Life in Estonia (Winter 2014 issue)

WINTER I 2013 / 2014

SPECIAL! Biotech And

Functional Food

land & people I state & society I economy & business I technology & innovation I culture & entertainment I tourism

Small Producers Making A Big DifferenceDiverse Estonian Restaurant Landscape

Katre KõvaskThe Dynamic Leader

of PremiaGood Bacteria To The Rescue

Estonia Contributes To Life-changing Genetics

Estonia Goes Organic

COVERKatre Kõvask

Photo by: Atko Januson

Executive publisherPositive ProjectsPärnu mnt 69, 10134 Tallinn, [email protected]

EditorReet [email protected]

TranslationIngrid HübscherAmbassador Translation Agency

Language editorRichard Adang

Design & LayoutPositive Design

Partner

WINTER 2013 / 2014 I LIFE IN ESTONIA 3

The food industry and the development of

food products are among the most rapidly

developing branches of the knowledge-

based economy in the world. “Functional

food” has become a fashionable term, in a

positive sense, and, together with the rapid

increase in the popularity of organic foods, it

demonstrates the different needs that peo-

ple have today when it comes to nutrition

and taking care of their health.

Estonia can boast of great results in the de-

velopment of functional foods. The probiotic

milk acid bacteria Lactobacillus fermentum

ME-3 and Tensia, discovered by the Estonian

scientist Marika Mikelsaar, have won prizes in

various competitions. More importantly, we

have food products which contain those use-

ful bacteria.

The predicted growth in the world’s popula-

tion to 9.6 billion by the year 2050 places in-

creasing demands on food, as well as on the

growth of special nutritional needs. This turns

functional food, product development and bio-

technology into fields with enormous potential

for guaranteeing a better sense of well-being

for people, not to mention their economic

benefits.

For example, Estonian scientists from the Uni-

versity of Tartu have patented an appliance

which finds traces of antibiotics in milk in real-

time. The milk is analysed within one minute. A

silage bacterium discovered in Estonia, which is

used as a silage additive, is registered on the list

of EU feed additives.

The latest great achievement of Estonian pro-

ducers is de-mineralised whey powder, which is

a valuable component of baby food. While to-

day the babies of the European Union, Australia,

Malaysia and Singapore are benefiting from this

product, the future target is of course the Chinese

market.

Hence, milk is the flagship of our agriculture. Es-

tonia’s milk production covers 170% of our own

consumption, meaning that our milk and milk

products are sold to consumers in other countries

as well. In autumn 2013, two Estonian cheeses

received quality awards from the German Asso-

ciation of Agriculture DLG: a gold and a bronze.

The independent international recognition dem-

onstrates the high quality and great taste of those

products.

An important precondition for producing great

food is nature and Estonia is wealthy in this sense.

Climate conditions enable us to produce more nat-

urally than in other countries. We are ranked third

in the EU and fifth in Europe in terms of organic

production. Organic production growth is based

on people’s increased awareness and interest in the

origins of the food they consume.

Saidafarm, an Estonian organic producer, received

the Baltic Sea Farmer of the Year Award 2013 for

implementing extensive sustainable and innova-

tive measures. This proves that even with larger

production volumes it is possible to produce sus-

tainably, and market organic food. Polls show that

82% of Estonian consumers prefer to buy organic

food, mainly to take care of their health and the

environment.

In step with increasing consumer demand, excit-

ing organic products and organic restaurants have

come onto the market. You can read about many

of them in this issue.

Estonians are not stingy and we invite all those

who are interested to experience the natural and

the innovative at the same time. In January, our

great food can be found at the Grüne Woche fair

in Berlin, where Estonia is a partner state under the

slogan “Naturally Estonian”. But the best way is of

course to visit Estonia and let yourself be positively

surprised.

Helir-Valdor Seeder

Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Estonia

Estonian food combines nature and science

6 Where to go this season? Life in Estonia recommends

8 News

9 Estonian organic food - a growing trend Organic farming land makes up 15% of Estonian farming land, plac-

ing Estonia in third place in the EU. According to surveys, over 82% of

Estonian consumers would prefer to buy organic food. Toomas Kevvai,

Deputy Secretary General for Food Safety, Research and Development of

the Ministry of Agriculture gives a brief introduction of the topic under

the Rural Development Plan.

10 The Estonian food industry - small but smart

The Estonian food industry is very small in comparison to that of its

neighbouring countries. Its flagships, the milk, meat and beverage in-

dustries, form over half of the entire production value. In 2012, the

Estonian food industry had the largest percentage growth in production

volume in the entire EU. Taavi Kand, Head of the Trade and Agro-Food

Department, Ministry of Agriculture, reports.

12 Katre Kõvask: Premia Foods owes its market leader status to a great team

Katre Kõvask is the Chair of Premia Foods, which is active in six states

and in five target markets in three different business segments: ice

cream, chilled fishery products, and frozen foods. The company is noted

on the Nasdaq OMX Tallinn Stock Exchange. Life in Estonia visited Katre

Kõvask in the last days of 2013 to talk about the past, present and fu-

ture of the corporation.

16 Tartu – a town of good bacteriaIn the last few years, the Bio-Competence Centre of Healthy Dairy Prod-

ucts (BioCC), based in Tartu, has discovered and researched previously

unknown Lactobacillus strains and made them work for the benefit of

consumers. BioCC is the owner of 20 patents, and 11 patent applica-

tions are pending in Estonia, Europe, the USA, Russia, Korea and Japan.

20 Estonia makes its way onto the world map with new cancer medication

Life in Estonia visited the Competence Centre for Cancer Research,

which aims to develop cancer drug candidates and diagnostic plat-

forms, to find out which of their projects may reach the world market

in the near future.

24 All genetic roads lead to EstoniaTartu is the place to turn to when a nation gets gripped with the eternal

question “Where do we come from?”. With the help of genes, scien-

tists at the Estonian Biocentre have traced the ancient migration of peo-

ple, helping to establish the origins of, among others, Native Americans

and Aboriginal Australians

28 Scientists saved the honour of a national heroThe trial of the most famous Estonian male cross-country skier, Andrus

Veerpalu, in the international Court of Arbitration became a match of

scientists in which three relatively unknown Estonians beat WADA. The

team was led by Sulev Kõks, Professor of Physiological Genomics at the

University of Tartu, who is currently working with three other interest-

ing projects.

32 MetaMed rescues wealthy patients from the randomness of the medical system

Jaan Tallinn’s company MetaMed offers a personal medical service to

the wealthy which can cost up to 250,000 USD. Inspiration for the crea-

tion of the company came from Steve Jobs’ fight with cancer.

I CONTENT

WINTER_2013 / 2014

LIFE IN ESTONIA I 2013 / 2014 WINTER4

49 Peeter Laurits - wrestling

with ancient forces It must be creative potential which has taken Peeter Laurits where he is

today. It has brought him through dark sorrows and elevated dreams,

in order to find his own place in the arts world. Get acquainted with his

journey and art.

61 Winny Puhh Six Estonian musicians created a commotion with their appearance at

the Paris Fashion Week when Rick Owens, a designer of exclusive male

fashion, invited the band to perform at the presentation of his Spring

Collection 2014. The show received immediate media attention all over

the world. Who are these rural lads who became pets of the world’s

fashion elite?

64 Organic and rustic: a new trend in the Estonian

restaurant landscape It seems that the entire world is moving towards simpler and fresher

food. Famous head chefs from different continents are going back to-

ward their roots. Local ingredients, simple flavours and affordable prices

are in. Get acquainted with some of the trendy eating places in Tallinn

and in the countryside.

71 The food served in Estonia is sumptuous

and diverse Six years of experience in choosing the fifty best restaurants in Estonia

demonstrates that the local cuisine offers a good reason to visit the

country. This year’s TOP 5 restaurants showcase the diversity of food on

offer in Estonia.

77 Estonia in brief

78 Practical information for visitors

34 How to stay healthy? Let’s ask the bacteria in your tummyFlick Diet, an Estonian start-up, helps people to lose weight and live

healthily. Practical nutritional advice is provided through the DNA analsis

of gut bacteria.

37 Quality labels help Estonians select food Four of the best known food quality labels issued by the Estonian

Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce and the Estonian Food Industry

Association help Estonian consumers to make choices in grocery stores.

For companies, a quality label provides the opportunity to attract atten-

tion to their product and to emphasize the local nature of raw materials

or production. A quality label is a good way to increase sales and save

on marketing costs when entering the market with a new product.

42 Kalamatsi goat - milk dairy experiments with

new cheeses Esna, a picturesque village in the Estonian countryside, is where Aita

Mets and Jaan Raudkivi have, in just three years, established the Kala-

matsi Dairy. Its organic products are sold in shops and the best restau-

rants in Estonia.

44 Minna Sahver surprises with special jelly candyMinna Sahver is a small company which sells jelly candy handmade from

natural berries, fruit and vegetable purees free of artificial colourings

and preservatives. In November, the company celebrated its third birth-

day in its new production facility.

46 Success guaranteed by product development and innovationThe only yeast producer in Estonia, the Salutaguse Yeast Factory is part

of the Lallemand Group, with its head office in Canada. The factory

produces liquid yeast, inactive dry yeast, and inactive dry yeast-based

additives. Most of the production is exported to Europe, North America

and Asia.



I WHERE TO GO THIS SEASON

MuSTONENFEST

/ 30.01 - 8.02.2014 /

Third time under the name of MustonenFest, this international music festival has

been held regularly since 1989. It brings to the listeners an unlimited amount of

music in different genres through centuries. In 2014 the initiator and artistic direc-

tor of the festival, Andres Mustonen brings to the audience Mario Brunello, Israel

Camerata, the Coptic archaic choir, English early music ensemble La Serenissima

and several outstanding soloists with whom he has had the joy and honour to

share the stage at different concert hall in the world.

www.concert.ee

MOdIgLIANI – THE CurSEd ArTIST

/ Thomas Edur’s ballet to the music of Tauno Aints

/ On 11, 22 and 24 January 2014 /

“Modigliani – the Cursed Artist” is Thomas Edur’s debut as a stage di-

rector at the Estonian National Opera. The ballet tells an exciting story

of the stormy life of Amedeo Modigliani (1884–1920), one of the most

famous bohemian artists of the 20th century. Legends are told about

Modigliani’s life – his eccentric nature, his bragging, emotional twists,

passionate affairs with writers Anna Akhmatova and Beatrice Hastings,

and artist Jeanne Hébuterne, a dream to mount Parnassus and his rivalry

with Picasso, health problems and the onset of tuberculosis that he tried

to conceal by consuming alcohol and drugs excessively – it all provides

colourful material for the birth of an astonishing stage-work.

Anatoli Arhangelski


MANON / Kenneth MacMillan’s ballet to the music of Jules Massenet

/ PerfOrmanceS On 13 and 22 february

and 8 marcH 2014 /

The central character is Manon, the most desirable courtesan in

Paris, who becomes a refugee in Louisiana due to a dramatic chain

of events. The music expresses Manon’s downfall from the world of

pleasures to the frustrating hellhole. Sir Kenneth MacMillan created

one of the most popular ballets of the 20th century for the Royal Ballet

in 1974. Since then, Manon has been performed by top ballet compa-

nies as the dancing technique of the dancers has to be of high level.

Manon was the last ballet Agnes Oaks and Thomas Edur performed

before returning to Estonia in 2009.

Grand exhibition in Tallinn Seaplane Harbour: more than 200 artifacts from the ocean bottom, recreations

of the Ship’s rooms and stories of the passengers.

15.11.2013 - 31.03.2014

WWW.SEAPLANEHARBOUR.COM

JULY 21.–27. 2014

Presenting the Taras Shevchenko

Ukrainian National Academic Theatre of

Opera and Ballet!

