature of 200 degrees (though it also tastes good uncooked).
• Sprinkle some jalapeños and tomatoes on top. Serve with pepperoni.
• Selveri Köök’s chilli con carne tastes great with cooked rice or tucked between tortillas.

Tortilla rolls made easy with Selveri Köök’s Mexican-style ready-made sauce!

Tortilla rolls with chilli con carne

8 servings

You’ll need:

• 1 cup or 400 g chilli con carne from Selveri Köök
• 8 smaller tortillas
• a couple of handfuls of thinly sliced Romaine lettuce or your favourite lettuce blend
• 1 tomato, cut into cubes
• 1 avocado; peel and remove the seed and cut the pulp into cubes
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1–1.5 dl grated cheese
• Sriracha mayonnaise, Sriracha sauce or wrap sauce
• serve with fresh cilantro, if desired

How to prepare:

• Grill or heat the tortillas in a frying pan until crispy on one side and immediately fill with lettuce, a couple of spoonfuls of chilli con carne, diced tomatoes, avocado and onion slices.
• Sprinkle with cheese and roll. Serve immediately!
• Instead of tortillas, you can also use taco pockets made of corn.

With Selveri Köök’s classic Italian-style ready-made tomato and minced meat sauce, you can enjoy a delicious oven-roast lasagne!

Quick-bake lasagne with Selveri Köök’s Bolognese sauce

4 servings

You’ll need:

• 1 cup or 400 g chilli con carne from Selveri Köök
• 6–8 lasagne sheets
• 200 g ricotta or grated mozzarella
• 200 g mozzarella, sliced
• 1–1.5 dl grated parmesan

How to prepare:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
• Spread a few tablespoons of sauce on the bottom of a smaller oven tray or a pie mould made from glass.
• Lay out a layer of lasagne sheets (you can break them into smaller pieces to fit into a round mould).
• Cover the lasagne sheets with a thin layer of sauce and sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese or top with a portion of ricotta.
• Repeat layering until the sauce is finished (approx. 3 layers). The top layer should consist of lasagne sheets.
• Spread the mozzarella slices on top and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Bon appétit!

The post New “Tastes of the World” ready-made sauces from Selveri Köök! appeared first on Kulinaaria.

The job is interesting and full of responsibilities. Both my colleagues and superiors are nice and pleasant. In fact, I like everything about this job, but then again, I’m not someone who often changes job in search of a better one. My feet just keep bringing me back here, whether I like it or not!

How did you find your way to Kulinaaria OÜ and what is your role within the company?

I came here just like so many others – I was invited by an acquaintance who already worked here and I stayed!

For over ten years I worked as a packer, until one day my superior offered me a new position – as the packing shift manager. Since then, I’ve been dividing my time between working at the computer and communicating with employees. My job is to arrange the dispatch of goods to 74 Selver stores and to our cooperation partner Balbiino, as well as to keep an eye on private orders. I monitor the dispatched food, the amounts and the deadlines

What do you like most about working here and what motivates you?

It’s very important to me that my salary arrives without a hitch and the company has its own canteen where I can eat affordably several times a day. It’s very convenient not to have to think about where to go for lunch or what food to bring from home.

What is your favourite product and why?

My favourites from the party menu are refreshments with herring and trout. It’s so delicious when egg butter is complemented by a tender slice of herring fillet and onion! It’s not just tasty; it also looks beautiful. You can eat it at home or bring it along when visiting friends.

I also really like the cauliflower and broccoli casserole, with vegetables oven baked in a mixture of kitchen cream and Merevaik, the Estonian cream cheese. Breaded schnitzels are also very tasty and mini-hamburgers are perfect for a festive dinner table. I don’t have a sweet tooth; otherwise, I would recommend a dessert, too. Besides the excellent flavours and look, I also like the fact that there are thorough ingredients lists on the product labels.

The post Employee stories – Irina Mazova, Shift Manager appeared first on Kulinaaria.

