Knead to know – fresh bread at the airport

Whether it’s a slice of toast, a lunchtime sandwich, or a warm roll to go with your soup or salad, if you love baked goods you’ll be pleased to know that Helsinki Airport has its own local bread thanks to one establishment's very busy bakery.

Bistrot, the contemporary Italian market-style restaurant at Terminal 2, arrivals hall 2A, not only makes its own bread and pastries on-site. It also supplies 17 other HMSHost restaurants at the airport with these artisanal products.

According to Juha Räsänen, Operations Manager at HMSHost Finland Oy, it’s a 24/7 effort. “The night shift bakes the bread for the early morning since many of our units open at around 5:00 am.”

At the moment, a total of six individuals share in the art, technique, and passion of baking a loaf of bread, among others. They produce around 800 items from 100kg of dough daily, all delivered within two hours of coming out of the oven.

“Bistrot’s bakers receive internal orders from our units for many kinds of bread, including buns and cinnamon rolls,” continues Räsänen. “0 km” and seasonality are the guidelines for the selection. As an added treat, guests can watch the bakers work their magic in Bistrot’s glass preparation lab.

Räsänen explains the reason for centralizing all the breadmaking to one place. “We want to keep the quality high by having freshly baked bread available for customers at HMSHost coffee shops and restaurants."

Read about filling and flavorful sandwiches you can enjoy at Helsinki Airport

Read more about Airport cafés and restaurants