Verdi “DON CARLOS“Lysenko “NATALKA POLTAVKA“

Bellini “NORMA“OPRERA GALA

CHILDREN GALA

Artistic director of the festival: Arne Mikk

saaremaaopera.eufacebook.com/saaremaaopera

MEdEA / Ballet by Gianluca Schiavoni

World premiere at the Estonian National Opera on 13 March 2014

/ PerfOrmanceS On 15 and 28 marcH 2014 /

Gianluca Schiavoni has created a ballet for the dancers of the Esto-

nian National Ballet – a contemporary version of the famous myth of

Medea with a new dramaturgy by marco Gandini, a stunning and

symbolic set design by maria rossi franchi and andrea Tocchio and

costume design by Simona morresi.

Gianluca Schiavoni: “Medea, a sensual and powerful princess of

mythical Colchide (a region corresponding to present Georgia), is a se-

ductive sorceress, who abandons her country and her family for her love

of a strong and handsome man called Jason. Yet he is not interested only

in Medea’s love, but also in getting hold of the Golden Fleece, which is

a symbol of power. Medea gains Jason’s love by giving him this symbol

of power. Soon she gives birth to two boys. Once she realizes that Jason

is betraying her with the King’s daughter, Glauce, she decides to take

revenge by killing Glauce, and most terrible of all – by killing her own

children.” www.opera.ee

Phot

os b

y Ha

rri R

ospu

Alena Shkatula and Maksim Chukarjov

e-Piim, one of the largest cheese producers in estonia,

is the first company in the baltic states to start producing

quality de-mineralized whey powder (demin 90),

which is used in breast-milk substitutes.

De-mineralized whey powder is a real niche product and, in order to

make production profitable, companies need to access the Chinese

market. The only whey production plant in the Baltic states, which was

opened last summer in Järva-Jaani, is currently waiting for recognition

from the Chinese Veterinary Board, in order to start selling whey pow-

der to a Chinese milk producer next spring.

Baby food is probably the most sensitive product in the entire food in-

dustry. Newborns have weak immune systems and the tiniest problems

in food may bring about serious consequences. Therefore, every single

ingredient in baby formula must be made of the best base products

and produced according to the strictest quality standards. “There are

especially high requirements for the ingredients of baby food: it has to

be produced totally naturally, without colourants or additives,” explains

Jaanus Murakas, Manager of E-Piim.

In order to start producing de-mineralized whey powder, E-Piim rebuilt

its entire dairy plant and procured equipment which is unique in the

Baltic states. The construction process lasted for two years and the total

investment was 5.5 million euros, one fifth of which came as EU aid.

If everything proceeds according to plans, the large investment will be

earned back within three years, as this product is very highly valued

throughout the world.

The production volume of the plant will be 5,000 tons per year and half

of this will be exported to China. The price per ton of whey powder suit-

able for baby food fluctuates around 2,000 euros on the world market.

“The Chinese market is so immense that we could sell our entire pro-

duction there, but we want to manage the risks. There are only a few

producers of whey powder suitable for breast-milk substitute in Europe,

we are the only company in the Baltic states and the price of this prod-

uct is twice as high as that of normal whey powder,” adds Murakas.

Murakas speaks highly of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as

Estonian diplomats are making great efforts in Beijing in order to receive

the required recognition for export for the Republic of Estonia and the

whey powder of E-Piim. There are around 18 million babies born in

China each year, and they have to begin consuming breast-milk substi-

tute at the age of 1.5 months because their mothers have to return to

work. This year China eased its strict one-child-per-family policy and this

will increase the demand for baby food in the near future.

Baby food has been a very sensitive topic in China, which is on its way

to becoming the most influential country in the world. As recently as

2008, the leader of the organization in charge of inspecting the quality

of food had to step down because of a baby food scandal which had

caused health problems for around 53,000 children.

E-piim set to enter Chinese market with baby-milk powder

Whereas many businesses only dream of finding a way to

access the Japanese market, JOIK – an estonian company spe-

cializing in natural cosmetics - was specially invited by a repre-

sentative of the Japanese Plaza chain after they spotted JOIK

products on an estonian fashion blog.

“They liked the simple Nordic style of our products and the fact that

they are handmade in Estonia,” explains Kadri Mäesalu, Marketing and

Export Manager of the company. “Our products are natural, but at the

same time luxurious, pretty and great-smelling.”

Japan has become the largest export country of JOIK, followed by Fin-

land, Norway, Latvia and Sweden. JOIK products can also be found in

Paris in a pharmacy on Boulevard Haussmann.

There are plans to grow, expanding the selection of products currently

on sale, as well as the number of selling locations. Whereas today there

are 25 locations in Japan where JOIK products are sold, the company

plans to have its products in all 70 of the Plaza chain stores within the

next three years. Recently, a special edition of JOIK candles made exclu-

sively for Japanese market hit the shelves of Plaza stores.

JOIK is an Estonian natural cosmetics brand. The whole skin-care range

is paraben-free and contains no sulphates, mineral- or silicon oils or

other toxic substances. JOIK products are not tested on animals.

Success in Japan for the Estonian natural cosmetics brand JOIK


I NEWS

At least every second young mother in Estonia is aware of the fact that organic food is trendy, good for nature and healthy. According to sur-veys, over 82 per cent of Estonian consumers would prefer to buy organic food. This is the reason for the rapid development of the Estonian organic food sector.

Organic farming land makes up 15 per cent of Estonian farming land,

placing Estonia in third place in the European Union. According to ini-

tial data from 2013, there are over 153,000 hectares of organic farm-

ing land in Estonia. In addition, nearly 130,000 hectares of natural

areas, where people pick berries and mushrooms, are under organic

monitoring.

Therefore all necessary prerequisites exist for the production of or-

ganic food. The demand for environmentally sustainable and healthier

foods is growing worldwide, and farmers may be certain that in the

future this trend will continue to rise.

One of the largest organic producers in Estonia – Saidafarm – received

the title of “Baltic Sea Farmer of the Year Award 2013” for implement-

ing large-scale sustainable and innovative production methods. The

farm has 1,000 hectares of land and 500 animals, and it produces 17

different dairy products, most of which are organic.

ESTOnIAn ORGAnIC FOOD - A GROwInG TREnD

TExT: Toomas Kevvai

/ Deputy Secretary General for Food Safety, Research and Development,

Ministry of Agriculture


STATE AND SOCIETY I

Have you noticed that a small piece of high-quality chocolate is more satisfying than a whole bar of average chocolate? The Estonian food industry is small, but it continues to surprise with new exciting flavours.

It should be clear from the start that, in comparison to neighbouring

countries and competitors, the Estonian food industry is very small. For

example, the annual turnover of the European Union food and bev-

erage industry exceeds a trillion euros, but Estonia’s share is just 1.5

billion, or approximately 0.15%. The Latvian food industry is bigger

by about a couple of hundred million euros and the Lithuanian food

industry is twice as large; the Finnish industry is seven times bigger and

the Swedish industry ten times bigger.

Yet the Estonian food industry continues to grow. Its flagships are the

milk, meat and beverage industries, which form over a half of the

entire production value. In 2012, the Estonian food industry had the

largest percentage growth in production volume in the entire Euro-

pean Union.

Internationally acclaimed cheese

Estonia is special and successful because we see our smallness as an

opportunity. Small means flexible: it is easy to test new solutions here.

This applies equally in the field of e-state services and in the food in-

dustry. Small production volumes help us to be flexible, which means

we can be successful in niche markets where small production vol-

umes and innovation matter. The innovative Estonian approach has

won international recognition and brought Estonian cheeses gold and

bronze quality awards from the German Society of Agriculture DLG.

The innovativeness of the Estonian food industry is guaranteed by

The Estonian food industry is small but smart

TExT: Taavi Kand

/ Head of the Trade and Agro-Food Department, Ministry of Agriculture

Since 1999, the number of Estonian organic producers has

grown from 89 organic farms to 1,500. Two-thirds of Estonian

organic producers raise animals, and this sector is characterised

by the expansion of livestock. The number of organic sheep and

cattle (especially beef cattle) has almost doubled in the last five

years. For example, in 2012 the share of organic lamb meat

made up nearly 36% of all lamb meat production in Estonia.

There are approximately 180 processors and distributors of or-

ganic production, and due to increasing demand and support

for the development of organic farming, this figure is growing

fast. In the next few years, the financial support for organic

farming under the Rural Development Plan will mostly focus on

increasing organic production and processing. Organic produc-

ers themselves are cooperating more actively in order to increase

their capacity to enter the market with their products.

In 2012, processed organic production comprised 45% of grain

and legume products, 9% of dairy products, 14% of fruits and

vegetables, 7% of ordinary bakers’ wares and confectionery

products, and 11% of meat products. New products on the

market included spirits/vodka, soy and fish products and yeast.

For example the organic bakery goods under the label “Pagar

Võtaks!” (Baker Would Take It! – ed.) and La Muu’s organic ice

cream, which both came onto the market in 2012, regularly sell

out due to high demand.

When it comes to the export of the main organic food groups

– grain products and berries – Estonia has established good con-

tacts in Latvia, Lithuania, Germany and Italy. The largest organic

grain terminal in the Baltic states, which was opened this au-

tumn, can hold up to 17,000 tons of grain, and this will help to

increase exports.

LIFE IN ESTONIA I 2013 / 2014 WINTER

I STATE AND SOCIETY

10

Toomas Kevvai

Estonian consumers, who are used to having a broad choice of prod-

ucts. The introduction of new surprising flavours is commonplace. We

tend to take it for granted that every now and then yet another special-

flavour yoghurt will appear on supermarket shelves, or that there will

be a product combining the best qualities of black and white bread.

The world’s best female inventor and functional milk

Here are some examples from recent years. About a third of the Es-

tonian food industry is the dairy industry, which has worked hard in

collaboration with scientists from the University of Tartu and the Bio-

Competence Centre of Healthy Dairy Products. This collaboration has

led to the development of two product lines with high added value:

Hellus milk products, enriched with the bacterium Lactobacillus fermen-

tum ME-3®, produced by AS Tere, and Harmony cheese, enriched with

Lactobacillus plantarum Tensia®, produced by E-Piim.

The Hellus product range helps to boost the body’s defence mecha-

nisms, and the Harmony “heart-cheese” is believed to lower blood

pressure. Both of these products have won international recognition as

innovative products. One of the scientists – Professor Marika Mikelsaar

– received a gold medal for global female inventors and innovators for

her discovery of the ME-3 bacterium.

Smart food

E-Piim, the producer of Harmony cheese, is also the first producer in the

Baltic states of high quality de-mineralized whey powder (Demin 90),

which is used in breast-milk substitutes. Producing de-mineralized whey

powder is a great opportunity to use the leftover whey from cheese pro-

duction. Just a few years ago, whey was considered a nuisance which

was placed in animal feed or even used in cleaning solvents. Industries

often had to pay to get rid of it. Today the whole world is open to buy-

ing whey and the company is planning to access the Chinese market.

Consumers all over the world are becoming increasingly informed and

demanding about food. A demanding consumer offers opportunities

for smaller producers. This suits the Estonian food industry and local

producers. Consumer expectations and wishes are studied thoroughly

all over the world, and the following trends are clear: food is expected

to offer pleasure, be healthy, nutritious and comfortable to consume,

and should be produced ethically and sustainably. In order to meet

all of these demands, the food industry must develop and innovate

continuously.

The importance of support

Through various measures, the European Union taxpayers have sup-

ported development work and investments in the food industry. After

all, the aim of policies at the EU level is to enable member states to pro-

duce products with high added value which are competitive in export

markets. For Estonia, this goal is perhaps more important than for other

member states, because our own domestic market is small. Hence, in

the next few years investments in the food industry will be made via the

new Rural Development Plan.