For Kulinaaria’s Managing Director Andres Heinver, it is important that Kulinaaria honours the traditional Estonian tastes while also introducing new and surprising products to complement them:

“Kulinaaria’s success story started from Selveri Köök – we were the first company in Estonia to start making ready-made food. Our idea was innovative and successful. Now it is normal that you can buy ready-made food from every grocery store. Back then it was like a winning solution for busy customers who wanted to save time on cooking at home. Thanks to great demand, we started offering ready-made food throughout the opening hours of the store and eventually in other Selver and Kaubamaja stores as well.”

Having started out as Selveri Köök, Kulinaaria continued operating as an independent company to meet increasing demand. Today, Kulinaaria supplies the customers of 80 stores across Estonia: Selver, Comarket, Tallinna Kaubamaja, Tartu Kaubamaja, Alexela and Olerex, among many others.

Kulinaaria was the first company to start offering tasty ready-made foods in Estonia when they launched their first products in the Kaubamaja and Selver stores almost 23 years ago.

The newly-completed Kulinaaria production building also means that the company now has new equipment to provide even more opportunities for product development and range expansion. “This environment, which can be regulated and controlled with laboratory-level precision, has created excellent conditions for product development. Besides our own trademarks, we also prepare treats for our demanding Gurmee Catering customers, and for our own brand products,” Heinver proudly comments.

As the flavours and appearances to meet the demands of Kulinaaria’s chefs cannot always be achieved on an assembly line, many products are still handmade. Today, Kulinaaria is able to fulfil large industrial orders and special orders that require greater flexibility. “Last summer, we opened our factory store at Taevakivi 7 in Lasnamäe, Tallinn, and this year we plan to unveil an e-shop, which will again bring with it new and innovative opportunities,” Heinver added.

The post Becoming a leading food producer by giving people time and offering honest tastes appeared first on Kulinaaria.

Let’s talk about the creation of the brand. What void is Van Kook trying to fill on the market, i.e., how does it differ from other cake producers – isn’t the cake business a highly competitive one?

Most of Kulinaaria’s production is under the label of Selveri Köök. Nonetheless, as the company is independent of Selver, we wanted to introduce our own brand – do something different.

As competition on the cake market is, indeed, intense, we wanted to stand out instantly – in terms of packaging, brand name and the product itself. Our cookie dough is natural and made with the minimum number of ingredients to keep it pure, so to speak. The packaging is cardboard and its lining is not laminated but waxed, which is both environmentally-friendly and innovative.

We had an internal competition to find the brand name but the final version – Van Kook – came from an agency. As Van Gogh was an artist and baking is also a form of art, we put together a fantastic name that brings together the two elements – a nod both to the essence of the product and to art.

How did the launch go? Did customers accept the brand easily?

Initially, we launched cookies from high-quality ingredients and packaged them in beautiful cardboard boxes with segments of a painting on them. By putting the four different boxes next to one another, the painting became whole. It was created especially for our products. The four options included oatmeal cookies with cranberries, Valeri cookies, poppyseed cookies and baked salt sticks.

We launched them without considerable marketing support but soon discovered that you can’t sell anything with just a pretty package. Our research has shown that people thought they were foreign products. And as they couldn’t see inside the package, they didn’t trust them enough to buy them.

Ultimately, we changed the design – we took a piece of the painting out and made a window to show the product. We added the “Made in Estonia” label to the price tag to gain trust. Sales improved immediately.

Your product portfolio has grown – how did you decide what to sell under the Van Kook brand?

As Kulinaaria’s production facility underwent a thorough renovation and we acquired modern equipment, it presented us with the opportunity to create completely new products – products that didn’t even exist in our market. One such product is roll-packaged cookie dough. It’s an innovative and user-friendly way of packaging, as it is very easy to cut slices and put them into the oven. We introduced the same solution for gingerbread dough – again, a very convenient approach for people who don’t want to roll and cut shapes themselves.

There are three cookie dough options: chocolate chip, toffee chip and caramel, and a salty option with three cheeses. The toffee chip and caramel cookies received the “Best Estonian Confectionery Product 2021” award. However, these three doughs were not easy to develop: we tried 52 recipes and many ingredients to find just the “right tastes”.