The Estonian food industry is able to meet its domestic needs for the

main food products, and even more; for example, our dairy production

meets 170% of our own needs. Therefore, the Estonian food industry

exports approximately a third of its production and this is predicted to

grow in the future. We have enough tasty food to share with others.

Our products for domestic and foreign markets are special because they

include a whole lot of science and know-how.


Taavi Kand

12 LIFE IN ESTONIA I 2013 / 2014 WINTER

Katre Kõvask: Premia Foods owes its market leader status to a great team

AT A TIME wHEn GEnDER EquALITy IS A SuBjECT OF HEATED SOCIAL DEBATE AnD

THERE IS TALK OF ESTABLISHInG GEnDER quOTAS FOR CORPORATIOn MAnAGERS In THE EuROPEAn unIOn, PREMIA FOODS IS CHAIRED By A yOunG AnD DynAMIC ESTOnIAn wOMAn,

KATRE KõvASK.

LIFE In ESTOnIA vISITED HER In THE LAST DAyS OF 2013 TO TALK ABOuT THE PAST, PRESEnT

AnD FuTuRE OF THE CORPORATIOn.

I COVER STORY


First, please tell the readers a little about yourself. what is your educational background and profes-sional history before becoming the Chair of Premia Foods?

I graduated from the University of Tartu in 1998 with a degree in Mar-

keting and Foreign Trade. In 2006, I became the Marketing Director and

a board member of the AS Premia Tallinn Cold Storage Plant and, in

2009, a board member of Premia Foods. Last May, I was appointed the

Chair of Premia Foods. Hence, I have been involved with the company

for seven years.

As chair of a large corporation, you must have stressful and long working days. How do you charge your batteries outside working time? I try to play as much golf as possible, do sports, read professional and

other literature and travel. My work also involves a lot of travel and I

tend to spend half a week in Estonia and the other half in a target coun-

try connected to our activities. During holidays, I try to find the time to

visit more exotic countries.

what kind of personal characteristics have helped you in your career?

In a management position, one always benefits from rationality in de-

cision-making, understanding the business and, of course, dedication.

These are the principles I have tried to follow. In addition, I would like to

emphasize the importance of a good team: Premia would not be a mar-

ket leader today without dedicated professionals and great team spirit.

what kind of a company is Premia Foods and how has it developed into a modern corporation?

Premia Foods is a publicly traded food company on the Nasdaq OMX

Tallinn Stock Exchange. We are active in six states – the Baltics, Russia,

Finland and Sweden – and in five target markets in three different busi-

ness segments: ice cream, chilled fishery products, and frozen foods.

Our main labels are Premia, Eriti Rammus, Heimon Gourmet, Väike Tom,

Sahharnõi Rozhok, Baltiiskoje, Klasika, Maahärra, Viking, Natali and

Bueno!. I am proud to say that Premia Foods is among the leading la-

bels in all business segments in the target markets. Approximately 40%

of the turnover of Premia Foods comes from fish and fishery products,

nearly 37% from ice-cream and the rest from the frozen foods business.

The company is managed from Tallinn and we employ approximately

750 people. Export makes up nearly 70% of the turnover of Premia.

The history of Premia Foods in Estonia dates back to the founding of the

Premia Tallinn Cold Storage Plant in 1956. This predecessor of the com-

pany began ice-cream production in 1956, being the first and by now

the oldest ice-cream producer in Estonia. Today’s management came

to office in 2006 during an ownership change and, since then, Premia

has grown from an Estonian ice-cream producer to a large international

food corporation, and is among the market leaders in Estonia, Latvia,

Lithuania, Finland and St Petersburg, Russia.

Please tell us more about the strategy of the corporation. where are you active and do you have enlargement plans? what are your largest export markets?

Our aim is to be among the three leading labels in all of our target mar-

kets. This is already a reality: Premia is the largest ice-cream producer

in Estonia, with about a 40% market share (almost double the share

of the next largest producer); in Finland, we are the leading or the sec-

ond-leading producer of packaged fish products; in Latvia, we are the

second largest ice-cream producer, and we rank between second and

fourth place in Lithuania. We are third in the St Petersburg ice-cream

market and between first and second in the frozen goods market of the

Baltic states. As I said, export makes up 70% of Premia’s turnover and

our competitiveness in export markets is undoubtedly critically impor-

tant. But we see development potential in our business segment in all

target markets. Therefore, there are plenty of challenges ahead.

what are the strengths of the company?

Premia’s strengths are our brands and our people. One of the biggest val-

ues of Premia Foods is our team. The different cultural backgrounds and

the extensive experience of the whole team have been essential ingredi-

ents in outstanding product development and the continuing popularity

of our labels. And although our great team and team spirit are values

which are not directly visible on balance sheets, we have achieved excellent

economic results precisely because of the dedication of all staff members.

what are the key aspects which help the company to develop and stand out from the competition?

We are focused on building our brands, as we see a competitive edge

here for Premia. This, in turn, places very high demands on our prod-

uct development and marketing and sales activity. Product development

must make our development sustainable and this is something we focus

on all year round in all business segments. As markets and products

are very different, it is important to employ the best professionals and,

therefore, the team plays a very great role in guaranteeing our success.

The central focus of our business activity is on brands which are accepted

and loved by consumers, children and adults alike. Premia Foods consid-

ers it very important to meet the expectations of our consumers through

strengthening existing brands and introducing new ones. Yet the main

characteristic is dedication to high quality and innovation, as these are

the keywords which help you to stand out from the competition.

Katre Kõvask: Premia Foods owes its market leader status to a great team


you mentioned that markets and products vary. Are there different trends in different regions?

Premia has three different business segments and five different target

markets. All of those markets and segments are different, specific and

competitive. The simplest example can be given with ice-cream: in Es-

tonia people like the simple Scandinavian style in taste and colour of

ice cream and its packaging, but in Lithuania it is totally different and

people like the most colourful and sweetest products. The market in St

Petersburg is extremely conservative when it comes to flavours and pre-

ferred labels, and our strengths there are the tested recipes and some of

the most popular and established labels in the area.

Let’s talk about different segments and begin with ice-cream. All Estonians know Premia ice creams: adults remember “Eskimo” ice-cream from their childhood, and children today love “väike Tom” and “Lotte”. Today there is a growing choice of labels on the market, offering something for every taste. what are the ice-cream trends and where is Premia going in this segment?

80% of our product range are ice-creams and two-thirds of ice-cream

produced by Premia is exported. Premia ice-creams do not contain corn

syrup, transfats, preservatives or artificial colourings.

It is true that the ice-cream market has become very diverse in the

Baltic states and the competition is fierce. Since the economic crisis,

more expensive products have become available, with either exotic or

higher quality ingredients. This of course is welcomed by ice-cream

lovers and producers. There is room for product development and

each summer brings new exciting discoveries. Only time will tell where

the ice-cream market is headed, but it is clear that people are looking

for ever more thrilling tastes and formats. At the same time, the brand

eriti rammus (especially rich – ed.) continues to lead in the Estonian

ice-cream market. People love its rich taste, which is very pure and of

high quality. Estonian ice-cream lovers prefer quality and, on the basis

of this, Premia hopes to offer pleasant surprises to ice-cream fans in

the future.

Recently Premia Foods invested 750 thousand euros to modernize the equipment of its ice-cream plant in Tallinn. what was the reason for and nature of this investment?

As part of the investment, we purchased a production line for pop-

sicle ice-cream from Tetra Pak for our Tallinn plant. This enables

us to increase the hourly speed of production by 50%. In addi-

tion, the new production line helps to save on labour and en-

ergy costs and provides opportunities for product innovation.

Premia has also invested in a new cone ice-cream packaging machine,

which enables us to double the packaging speed of the leading ice-

cream cones on the market, especially the ones sold under the label

“Eriti Rammus”. This has led to a growing production volume and

more effective production in the cone ice-cream line. The basis for

Premia’s success in the ice-cream market is continuous innovation and

the growth of production efficiency. Premia’s strength are our valuable

brands, which have made us a market leader in the ice-cream market in

Estonia and the other Baltic countries.

Those investments were essential in order to strengthen our position

and guarantee sustainable development. Among other things, they also

give us the opportunity to please our customers in all target markets

with new exciting products in the near future.

Premia Foods is a publicly traded food company on the Nasdaq OMx Tallinn Stock Exchange.

I COVER STORY


All of the production units and target markets of Premia are situated by the sea. People who live in coastal areas usually cannot imagine their lives without fish. Fish and fishery products are the second largest business segment of Premia.

The competitive advantage of Premia in this segment is vertical integra-

tion: the control of the entire value chain, from fingerlings to the sales

of the end product. Our fish farms are located in the mountain lakes of

northern Sweden and in the Finnish archipelago near Turku. Fish pro-

cessing takes place on Saaremaa and in a factory near Hämeenlinna in

Finland. The end product is mostly sold in Finland, but also in the Baltic

countries. We farm rainbow trout and common whitefish, which cover

about 40% of our entire raw material demand. The rest, mostly salmon,

we buy from Norway. In Finland, Premia products are sold under the

label Heimon Kala, which is a long-established brand in Finland. In

the Baltic states, the products are available under the Viking brand.

As mentioned, we share first place in Finland in the market of chilled

fishery products, and we are continuously working on product develop-

ment to offer a wider selection to customers. In the last couple of years,

we have worked on developing the products of the Horeca segment

and our turnover in this sector grew over 80% last year.

Research indicates that frozen vegetables are healthier than fresh vegetables available in our supermarkets, because the vegetables which are frozen are fresher at the point of freezing. Frozen products make up the third largest segment of Premia and most households know them well. what is the product range of Premia’s frozen products like?

In the Baltic states, Premia sells the entire range of frozen products,

from vegetables to meat and fish products, and our most famous labels

in Estonia are maahärra, Pealinna and Viking. We purchase all of

our frozen products from long-term partners and, as with ice-cream

and fish, we pay a lot of attention to quality and product development

in this segment. Frozen products have many advantages in everyday

life: when time is limited, it is easy to prepare a soup for dinner us-

ing our vegetables and frozen meatballs, and it should be mentioned

that frozen vegetables still contain all their vitamins. Or an equally tasty

meal can be made combining vegetables and Viking fish products. The

popularity of the label Maahärra and the other aforementioned labels

shows that people have found them in the shops and approve of their

quality and taste. This inspires us to bring more new and exciting taste

combinations onto the market.

Premia has many partners, including other large producers in Estonia, such as TERE. why do you need this cooperation and what products are involved?

Our collaboration with Tere covers several segments. One of the most

exciting projects has been the development of the product range Hel-

lus, during which we brought an ice-cream containing the ME-3 bacte-

ria onto the market. There are other cooperation projects: for example,

with Kalev we have expanded their mesikäpp brand and in St Peters-

burg we have started a project with the confectionery producer Krup-

skaja in order to expand their label mishka na Severe. Those kinds of

projects offer a unique opportunity to bring products onto the market

which have clear target groups and to give an impetus to product devel-

opment, using advantages provided by already existing strong brands.

why should consumers choose Premia products?

Premia is and will continue to be a sign of quality, innovation and caring.

These are the thoughts which underpin the development of our new

products and labels. In this way, we create the opportunity for people

to choose our products whilst doing their daily shopping.

80% of Premia’s product range are ice-creams which do not contain corn syrup, transfats, preservatives or artificial colourings.

Senior researcher Epp Songisepp has received international recognition for her work in developing the patented probiotic bacterium lactobacillus plantarum TENSIA that is used in the Südamejuust and lactobacillus plantarum E-98 that is used in the silage additive NordSil.

16

I SCIENCE & INNOVATION

TExT: Holger roonemaa / PHOTOS: scanpix

TARTu – A TOwn OF GOOD BACTERIA

In the last few years, the Bio-Competence Centre of Healthy Dairy Products (BioCC), based in Tartu, has discovered and researched previously unknown Lactobacillus strains and made them work for the benefit of consumers. In addition to having been nominated as the best Tartu company some years ago, BioCC is the owner of 20 patents, and 11 patent applications are pending in Estonia, Europe, the uSA, Russia, Korea and japan. The company, its products and staff have received several international awards.

"There are especially high requirements for the ingredients of baby food: it has to be produced totally naturally, without colourants or additives,” says Jaanus Murakas, Manager of E-Piim.


TExT: Holger roonemaa / PHOTOS: scanpix

Estonian company to supply food for Chinese babies

At the end of 2013, the Estonian dairy

producer E-Piim started a new whey pro-

cessing line, which will enable the com-

pany to start exporting high quality whey

powder to China in the near future.

Whey powder is mainly used in breast-

milk substitutes for babies. “It is interest-

ing that today the global lack of protein

has led to a situation where whey, the

leftover liquid from the cheese produc-

tion process, is a more valuable product

than cheese, which has always been a

product with high added value,” says

Tiina Saron, Head of the Estonian Dairy

Association. “Nobody wanted whey

before and now everyone wants whey,

more than cheese,” she explains. E-Piim

is the only producer in the Baltic states

with technology based on electrolysis,

which separates salt from whey and

makes it possible to produce pure whey

protein. Thus, E-Piim is able to create a

very high quality protein which is one in-

gredient in breast-milk substitute.

Of course, the most attractive market

for whey powder is China, the biggest

country in the world, where millions

of babies are born each year. “There is

huge demand for baby food in China

and, once all the administrative obsta-

cles have been removed, we will have

the opportunity to export whey powder

to China,” says Saron.

BioCC has signed a license agreement with Starter ST LLC, which carried out product development and developed NordSil, a silage additive containing E-98.

who makes up BioCC?

• Estonian University of Life Sciences

• University of Tartu

• Dairy cooperative E-Piim

• Estonian Cooperative of Breeders

• Starter ST Plc

E-98 has received the Gold medal in the field of biotechnology in KIWIE 2013 and a special recognition at the 4th Bi-Annual International EUWIIN Exhibition, Conference & Award Ceremony.

We all know that the prevalence of chronic dis-

eases is an issue of rising importance today and

treatment is expensive,” says ene Tammsaar,

Chair of the Board of BioCC. There are various

ways to promote and maintain health and pre-

vent the onset of disease; innovation in the food

industry is one example. “I am talking about

developing quality functional foods which help

to maintain good health,” says Tammsaar, who

adds that, in contrast to the treatment of chron-

ic diseases, consuming functional foods helps to

lower the risk of disease development and boost

the physiological functions of the body. “How-

ever, creating functional foods is not just about

dairy plants starting to produce better milk; it

begins with animal breeding, monitoring their

health and developing better feeds and feed ad-

ditives. The other direction is adding probiotic

bacteria to dairy products and creating function-

al foods, as well as creating new feed additives

and animal probiotics.”

One such bacterium, which BioCC studies and

which is already present on the market in vari-

ous products, has the scientific name Lactoba-

cillus plantarum E-98 NCIMB 30236, or simply

E-98. “Hay silage is the main fodder for cattle,

but it is difficult to guarantee high quality,” says

Tammsaar. This is where the Lactobacillus E-98

isolated by BioCC scientists comes into play, as it

improves the fermentation of silage. “We have

discovered that E-98 quickly produces a lot of

lactic acid, which helps to create an acidic envi-

ronment in silage faster and preserves the fod-

der so that there are fewer butyric acid-produc-

ing bacteria (clostridia) and, therefore, the silage

has better value as feed,” explains Tammsaar.

It may sound complicated. Suffice it to say that

the bacterium studied by Tartu scientists has re-

ceived the green light from the European Food

Safety Agency (EFSA), and it is listed in the Eu-

ropean Union Register of Feed Additives in the

category of technological additives, under func-

tional groups of silage additives. This means that

feed additives containing E-98 may be sold in

the European Union member states without fur-

ther testing. “In the case of the bacterium E-98,

we can claim that it is the greatest achievement

in agricultural innovation in Estonia and the Bal-

tic states,” Tammsaar states proudly.

The bacterium E-98 is today also part of produc-

tion. BioCC has signed a license agreement with

Starter ST LLC, which carried out product devel-

opment and developed NordSil, a silage additive

containing E-98. “It is currently available on the

Estonian market, but we hope to take the Esto-

nian product to our neighbouring markets: Rus-

sia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus,” says

Tammsaar.

Ene Tammsaar


18 LIFE IN ESTONIA I 2013 / 2014 WINTER

As the quality of animal fodder increases

thanks to the bacterium E-98, milk from

the cows also has a higher quality, which

leads to better quality dairy products on

our tables. Another significant discovery of

BioCC in the world of bacteria becomes im-

portant in this final phase: healthier food.

The bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum

TENSIA, or simply TENSIA, was isolated by

Estonian scientists from a healthy Estonian

child and the biggest value of this bacte-

rium is that it produces compounds which

lower blood pressure. “TENSIA produces

special peptides and other compounds

which have been found to relax blood ves-

sels. The strain helps to protect the human

body from oxidative stress and increases

the number of useful lactobacilli in the

gut,” explains Tammsaar.

At first the scientists did not assume that

their research would eventually lead to the

discovery of a lactobacillus that would sup-

port the function of the cardiovascular sys-

tem and lower blood pressure. “When we

started, we proposed that we should pro-

duce a cheese which would protect against

infections and diseases and fight listeria,

salmonella and other bacteria present in

food products”, remembers Tartu Univer-

sity Professor Emeritus marika mikelsaar,

the former head of the working group.

“Initially, we chose 30 special lactobacilli

strains existent in human intestines. Later

Good for the health

Products enriched with pro-biotics are also pro-

duced by other companies, such as AS Tere,

whose yoghurts, kefirs, milks and cheeses of the

product line “Hellus” contain the lactobacillus

fermentum ME-3 and Omega 3 fatty acids or,

in other words, microscopic capsules of fish oil.

This lactobacillus was discovered by a scientist

at the University of Tartu and has both antimi-

crobial and antioxidant effects.

The production of Dr Hellus products was

preceded by long-term collaboration in inves-

tigating the bacterium at the Institutes of Mi-

crobiology and Biochemistry, which was led by

Professors Marika Mikelsaar and Mihkel Zilmer.

The health benefits of ME-3 are numerous and

the list of its useful properties long and awe-in-

spiring. This culture improves liver and intestine

functioning, increases resistance to chronic dis-

eases and reduces excessive blood cholesterol.

Among its many benefits, the bacterium stem

even has potential uses in the rehabilitative

treatment of stroke patients.

At the SIAL 2008 fair in Paris in October, the

Dr Hellus yoghurts, with their Lactobacillus fer-

mentum ME-3 and Omega 3 fatty acids, and

their glazed cheeses, which contain Lactobacil-

lus fermentum ME-3, were selected as part of

the fair’s official innovative and trend-setting

range of products in the category of products

with original recipes and health benefits.The healthy Südamejuust can be eaten on its own or used in the preparation of various healthy dishes.

The Grand Old Lady of Estonian microbiology, Professor Marika Mikelsaar, is one of the founders of the ME-3 bacterium that is used in the Dr. Hellus dairy products series.

the research continued on a trial-and-error

basis in order to determine the best strain.

We ended up with the pro-biotic lactobacil-

lus strain Lactobacillus plantarum TENSIA,

which did not perish during cheese produc-

tion and stayed viable. The bacterium’s ability

to survive in cheese was of determining im-

portance for the pro-biotic.” In the scientific

experiments it became evident that TENSIA

would not help against salmonella as expect-

ed; instead, the beneficial effect on blood

pressure was discovered.

During the years, numerous clinical studies

have been carried out with TENSIA in order

to prove its functional characteristics. For

example, the experimental group consumed

cheese containing the bacterium and the con-

trol group consumed regular cheese without

the bacterium. The results show that cheese

with TENSIA particularly helps people with

elevated blood pressure, people with systolic

blood pressure higher than 130mmHg, but

who have not been diagnosed with arterial

hypertension. “This means they do not have

a problem yet, but they need to watch their

health, and change their diet and lifestyle,

e.g. get more exercise,” explains Tammsaar.

Clinical studies confirm that people with this

condition benefit from eating a daily amount

of 50 grams of Südamejuust (heart-friendly

cheese – ed.) for three to four weeks in or-

der to maintain healthy blood pressure levels.

“At the same time, we have proved that con-

sumption of Südamejuust does not increase

the level of cholesterol or LDL cholesterol (i.e.

‘bad cholesterol’) or lead to an increase in

body weight,” she added.

Lactobacillus plantarum TenSIa

has received several awards: the

first prize and the Finnish Quality

Innovation Award 2010, the Gold

Prize at the Korean International

Women’s Intervention and Exposi-

tion (KIWIE) in 2009 and the first

prize in 2010, and a special award

of the Innovation for Enterprise,

Science and Technology in Eu-

rope 2009 (Helsinki, Finland) by

the EUWIIN (European Union of

Women Inventors and Innovators

Network).

19 WINTER 2013 / 2014 I LIFE IN ESTONIA

An invention of the university of Tartu determines the quality of milk at the milking stage

Recently, the University of Tartu received

a European patent which makes it pos-

sible to determine traces of antibiotics in

milk during the milking process, thereby

decreasing the amount of waste milk and

reducing large production losses.

“One of the main problems for milk pro-

ducers is cattle illnesses, which have an

impact on the volume and quality of milk.

Those illnesses are mostly treated with

various antibiotics, which also reach the

milk yielded by cows during treatment.

In order to prevent traces of medication

from reaching human food, the milk yield-

ed by cows during treatment and during

the following ban period is utilized, which

means large production losses. We have

approximately 30,000 tons of waste milk

in Estonia each year,” explains Toonika

Rinken, leader of the research group and

Senior Researcher of Colloid and Envi-

ronmental Chemistry at the University of

Tartu.

This innovation makes it possible to iden-

tify traces of the most commonly used an-

tibiotics in milk during the actual milking

process. “The device makes it possible to

identify cases where the level of medica-

tions or degradation compounds in yield-

ed milk is too high and to remove such

milk fast,” Rinken explains, adding that

this enables them to avoid large volumes

of milk being contaminated with residues

of medications and to improve the quality

of milk produced. It also leads to reduced

costs related to waste milk.

TEnSIA patent

“Isolated microorganism strain *Lactobacillus plantarum* Tensia DSM 21380 as an-

timicrobial and antihypertensive probiotic, food product and composition comprising

said microorganism and use of said microorganism for preparation of antihypertensive

medicine and method for suppressing pathogens and nonstarter lactobacilli in food

product”, inventors Epp Songisepp, Marika Mikelsaar, Merle Rätsep, Mihkel Zilmer, Pirje

Hütt, Meeme Utt, Kersti Zilmer, Janne Üksti, Siiri Kõljalg. Patent owner: Bio-Competence

Centre of Healthy Dairy Products (Tervisliku Piima Biotehnoloogiate Arenduskeskus OÜ).

EP2309870 is validated in the following countries: European patent EP2309870, is vali-

dated in the 11 countries Estonian patent EE05340; Russian Patent RU2477750.

The probiotic Harmony™ Südamejuust was

created in cooperation between the Bio-Com-

petence Centre of Healthy Dairy Products, the

University of Tartu, the Estonian University of

Life Sciences and the company E-Piim. To use

the bacterium, BioCC has signed a license

agreement with E-Piim Tootmine AS, the

company which produces Südamejuust with

TENSIA.