Besides cookies and cookie doughs, our portfolio also includes cakes. Originally, Kulinaaria OÜ didn’t have mass-produced cakes – we have made many cakes for Selveri Köök and we’ve also made large pre-ordered marzipan cakes, but not like this. We decided to introduce a premium cake range, because this field is also very competitive and you have to be extremely innovative to stand out.

So, our cake recipes include a mango cake with chia seeds and a chocolate brownie cake. They have thin sponge layers, and taste pure and natural. We also made an effort to provide beautiful packages so that they could be used as gifts. Actually, these cakes are meant for special festive occasions when people are willing to pay a little more in exchange for a truly exquisite, tasty experience.

What do your marketing operations include now?

When we launched our cookie doughs and cakes, we put a lot of effort into marketing: outdoor posters, advertisements in stores, magazines and digital media. Right now, we are building our social media channels. Last September, Omniva, the Estonian postal service, chose our cookie dough flyer as the best direct e-mail of the month.

On the other hand, other food chains are not eager to add our products into their range – the purchasing managers are well aware of the fact that we are linked to Selver, making us their competitors. However, we have managed to sell our products in cafés and other smaller venues. Currently, our products are available in Selver, Kaubamaja and Selver ABC stores.

Are you planning to expand your product portfolio or do you consider it fixed and final?

We are expanding our cookie dough range and also plan to develop new cakes. On the whole, we will stick to our specialties. We don’t want to make products that are sold by every other competitor. Our goal is to stand out. We were the first to introduce cardboard packages and we can already see that our competitors are following our lead. It seems to me that in some ways we have become trend setters in terms of packaging.

What is the most popular product of the Van Kook brand?

Our cookie doughs sell equally well. The most popular cookies are Valeri cookies, and the chocolate brownie cake is also a best-seller.

The post The creators of Estonia’s best confectionery product are setting trends appeared first on Kulinaaria.

The range includes broccoli purée soup, Spanish gazpacho, sauerkraut soup and pumpkin purée soup enriched with health-boosting ingredients. Tomato fish soup will be added in the near future.

“Food is the foundation for good health. The new functional Selveri Köök soups have been developed in cooperation with scientists who have thoroughly considered all the components that are beneficial to health and human well-being,” says Katrin Riisalu, Purchasing Director of Selver AS.

“TFTAK’s collaboration with scientists and Kulinaaria’s specialists has brought a unique range of functional soups to the Estonian market. In addition to their great flavours, the soups are also packed with cleverly combined health-boosting ingredients. We are proud to contribute to enriching Estonian cuisine in a healthier way,” says Dr Sirli Rosenvald, Team Lead of Sensomics and Product Development at the Center of Food and Fermentation Technologies (TFTAK).

All the soups are dispensed and packaged hot, which allows Kulinaaria to produce delicious and healthy soups without adding preservatives.

“While the old saying goes that too many cooks spoil the broth, Kulinaaria’s product developers and TFTAK’s scientists have worked together to bring these excellent soups to the market. Healthy soups are enriched with beneficial nutrients and vitamins—the perfect combination for a nutritious and tasty meal that also supports health and well-being,” explains Kulinaaria’s Managing Director Andres Heinver.

• Broccoli and spinach give the broccoli soup its beautiful colour, while the taste is enhanced by coconut milk. The soup contains many antioxidants and is fortified with vitamin D, which together help support the immune system.
• Spanish-style cold tomato soup, or gazpacho, helps boosts immunity and is fortified with zinc, vitamin B6 and D. Both broccoli soup and gazpacho are made exclusively from vegetable components.
• The functional sauerkraut soup combines the homemade taste of ground smoked ham, healthy fibre, manganese and vitamin K. Fibre supports digestion while manganese contributes to normal energy metabolism, helping to prevent fatigue; together with vitamin K, it also supports the bones.
• Pumpkin purée soup has been supplemented with magnesium, which supports the nervous system and regulates energy production, thus preventing much-dreaded spring fatigue.