Jaanus murakas, Manager of E-Piim, ex-

plains that the Südamejuust is a common

Edam-type cheese which is made special by

TENSIA bacterium. The cheese is in shops in

small packages of 150 grams. Südamejuust

has been named the Best Estonian Dairy Prod-

uct in the contest “The Best food in Estonia

2010".

Tiina Saron, Head of Dairy Union, an um-

brella organisation for Estonian dairy produc-

ers, says that although no pro-biotic product

has received an official certificate from the

European Union, the Moscow Food Institute

carried out clinical research on Südamejuust

and, on the basis of those results, they can

claim that this cheese has a beneficial effect

on health. This means that Südamejuust is

sold as a functional food in Russia in specially

marked packaging, and on the Russian mar-

ket it can be officially claimed that Südame-

juust improves your health. “I went to Rus-

sia some weeks ago and saw that there was

a large advertising campaign going on for

Südamejuust,” says Saron. According to her,

the Russian market offers great opportunities

for Estonian dairy producers because, firstly, it

is much larger than the domestic market and,

secondly, due to proximity, it is easier for Esto-

nian businesses to access the Russian market

than, for example, the German market. “We

are exporting practically all of our dairy prod-

uct groups to Russia, but mostly cheese and

yoghurts.”

Jaanus Murakas, Manager of E-Piim, explains that the motivation for putting a new, pro-biotic cheese into production was the need to be more competitive.



Estonia makes its way onto the world map with new cancer medication

TExT: Holger roonemaa

PHOTOS: aTKo Januson and Jaanar niKKer

In a suburb of Tallinn, next to the Skype Estonia

Development Centre, a group of focussed sci-

entists are working on a drug candidate called

Virexxa. If all goes well, this drug meant for

treating rare forms of endometrial cancer will

reach the market within the next two years. A

comparison with Skype is not arbitrary, as this

parallel was drawn by Indrek Kasela from the

Amber Trust Foundation, one of the organiza-

tions that has invested in the development

of this drug candidate. The drug candidate is

being developed in collaboration with Kevelt

Ltd., Tallinn university of Technology and

the north estonian medical centre.

Life in Estonia visited the Competence Centre for Cancer Research to find out which of their projects may reach the world market in the near future

According to Riin Ehin, the Competence Centre for Cancer Research has developed 28 molecular genetic tests which aim to predict genetic risk for certain types of cancer and adjust treatments for cancer.

CCCR’s partners are:

Tallinn universiTy of TecHnology

universiTy of TarTu

norTH esTonia medical cenTre

Trial form supporT Tfs aB

cemines esTonia lTd

camBrex Tallinn lTd

KevelT lTd

celecure lTd

inBio lTd

iB geneTics lTd

proToBios lTd

sia pHarmidea

QuaTTromed HTi laBorid lTd

genecode lTd


When the current clinical trials of Virexxa are

completed and the drug is produced in Tallinn,

it will mark a significant step for the entire

Estonian pharmaceutical industry, directly and

symbolically. Estonia will be the first former

eastern bloc country able to produce drugs

which are certified by the European and US

markets. However, Virexxa is not the only can-

cer drug candidate in development in Tallinn.

The competence centre for cancer research

(cccr), which aims to develop cancer drug can-

didates and diagnostic platforms, was founded

in Tallinn nine years ago in cooperation be-

tween Estonian universities, Enterprise Estonia

and several local and foreign biotechnology

companies. “A significant expertise in cancer

research already existed in Estonia, which is

why it was considered reasonable to bring it

all under one roof,” explains andres Valkna,

Scientific Expert of CCCR. He explains that the

aim of CCCR is not just academic research, but

also practical: to develop the commercial value

of cancer technologies. Simply put, this means

developing and patenting drug candidates, as

well as developing, licensing and selling services

necessary for diagnostics.

A brief explanation of how the pharmaceu-

tical industry works is necessary. Normally,

the process of developing a new medical

drug lasts 10-15 years, from the discovery

which forms the basis for development to

receiving a license to market the drug. The

whole process costs millions of euros. Very

broadly, this development process can be

divided into two parts: pre-trial clinical re-

search and clinical trials.

The general business model of small compa-

nies such as CCCR is to sell their projects in

one phase or another to large pharmaceuti-

cal companies. The price of the transaction

depends directly on which phase of research

the drug is in at the time of the transaction.

“Drug candidates that have passed clinical

trials cost significantly more than drug candi-

dates that are still in the pre-clinical research

phase,” explains Valkna. Therefore, the main

strategy of biotechnology companies is to do

the homework for the giants, in other words

to sell drug projects which have already

passed clinical trials. The main reason is that

the clinical trial phase is very expensive, time-

consuming and risky.

Because the development of a drug candidate

takes a lot of time, developers must always

have several projects in different phases in the

pipeline. “Some work always needs to come

in, something always has to be in develop-

ment, and something always has to come out

of the pipeline,” says Valkna.

Currently there are fourteen projects in dif-

ferent phases of development in the CCCR

portfolio. Whereas some projects are still at

the basic research level, other drug candidates

are already in the phase of clinical trials. For

example, the first project to be sold was a

cancer drug candidate which was at the pre-

clinical development stage. A project initiated

by a spin-off company established by scientists

of the Tallinn University of Technology was

bought by the US stock company cambrex,

founded by Alfred Nobel.

CCCR invites all researchers, universities and

entrepreneurs interested in this field to con-

tact them. CCCR is definitely looking for new

partners with new ideas. CCCR considers add-

ing new projects to the portfolio to be very

important.

22


LIFE IN ESTONIA

Genes serving scientists

Another CCCR project that has proven to be

successful comes from the field of diagnos-

tics. CCCR has developed 28 molecular genetic

tests which aim to predict genetic risk for cer-

tain types of cancer and adjust treatments for

cancer. “In certain kinds of cancer, some drugs

are unsuitable, because instead of helping

they make the patient’s condition worse,” ex-

plains riin ehin, Chair of the Board of CCCR.

With the help of those tests, Estonian hospitals

have been able to offer better treatment to over

600 patients. If the test is prescribed by an on-

cologist, it is also paid for by the National Health

Insurance Board. Currently, the test is used for

the diagnosis of breast, lung and intestine cancer,

and the CCCR is continuing to develop the test

for other forms of cancer. The potential impact

of the test is best illustrated by the fact that three

years ago CCCR received a special quality innova-

tion prize for this project from the Finnish presi-

dent, Tarja Halonen.

what does the future hold?

Let us look ahead to the most exciting projects

of CCCR which will start to take shape in the

next few years. We have already mentioned

Virexxa, which is being developed by Kevelt

Ltd., one of the partners of CCCR. In addition,

the same company has another drug candidate

for a rare form of cancer in the phase of clini-

cal trials called Oncohist, which is meant for

the treatment of two rare types of leukaemia.

One of the joint strategies of CCCR and its part-

ners is to focus on the development of drug can-

didates for rare cancer types based on clear logic.

“Rare diseases are called orphan diseases, and

both European and US medical agencies have

made the development of drug candidates for

the treatment of those illnesses much easier,”

explains Riin Ehin. When a drug candidate has

already proven to be very effective during the

first clinical trials, and if a drug for precisely that

type of cancer does not exist on the market, it

is possible to bring it to the market. An orphan

drug candidate meant for the treatment of a rare

type of cancer is a good opportunity for smaller

companies because it enables them to develop

their drug candidate faster, at a better price, and

the competition from corporations is not as high.

There is also a social and human aspect involved:

CCCR and its partners consider it important to

find treatment solutions for those people who

suffer from rare cancers that do not have any

particularly effective treatments.

Just as Kevelt is set to bring drugs for the treat-

ment of rare types of cancer to the market with-

in the next couple of years, another partner of

CCCR – Protobios Ltd – has also reached the

phase of clinical trials. Protobios approaches can-

cer from another direction. The researchers of

the company have developed a unique analysis

method which is used to look for cancer mark-

ers in the patient’s blood. “For example, in breast

cancer, cancer markers circulate in the patient’s

blood long before mammography shows a posi-

tive result. With our analysis, it is possible to diag-

nose breast cancer in an extremely early phase,“

explains Ehin.

GEnETIC DIET PLAn

Another partner of CCCR, IB Genet-

ics, has developed the trademark

figuraGen, which is not linked to

the treatment or diagnosis of can-

cers, but works on developing life-

style tests. For instance, FiguraGen

offers a health-risk assessment,

which is linked to weight problems.

About half of the population is over-

weight or obese. The FiguraGen test

can be bought at a pharmacy or via

the web. A person can take a scrap-

ing from inside the mouth and send

it off for laboratory analysis. The ge-

netic analysis then forms the basis for

researchers to develop individualised

nutritional recommendations and

nutrition experts compile a personal-

ised menu. Other tests can show lac-

tose intolerance and also risks linked

to deficiencies of certain vitamins.

Each person then has the choice of

whether and how to act upon the

information. At the moment, Figura-

Gen offers this test kit only on the

Estonian market, but the company

is negotiating with potential repre-

sentatives in other countries.

www.geenitestid.ee

LIFE IN ESTONIA 23

Tallinn university of Technology searches for drugs for serious illnesses

erkki Truve, Vice Rector for Research

at the Tallinn University of Technol-

ogy, told Life in Estonia about three

projects which are all at an initial

stage but, if successful, would allevi-

ate the conditions of thousands of ill

people around the world.

The first project, developed at the

Centre of Excellence in Chemical

Biology by margus Lopp, mati

Karelson and a virologist from the

University of Tartu, andres merits,

involves the design and synthesis of

a whole family of new molecules that

have antiviral effects. “In the long

term, this project could grow into a

treatment for such viruses as HIV and

hepatitis C,“ says Truve.

The second project, headed by Pro-

fessors Tõnis Timmusk and Peep

Palumaa, is in the field of neurobi-

ology. In cooperation with the small

Tallinn-based company Genecode

Ltd, Timmusk’s lab is studying mol-

ecules which prevent nerve cells from

dying. “Neurodegenerative diseases,

such as Huntington’s and Parkinson’s,

come into being because of dying

nerve cells.“

“Peep Palumaa heads another pro-

ject, which is specifically studying Alz-

heimer’s disease,“ continues Truve.

Alzheimer‘s develops when specific

protein tangles develop between hu-

man brain cells, and this is caused by

certain metals. As a result, neurons or

nerve cells in the brain start to die.

Palumaa’s research is about prevent-

ing the accumulations of metals in

the tangles. “He is studying the pro-

cess as a chemist, but the outcome

also has a clinical dimension,“ says

Truve.

Clinical trials of this method are currently ongo-

ing in Estonian hospitals and the method is used

primarily when a doctor suspects a false positive

or a false negative mammography result. “Our

test helps to adjust the mammography result,”

says Ehin. She points out several advantages of

the marker test. Firstly, it is possible to diagnose

cancer or the recurrence of cancer with a simple

blood test. Secondly, it is possible to screen the

population sufficiently. The third reason is the

lower price.

Fourthly, mammography involves only a small

amount of radiation. “The early diagnosis is ex-

tremely important as it means better chances

of recovery,” explains Ehin, and adds that often

patients receive a cancer diagnosis when there

has already been metastasis and the cancer has

spread throughout the body.

Innovative approach starves cancer

Once the cancer has developed, there are many

solutions to help to fight it. Another partner of

CCCR - celecure Ltd – is developing a drug

candidate which approaches cancer indirectly.

“In a healthy adult body, no new blood vessels

develop, but new ones are created, for example,

when a wound heals. Cancer takes advantage

of such a situation and, similarly to healing a

wound, it stimulates the growth of the vessels

surrounding the cancer,” Ehin explains. Without

new vessels the cancer cannot grow as it will be

without oxygen and nutrition. Celecure research-

ers are developing a drug candidate which stops

the development of new blood vessels around

primary cancer.

Cancer vaccine hidden in plant virus

Kevelt Ltd is cooperating with the researchers of

the Tallinn University of Technology to develop a

therapeutic vaccine against melanoma, in other

words a vaccine which besides prevention also

has healing properties. The scientists chose to

focus on melanoma, as the human body has dif-

ficulties in recognizing this difficult form of skin

cancer. This is due to the fact that, for the im-

mune system, the development of a melanoma

resembles a process which is similar to tanning

and by the time the body realizes that something

is wrong, the cancer has already developed too

far. In order to help the body and to activate it

to fight the cancer, scientists are using a “Trojan

horse”. “They take a plant virus capsule, remove

the RNA and replace it with information from a

melanoma. Subsequently, the capsule is injected

into a human circulatory system and, as the body

recognizes something alien, it automatically ac-

tivates the immune system and kills the virus,”

explains Ehin. When trials demonstrate its ef-

fectiveness with the melanoma, it can be devel-

oped for the treatment of other types of cancer.

Killer cells halted at the right moment

In cooperation between the two largest hospitals

in Estonia – the North Estonia Medical Centre and

the Tartu University Clinic - and Celecure Ltd, a

technology is being developed which will help to

make the treatment of blood cancers more effec-

tive. Most readers are unaware of the fact that

human blood contains natural killer cells. Natu-

ral killer cells play a big role in several processes

linked to the treatment of blood cancers. CCCR

and its partners have developed a method that

makes it possible to grow natural killer cells in ar-

tificial conditions in clinically adequate quantities.

All genetic roads lead to Estonia

TExT: arKo olesK / the daily newspaper Postimees & Tallinn University

PHOTOS: lauri Kulpsoo

Tartu, Estonia, is the place to turn to when a nation tries to come to grips with the eternal question “where do we come from?”. with the help of genes, the scientists at the Estonian Biocentre have traced the ancient migration of people, helping to establish the origins of, among others, native Americans and Aboriginal Australians.



Mait Metspalu

You can find all of human history contained

in the basement of this modern science

building. Standing in the busy main street

of Tartu, not far from other buildings of the

oldest and most renowned university of Es-

tonia, the University of Tartu, the Estonian

Biocentre houses tens of thousands of gene

probes from various populations around

the world. These genes tell stories that no

book or person has been able to tell so far:

tales of love and trekking at the dawn of

mankind.

We all come from Africa; this fact has

been known to science for a long time.

The modern human, Homo sapiens, left

Africa and started to conquer the world

around 100,000 years ago. What hap-

pened next is less certain. By which routes

did we spread around the world? Where

in the family tree of mankind do all of the

nations fall? This is where population ge-

netics helps.

Before genetics, attempts to reconstruct the

ancient past were mainly made with the

help of archaeology or linguistics. Buried

pots and bones helped to reconstruct an-

cient movements. Similarities and differenc-

es in languages were used to draw family

trees of populations. Yet, these approaches

can be misleading.

“Language and genes do not go together,”

says mait metspalu, Vice Director of the Es-

tonian Biocentre. “It is much easier to change

your language than to change your genes.”

And this is exactly what seems to have hap-

pened quite often during the course of his-

tory. For example, while the Estonian and

Hungarian languages share the same roots,

the genetic similarities between these two

nations is much less than you would ex-

pect from the linguistic analysis. According

to Metspalu, genetically everyone is most

closely related to their neighbours.

Finding the modern relatives

The Estonian Biocentre has also helped to un-

cover the story of Native Americans and ancient

Greenlanders, with the help of people who

died thousands of years ago.

The study of old DNA – genetic material recov-

ered from old bones or human tissues – has be-

come one of the hottest topics in science. Re-

searchers have managed to sequence Neander-

thal DNA and discover a previously unknown

species of humans.

The Estonian Biocentre has been collaborating

with Danish scientists who have managed to

locate some of the oldest available DNA from

modern humans. Most recently, they published,

in the journal Nature, the genome analysis of a

boy who lived 24,000 years ago on the shores

of Lake Baikal in Siberia.

The analysis revealed that the people living in

Siberia back then were not the same groups we

might encounter there today. Rather, these peo-

ple became the ancestors of modern Europeans

and, more surprisingly, also Native Americans.

Previously it was thought that Native Ameri-

cans stemmed from the people currently living

in East Asia. This analysis showed that Native

Americans are a mixture of East Asian and (fu-

ture) European people.

In 2010, the team received another ancient

surprise when analysing some old hair found in

Greenland. The dark lock of hair belonged to

a man who settled in Greenland some 4,000

year ago, during the “first wave of migration”.

It was unclear who these people were: whether

they were related to modern Greenlanders or

to Native Americans or to some other group.

DNA from the hair showed that these people

were completely different from the Inuits cur-

rently inhabiting Greenland. They were also

not related to Native Americans. Rather, their

closest modern relatives are in Siberia and the

Aleutian Islands.

“When we reconstruct the demographic his-

tory of people and only use current variability,

we can come up with all kinds of scenarios that

have left no traces,” Metspalu explains. “Peo-

ple might have died out and modern DNA re-

veals nothing about that. This is why old DNA

is important.”

Estonian Biocentre researcher Chandana Basu Mallick is measuring skin pigmentation in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. All participants also gave the gene sample.

Cross section through the MA-1 individual’s humerus. The central void is the medullary cavity.


Phot

o by

Mai

t Met

spal

u

Phot

o by

: Tho

mas

W S

taffo

rd, J

rMait Metspalu

Hoping to find out where Estonians fit in is

what got Estonian researchers doing popula-

tion genetics in the first place. That was in the

mid-1990s. Metspalu reminisces, “We had

the idea that the general global structure was

fixed and we only needed to find out where

the place of Estonians was,” he says. “But we

found out very quickly that this was not the

case and that actually the field was quite un-

explored. So we had to start working on the

global level.”

This is the reason why the Estonian group has

published several articles in such prestigious

science journals as Nature and Proceedings

of the National Academy of Sciences, dealing

with the ancestry of Native Americans, Indian

tribes and Jewish population groups.

Indian genetic prehistory was also the subject

of Metspalu’s own doctoral thesis. Also, the

Estonian Biocentre has several researchers

from India who are studying this genetically

very diverse subcontinent.

“While Africa is the birthplace of mankind,

India is its cradle,” Metspalu explains. “To un-

derstand how people came out of Africa and

started to populate Eurasia, you need to start

looking at India. To get to most of Eurasia,

you at least have to pass through India.”

That is where people went before populating

the rest of the world. Some of the groups just

passed through, while some stayed a little

longer. But, either way, they left some of their

genes behind by mixing with other groups.

“How, when and where have populations

been divided and who mixed with each oth-

er?” he asks in describing the main problems

the research group is trying to solve.

Burial of Mal'ta child redrawn from Gerasimov (1935), with photos of the plaque and swan from the burial and a representative Venus figurine from the excavation.

The genetic structure of world population.

Based on around 600,000 locations covering all human genome, this analysis highlights the similarities in genomes between different nations. The columns represent the weight of different components by individuals.

Phot

o by

: Kel

ly E

Gra

f

Source: Estonian Biocentre



All of these events can be traced from the ge-

nome thanks to two characteristics of genes.

Firstly, they change. There is evolutionary pres-

sure favouring certain gene variations over

others. But there are also random mutations

that occur over time and at certain rates, mak-

ing each population genetically distinctive af-

ter some time and making it possible to calcu-

late back to the common ancestor of different

populations.

Secondly, having sex allows genes to mix. The

offspring always has half of the genes from the

mother and half from the father. When one

of the parents is from another population, this

inserts some new variants into the gene pool

and later helps geneticists to uncover when

and where different groups mingled.

For a long time, the main sources of this in-

formation were the Y-chromosome (which

gets passed on from father to son) and mi-

tochondrial DNA (which each child inherits

from the mother). As sequencing techniques

have developed and become cheaper, re-

searchers have begun using more powerful

tools.

They now use gene chips, which allow them to

look at hundreds of thousands of single letter

differences (SNPs) in the genome and gather

even more information about similarities and

differences between populations. The ultimate

goal is already within reach: full genome se-

quencing. Reading all three billion base pairs

that make up our genome will give scientists a

unique window into the past.

“Almost all demographic history has affected

the length of shared pieces of the genome,”

Metspalu says. “Looking at only one part of

the DNA, such as the Y-chromosome, the role

of chance is much bigger, and less common

[gene] signals are more likely to get lost.”

The complete genome also makes it possible

to look for genes that affect our appearance.

“The populations living in the cold north, for

example, have shorter hands and legs and

stockier bodies than the people of India,” Met-

spalu says.

The Estonian Biocentre is currently preparing

the biggest full genome database in the world

– 300 individuals from one hundred Eurasian

populations – specifically meant for doing pop-

ulation genetics.

Such full genome analysis has revealed, and

will continue to reveal, surprises about our

past. For example, Metspalu and his col-

leagues were involved in the analysis of the

genome of an Aboriginal Australian. The

data indicates another possible migration

out of Africa. It might be that before the

bulk of modern humans left Africa, a small-

er group made their way along the Indian

Ocean coast and some of their genes survive

in Aboriginal Australians.

“This is one of the central questions we want

to investigate with our full genome data set,”

Metspalu says. “Things might be more compli-

cated that one migration out of Africa.”

So we now know about Australians and In-

dians. But what about Estonians? Have the

researchers finally managed to solve the prob-

lems they started investigating some 20 years

ago? Metspalu bursts into laughter. “We

would like to,” he says. “We are still working

on it.”

Phot

o by

: Nio

be Th

omps

on

Lake Baikal in south-central Siberia, where Mal’ta is situated. Genome of the Mal’ta child revealed that an Upper Palaeolithic population from this region admixed with ancestors of present-day East Asians, giving rise to the First American gene pool.


The trial of the most famous Estonian male cross-country skier, Andrus veerpalu,

in the international Court of Arbitration (CAS) became a match of scientists in which

three relatively unknown Estonians beat the world Anti-Doping Agency (wADA).

Scientists saved the honour of a national hero TExT: miHKel Kärmas / PHOTOS: scanpix



At the press conference. In the middle, Andrus Veerpalu; beside him, on the left, the lawyer Aivar Pilv and, on the right, his coach Mati Alaver. On either side of the table, Sulev Kõks and Anton Terasmaa, scientists of the University of Tartu and members of Veerpalu’s defence team.

In April 2011, the Estonian public received perhaps the biggest moral

shock of recent years: one of the most beloved national sports heroes,

the cross-country skier andrus Veerpalu, tested positive for doping. This,

among other things, explained why, a month earlier, the champion had

suddenly pulled out of the Oslo World Championships, where he was con-

sidered to be one of the favourites in his preferred event—the 15-kilome-

tre classic style—and instead announced that his skiing career was over.

At the press conference of the Estonian Skiing Union, where the news

was officially announced, the now 40-year-old double Olympic gold

medallist and world champion swore that he had not used any prohib-

ited substances. Many felt personally affected when the embodiment of

the hard-working modest Estonian and the father of five broke down

in front of journalists. Quickly the Facebook group “We believe Andrus

Veerpalu” was created and over 60,000 people joined, a truly signifi-

cant number for a small nation.

Despite the emotional explanations of the athlete and his coaches, the

doping panel of the International Ski Association (FIS) gave Veerpalu a

three-year competition ban because of the traces of human growth hor-

mone (HGH) in his blood. Veerpalu’s defence team decided to appeal to

the Court of Arbitration (CAS), which postponed the decision on three

occasions until, after two years of agony, on 26 March 2013, the next

news bomb exploded: Veerpalu had been acquitted!