In addition to the functional soups created in collaboration with scientists, Kulinaaria also prepares a traditional range of soups under the Selveri Köök brand: home-made borscht with pork and sauerkraut, and solyanka. Pea soup will arrive in stores by Shrove Tuesday.

The Center of Food and Fermentation Technologies (TFTAK) is a research and development organisation that bases its activities on modern analytical methods. The aim of the organisation is to develop and introduce innovative solutions for the food and biotechnology industry.

The post Introducing our new range of scientifically developed, healthy ready-made soups! appeared first on Kulinaaria.

Homemade apple cake

8 servings

You’ll need:

• 500 g, or 1 packet of Selveri Köök shortcrust pastry
• Filling:
  • approx. 8 apples, peeled and with core removed
  • 4 tbsp sugar + 1/3 tsp ground cinnamon or cardamom
  • 50 g butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1–1.5 dl apricot jam, heated until fluid

How to prepare:

• Bring the dough to room temperature for half an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 230 degrees. Cut the apples into thin slices on a mandoline or with a knife.
• Using your fingers, press the dough until 1 cm thick onto the bottom and sides of a 22–24 cm round cake tray or onto a baking tray. Form a square shape.
• Arrange the apple slices tightly together on the base of the dough.
• Sprinkle with sugar mixed with cinnamon or cardamom and cover with butter cubes.
• Bake in the bottom third of the oven for about 40 minutes until the edges are crisp and the apples are soft (if necessary, cover the top with foil to avoid excessive browning).
• Glaze the cake from the top with plenty of apricot jam.
• Serve with vanilla sauce or ice cream.

Bon appétit!

The post Homemade apple cake with shortcrust pastry appeared first on Kulinaaria.

Simple lemon cake with shortcrust pastry

8 servings

You’ll need:

• 1 packet of Van Kook shortcrust pastry with real butter
• 4 eggs
• 3 ½–3 ¾ dl sugar
• 1 large lemon
• 110 g butter, cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp corn starch and ¼ tsp salt (optional)

How to prepare:

• Thaw the dough according to the instructions on the package.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, line the 22–24 cm round mould with dough and cut the edges evenly.
• Pierce the base of the dough all over with a fork and bake for 15 minutes.
• Lower the oven temperature to 180 degrees.
• Zest the lemon, remove the white part under the rind and cut the lemon into 8 slices. Remove all seeds (they will make the cake taste bitter).
• Add eggs, sugar, bright yellow lemon zest, lemon pulp and butter in a jug mixer or a food processor and process until the texture is smooth.
• Pour the filling onto the pre-cooked shortcrust pastry base.
• Bake for 35–40 minutes, cool to room temperature and sprinkle with icing sugar and grated lemon zest, if desired.

Bon appétit!

The post Simple lemon cake with shortcrust pastry appeared first on Kulinaaria.

Simple chocolate cake with shortcrust pastry

8 servings

You’ll need:

• 1 packet of Van Kook shortcrust pastry with real butter
• Filling:
  • 200 g milk chocolate or dark chocolate
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 dl whipped cream
  • 200 g of sweet (frozen) berries or 2 sliced bananas
• Serve with Greek yogurt or whipped cream, roasted nuts, popcorn and/or pretzels

How to prepare:

• Thaw the dough according to the instructions on the package.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
• Line the cake mould with 20–24 cm dough and straighten the edges, if desired.
• Bake for 12–14 minutes until the cake has a golden complexion and leave to cool.
• Thaw the chocolate in a microwave or in a bowl of hot water over a saucepan.
• Whisk until the cream forms soft peaks and mix with the slightly chilled melted chocolate.
• Spread the pre-cooked berries or banana slices onto the shortcrust pastry base and spread out the chocolate mousse.
• Leave to settle in the fridge for a few hours.
• Decorate with whatever you like and serve!

Bon appétit!

The post Simple chocolate cake with shortcrust pastry appeared first on Kulinaaria.