“These have been the most difficult two years of my life and I hope

no-one else has to experience what I have gone through. I am happy

that justice has been done,” said the skier, emphasizing the input of the

scientists on his team. “I am not sure whether we can call Veerpalu’s ac-

quittal a triumph of Estonian scientists, but it certainly is the beginning

of a triumph,” said Anton Terasmaa, a member of Veerpalu’s defence

team and one of the three scientists who were able to prove that the

growth hormone test internationally used for years is flawed.

Doping hunters and competitors, however, were disappointed. Sarah

Lewis, Secretary General of FIS, compared the case to speeding with an

uncalibrated speedometer. “Veerpalu was caught doing 180 kilometers

an hour, and the speed limit was 120. Then when they checked out

the machine to measure speed, they showed that it may not have been

accurate between 118 and 119, and at that speed there could be a

false positive. And consequently, even though he had done 180, and

that’s not disputed, he was nevertheless given the benefit of the doubt

because there was a fault in the machine,” said Lewis.

Battle of David and Goliath

Athletes, functionaries and fans may or may not believe in Veerpalu’s

innocence, but the decision has been taken and is not a matter of ap-

peal. The case is special precisely because the scientists of the Estonian

skier’s defence team achieved what many in the whole world no longer

believed was achievable. They proved that the growth hormone test,

which the powerful FIS and WADA—organisations which control mil-

lions of euros—have used for the last eight years is not reliable.

The team of the David who successfully battled Goliath included three

scientists of the University of Tartu – Sulev Kõks, Krista fischer and

anton Terasmaa - who say they worked on their own initiative and

without charging a fee. “I believe that their unbelievable professional-

ism and dedication will be properly acknowledged and rewarded,” said

Veerpalu in gratitude after being acquitted.

When the trio of volunteers first took on the case two years ago, they

just had the handwritten statements of the skier, his trainer and physi-

cian: three pieces of paper stating that the athlete had not consumed

any prohibited substances. Assuming that Veerpalu was telling the

truth, the scientists started to look for a reason why the test showed

the use of growth hormone.

“At first we did not pay much attention to the testing methodology,

because we did not believe that the results of years of work by other

scientists would include principal flaws,” explains Doctor Fischer, a bio-

statistician and Senior Researcher at the Estonian Genome Centre of

the University of Tartu. “We investigated whether Veerpalu’s genetic

characteristics might explain a false positive result, or whether mistakes

had been made during the testing process.”

They put forth the theory that the positive doping test had resulted either

from Veerpalu’s genetic uniqueness or the fact that the test was con-

ducted after a difficult training session and stay in an alpine lodge in high

mountain conditions. However, they could not prove their theory. What

proved decisive was not a faulty test or method, but the measuring tech-

nique through which the doping hunters compared Veerpalu’s results.


Inaccurate method

Growth hormone is a naturally existing hormone in the human body, but

how can one set the boundary which, if crossed, indicates that someone

has used an external growth hormone (commonly called “doping”)?

People are different and the level of the hormone and its isoforms vary

even within one day. “The more we focused on the growth hormone

test, the more questions and suspicions we had about its reliability,”

says Professor Sulev Kõks, the leader of the group of scientists.

“Most suspiciously, we never found a methodical and scientific expla-

nation for the testing method, nor did we receive such an explanation

from WADA. WADA claimed that they had never had a false positive re-

sult, in other words a case where an athlete who had not taken growth

hormone had tested positive, thus declaring that it wasn’t possible. As

proof they said that, of the dozen athletes who had been caught, no-

body had been acquitted. But that is not something you can take seri-

ously! That is not scientific proof!” says Fischer.

The team asked for help from the American biomedicine statistician Don

Barry. “In fact, the testing method for growth hormone has been criti-

cised for years,” explains Fischer. “We simply went further, carried out

some serious work and presented scientific arguments.” The scientists

assert that they were definitely unbiased. “As a scientist I would have

accepted it if the test marginal rates had been correctly and thoroughly

defined and working. Then we would have looked for other solutions.

But those rates have never been scientifically proven,” says Fischer.

When the team presented their questions about the testing method

to CAS, there was a delay while FIS, in cooperation with WADA, tried

unsuccessfully to patch up the holes discovered by the Estonians. In the

end, CAS decided in favour of the Estonian team. “The scientific report

presented by WADA to FIS regarding testing guidelines was not consid-

ered satisfactory by the judges and, therefore, it could not be claimed

with certainty that Veerpalu was guilty of doping. Everything boiled

down to the technical problems with the test. In conclusion, the test is

still considered reliable but in future WADA must set clear guidelines,”

explained Matthieu Reeb, Secretary General of CAS.

sulev Kõks, Professor of Physiological Genomics at the University of Tartu, who led Veerpalu’s scientific team, is one of the most talented Estonian genetic scientists.



Miracle calf, sports gene and toxins of the vietnam war

Sulev Kõks (42), Professor of Physiological

Genomics at the University of Tartu, who led

Veerpalu’s scientific team, is one of the most

talented Estonian genetic scientists.

In addition to his work on the defence team

of our sports hero, Kõks was the main theorist

behind the cloning of the first Estonian trans-

genic calf, in collaboration with the Estonian

University of Life Sciences.

The calf Juuni was introduced to the public last

September and she was supposed to be the

first of many cloned cows with a transplanted

human gene whose milk was supposed to

yield growth hormone for the pharmaceutical

industry. This is potentially a business worth

hundreds of millions of euros, because until

now the pharmaceutical industry has used a

more expensive and clumsy method of pro-

ducing growth hormone.

In October, Juuni died at the age of three

months, but the project continues and, ac-

cording to plans, the herd of cloned calves

of the Estonian University of Life Sciences will

grow to ten or more in the next few years,

which is considered sufficient to meet the en-

tire world pharmaceutical industry’s demand

for growth hormone. Today, the cloning of

transgenic calves has become so ordinary that

it is done on average twice a week at the lab of

the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

Gene test which helps to identify potential top athletes

Kõks also helped to develop a unique genetic

test, available on the market beginning this

year, which helps to better identify children

who have the genetic predisposition to suc-

ceed in certain kinds of sports: to find poten-

tial future top athletes. Genetic tests for sports

ability are nothing new, but mostly they have

relied on one or two genes. For the first time

ever, Estonians have pulled together six genes,

so this test should give a better overview of an

individual’s capabilities.

“We are quite able to predict what field of

sports is suitable for a person,” Kõks explains.

“Broadly speaking we differentiate between

whether someone has more potential for

sports requiring strength where one has to en-

dure a brief moment of huge muscle tension

or a more endurance-sport-type biochemistry.

More endurance-sport-prone people do not

get tired as easily, their metabolism encour-

ages the economic use of energy and such a

person is able to train for three to four hours

intensively.

In addition, Kõks has researched the impact

of toxic dioxin in Vietnam. Dioxin was re-

leased into nature when the US Army de-

stroyed jungle areas with plant toxins during

the war in order to prevent the enemy from

hiding. As a result, approximately three million

Vietnamese people are suffering from differ-

ent health problems today. It is believed that

dioxin causes developmental problems, birth

defects and cancer.

The aim of the project is to identify the link

between dioxin in the environment and the

occurrence of disease. Although Vietnam has

the highest levels of dioxin in nature, it is not

just a problem of one country: many countries

have dioxin in their environments as a result

of production processes. “The dioxin project

is clearly a global issue. It is not just a prob-

lem for Vietnam, but also for other developing

countries and for the United States,” states

Kõks.

A precedent for many

Many people believed that Veerpalu was let off the hook because of

procedural mistakes made by doping hunters and was not actually

clean. Don Catlin, who consulted with the defence team and is the

“father of modern doping”, emphasises that a person is innocent until

proven guilty. “Veerpalu’s case is truly stunning and frightening because

it shows how innocent people can be found guilty.” Catlin believes that

WADA should take this case into consideration and ask Estonian scien-

tists for help in correcting the testing procedures.

Veerpalu was acquitted, and FIS annulled the competition ban and had

to pay 8,200 euros in compensation. “I think it’s a small miracle that in

our dispute with such a large organisation, and the whole system, we

were carefully listened to. Until the end, I was uncertain of whether our

appeal would be rejected or not,” says Veerpalu’s lawyer, aivar Pilv.

The victory, which was due to a fundamental statistical flaw, is significant

because the same test had been questioned for a long time by others.

For example, the ruling was welcomed by the players of the American

NFL professional football league, whose union had fought the WADA

growth hormone test for years, claiming that it was not based on sci-

entific proof. “This ruling confirms the demands of players for a scien-

tifically valid, completely regulated and transparent system,” the union

said in its official statement regarding the decision by CAS. Due to the

ruling, the Finnish skier Juha Lallukka was also acquitted and released

from his competition ban.

Having lived under immense pressure during the whole court process,

Andrus Veerpalu returned to skiing at the top level this autumn, not as

a competitor but as an adviser to the Kazakhstan ski champion Aleksei

Poltoranin, who is set to go for gold during the next Winter Olympic

Games in Sochi. However, for Veerpalu’s former coach Mati Alaver, this

affair cost the opportunity to become the main trainer of the Russian

national skiing team, and he returned to coach the Estonian national

team after the scandal.


MetaMed rescues wealthy patients from the randomness of the medical system

jaan Tallinn’s company MetaMed offers a personal medical service to the wealthy which can cost up to 250,000 uSD. Inspiration for the creation of the company came from Steve jobs’ fight with cancer.

TExT: Toivo Tänavsuu

LIFE IN ESTONIA I 2013 / 2014 WINTER

I ECONOMY AND BUSINESS

32

Based in New York, MetaMed was established

in 2012 by an interesting group of people: in

addition to Jaan Tallinn, who was also one

of the founders of Skype, the futurist michael

Vassar, the legendary card player and former

professional “Magic: The Gathering” player

Zvi mowshowitz, and the megastar investor

Peter Thiel, who also founded PayPal. Thiel

invested half a million dollars in the company.

MetaMed has a simple vision: to offer a high-

end personal medical service and thereby

show the potential future of medicine.

Metamed is primarily directed towards pa-

tients in poor health who doctors have either

given up on or who are themselves sceptical

of doctors. For a cost reaching thousands of

dollars (fees begin at 5,000 USD), MetaMed

researchers study the patient’s medical and

health history and genetic research, subse-

quently researching medical publications and

studies. The company employs over twenty re-

nowned scientists and doctors, who are called

Medical Advisers or Health Researchers.

For each patient, they prepare a thorough re-

port in which they investigate the medical his-

tory and illness of the patient in the minutest

detail. They find the likely cause of the illness,

and introduce potential treatment methods

and describe the risks involved. However,

MetaMed emphasizes that the report does not

prescribe any treatment. The decisions regard-

ing treatment need to be taken by a medical

doctor, together with the patient.

For example, there are over ten different ways

to treat a melanoma. For one client, MetaMed

compiled a report of approximately twenty

pages, which introduced all of the treatment

options and discussed their advantages and

drawbacks. On the basis of clinical studies, it

mentioned dosage amounts, predictors of ef-

fectiveness, side-effects, response rates and

survival rates.

For another patient, MetaMed compiled an

18-page report on the causes of kidney stones

and different existing treatment methods. No

single doctor is able to provide such a compre-

hensive overview in the tight time-frame avail-

able for each patient! In the USA, an average

visit to a doctor lasts approximately only 11

minutes and the majority of that time is spent

on paperwork.

MetaMed is no longer unknown in medical

circles, although the company has not carried

out a large advertising campaign. MetaMed

services have been advertised on Adwords.

Jaan Tallinn claims that marketing is their main

challenge: “Sometimes I get the feeling that

we’re building the first law firm in a world

where law firms have not been invented yet.”

Today the company has dozens of patients.

One of the first patients paid 8,000 USD for a

10-page report on a rare form of skin cancer.

Later the cancer was successfully treated on

the basis of the report.

It is also possible for patients to Google infor-

mation on their illnesses, but MetaMed spe-

cialists have better access to different sources

and they are able to better assess the quality of

the information available.

MetaMed is convinced that the US medical

system is rotten to the core. And this shows

the dire need for change. The United States

spends a fifth of its GDP on health, but be-

cause of medical mistakes nearly 100,000

people die each year in hospitals and 40 mil-

lion patients receive inadequate or late treat-

ment caused by no access to or the lack of

information.

More than half a million medical articles are

published annually and every day over fifty

clinical trials commence. MetaMed has done

the numbers: if general practitioners in the

United States wanted to be somewhat in-

formed of the latest medical achievements,

they would need to spend 25 days each month

reading articles and research results! Doctors

cannot be adequately informed of the latest

news, and this leads to wrong diagnoses and

treatment choices.

The inspiration for creating MetaMed came to

the research manager of the company, Michael

Vassar, as he thought about the late Steve Jobs

and his difficult fight with cancer: would Jobs

have lived if his treatment had been overseen

collectively by a room full of Nobel Prize laure-

ates and top medical doctors?

In an interview with the weekly Estonian news-

paper Eesti Ekspress about MetaMed, Vassar

claimed that their deeply scientific approach to

medicine not only helps people to be treated

more effectively but, in the long term, it will

reduce healthcare costs in the United States.

At times Vassar seems paranoid about the

current system. According to his theory, only

the smartest scientists and leading doctors

are able to distinguish the truth from medical

“bullshit”, find the right treatment on their

own or even carry out clinical trials if neces-

sary. The fate of other patients has been left to

an ineffective medical system and the random

care of doctors.

Vassar believes that the current medical system

ignores scientific breakthroughs and discover-

ies, offering patients one-size-fits-all and often

unsuitable treatment. MetaMed is on a mis-

sion to help patients by “opening their eyes”.

Yet he admits that the company’s service is

only attainable by a few.

In addition to the field of medicine, the philan-

thropist Jaan Tallinn is concerned with another

large question “threatening human lives”: ex-

istential risks to humanity. For example, Tallinn

is concerned about the development of artifi-

cial intelligence, developments in neuroscience

and the rapid growth of genetic- and biotech-

nology. He has funded several research institu-

tions, including ones at Oxford and Cambridge

Universities in the UK. “Humankind today is

spending less on thinking about how to sur-

vive the 21st century than on developing new

lipsticks,” he has said.



How to stay healthy? Let’s ask the bacteria in your tummyFlick Diet, an Estonian start-up, helps people to lose weight and live healthily. Practical nutritional advice is provided through the DnA analysis of gut bacteria.

Flick Diet was founded by two engineers of the Tallinn University of Technology: Henri Raska and Liis Loorits who have been doing science together for twelve years.




It may sound strange at first: for about a hundred euros, one can order

a test-kit which is discreetly delivered to an automated parcel terminal in

your neighbourhood. You take a sample of your own stools – a simple

procedure thanks to the test-kit – and post it to Flick Diet.

From then on, it gets more pleasant: flick diet will send your stool sam-

ple to a medical lab where bioanalysts will extract the DNA of the gut

bacteria and study it. According to the DNA sequence, Flick Diet then

determines the bacteria in your gut and a computer programme com-

piles a personal nutritional advice report. The recommendations in the

report are based on about a hundred scientific articles which have been

published in magazines such as Nature, Science and medical journals.

The process has been approved by nutritional experts.

The report helps you to understand what is “living” in your gut, which

foods you can tolerate and which ones you can’t. It explains what you

should eat more of, or less of, in order to make your digestion as ef-

ficient as possible, to avoid bloating and other problems, to strengthen

your immune system (where gut microflora play an important role), to

provide you with a general sense of well-being and to ensure a healthy

body as you get older.

Most importantly, following the advice enables people to lose weight

healthily without having to suffer through different diets.

Flick Diet, a start-up from the Tallinn Tehnopol Stat-up Incubator, plans

to take this service onto the market in February 2014.

The company was founded by two engineers of the Tallinn University

of Technology: Henri raska and Liis Loorits. Together, the two of

them have been doing science for twelve years. They have used similar

methods of microbiology research to characterize other types of envi-

ronments, for example biogas, milk, bread and cheese. Now they are

applying the same method to researching the human body. The scien-

tific council of Flick Diet includes the renowned neurobiologist Toomas

neuman, who is linked to various biotechnology companies in Estonia

and the United States.

The idea was first born in early 2012, when Loorits and Raska were

brainstorming different business ideas. In the summer of the same year,

they participated in Start-up Garage – a summer school for start-ups

– where they refined their business model and met the future seed in-

vestor of the company, the well-known Estonian IT entrepreneur Jaak

ennuste.

But why study stools and gut microflora?

According to Raska, the answer is simple: “The gut has one of the most

direct impacts on human health and is the organ which is responsible

for digesting the food we eat.”

Each and every one of us has about two kilograms of bacteria living in

our stomach: approximately 100 billion, which is ten times more than

the number of cells. Bacteria influence our metabolism, immune system

and even behaviour. The bacteria in our gut are as unique as a finger-

print: they start to develop before we are born and they determine

whether we play in sandboxes, our lifestyle, food consumption, travel,

illnesses and thousands of other factors.

The scientific council of Flick Diet includes the renowned neurobiologist Toomas Neuman, who is linked to various biotechnology companies in Estonia and the United States.


The recommendations made by Flick Diet are much more practical than

just “eat meat” or “eat vegetables”. “For example, I digest meat very

well, but Liis digests plant proteins much better. This means that if I go

to a restaurant in the evening I will eat the meat and leave half of the

potatoes,” says Raska.

In future, the service may have some added value, for example support-

ing people in recovering from a course of antibiotics.

As the DNA analysis takes some time, Raska says people can fill out an

online questionnaire about their dietary habits while they wait. Based

on the questionnaire, the company can develop an even more person-

alised approach. On the basis of analysis and questionnaires, they can

put together sample menus or food baskets for their customers. “For

example, it would not make sense to recommend caviar to a student

living in a dorm,” says Raska.

In principle, the analysis can also identify possible indicators of illnesses,

but those the company will not report on as, at least for now, they have

no legal right to do so.

As one of the main selling points of Flick Diet for clients is the opportu-

nity to systematically lose weight, the main target area for the company

is the United States market, which is saturated with overweight people.

For medicine, reading the DNA of stool samples has a great future. At

the moment, such samples are only studied to determine the pathogens

of specific illnesses; other gut bacteria are not researched.

Yet their approach is not rocket science, according to Raska. “DNA

reading was invented back in the 1980s, but it was only in 2005 that

the second-generation equipment came out which made it possible to

read DNA faster and cheaper. Eight more years have passed and it is

only now that the prices are starting to become affordable enough that

we can offer services to customers based on DNA readings. What is

still missing is a statistical database, which could be used to diagnose

illnesses with certainty, but this is just a matter of time,” he claims.

There are other companies which offer nutritional advice on the basis of

gut bacteria, for example Metametrix in the United States. Genotyping

services are more widespread: customers buy an analysis of their DNA

mutations in order to find out about the likelihood of certain diseases

and genetic illnesses. The most well-known supplier in this field in the

US is 23andMe, with Google as one of its shareholders.

How to best promote the services of Flick Diet?

Raska is hoping to promote its service through many re-sellers. Those

may be pharmacies, eco-shops, sports clubs or weight-loss programmes,

such as Weight Watchers – all those who have customers who want to

take care of their health.

One of the biggest problems, according to Raska, lies in the taking of

samples: many people feel uncomfortable about taking a stool sample.

But the only alternative to develop personal healthy nutrition recom-

mendations would be to cut people up!



quality labelshelp Estonians to select food

TExT: Kaidi-Kerli Kärner

>


For years, four of the best known food qual-

ity labels have helped Estonian consumers to

make their choices in grocery stores. For com-

panies, the quality label provides an opportu-

nity to attract attention to their product and

to emphasize the local nature of raw materials

or production. In addition, a quality label is a

good way to increase sales and save on mar-

keting costs when entering the market with a

new product.

Four quality labels are most recognised by con-

sumers in Estonia: Swallow Label, clover La-

bel, flag Label and the label best estonian

food. The first two labels are issued by the Es-

tonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce

(ECAC), and the last two are issued by the Es-

tonian Food Industry Association.

The best known quality label with consumers

is the Swallow Label, or approved esto-

nian Taste (according to research 87% of

consumers know it), which is currently on 181

products. The swallow on the label is the Es-

tonian national bird, and the main condition

for receiving this label is that the primary raw

material is of 100% Estonian origin. In order to

receive the clover Label, also known as ap-

proved Taste, the food has to be produced in

the European Union. In order to receive either

of these labels, the product has to undergo

quality control tests, where the product un-

dergoes laboratory and sensory evaluations.

In addition to the main tests, there is regular

after-testing in order to ensure the quality of

the product. Both the Swallow and the Clo-

ver labels are issued in autumn and apply until

the end of the following year. Currently dairy

and grain products have the most Swallow and

Clover labels of all product groups.

The rationale behind the label best estonian

food is slightly different. This label is meant for

products which have entered the market dur-

ing a particular year and are geared towards

innovation. According to Sirje Potisepp,

Mä

rk

a lipu Mä

rk

i

rahvuslipu märk hinnasildil näitab, et toode on valmistatud Eesti toiduainetööstuse

ettevõtetes eestimaalaste poolt eestimaalaste maitse-eelistusi ja traditsioone silmas pidades.

lipumärgi toob teieni koostöös kaubandusettevõtetega Eesti Toiduainetööstuse Liit. Vaata ka www.toiduliit.ee

According to Roomet Sõrmus, Director of the Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce, many small businesses have benefited from quality labels.



Lepasuitsu eesti juust (alder-smoke cheese)

is one of E-Piim’s most beloved products. This

cheese is produced using traditional methods

of baking it in a smoking oven, where alder

smoke and experienced cheesemakers help

to create a quality natural cheese. The white

stains on the surface of the cheese are crystal-

lized salts - a sure sign of traditional produc-

tion methods. This summer the cheese was

awarded the DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts

Gesellschaft - German Agricultural Society)

Golden Prize. DLG food quality label is the

most famous and reputable food label in

Germany, which provides consumers with

independent information about the quality

of food. The central place in assessing food

quality is on sensory evaluation, testing the

appearance, colour, consistency, aroma and

flavour. In addition, chemical, microbiological

and physical analyses of the products are car-

ried out in accredited laboratories.

mOe maHe 1886 is the only ecologically

clean vodka produced in Estonia. This vodka

falls into the premium class and is made from

100% Estonian certified organic grain. MOE

MAHE 1886 is manufactured in the Moe Fine

Spirit Distillery, which was established by the

Estonian pharmacist Jakob Kurberg in 1886.

Organic grain gives vodka a clean and soft

taste. No sugars or additives are added to the

vodka. An additional special quality is added

by the water, which is drawn from a bore well

in the Pandivere National Protection Area.

5,500 kilograms of Estonian honey exported to China

meveda, the largest Estonian honey pro-

ducer, started to export Estonian honey

onto the Chinese market. Only natural

honey is sold. The first batch weighing

5,500 kilograms was sent off last spring.

Jaanus Tull, board member of the south-

ern Estonian company Meveda claims

that ecologically pure honey is in demand

in China. “Today especially middle-class

Chinese consumers are very aware of

their preferences for ecologically clean

produce. They prefer organic goods from

New Zealand and Australia and this also

gives Estonia the opportunity to promote

itself as a clean Nordic country.”

“TV-shops are extremely popular in China.

The majority of the population watches

TV-shops where they introduce a prod-

uct, talk about the country where it’s

produced and explain why and how the

product should be consumed. Through

the sales of our honey, we are able to pro-

mote Estonia as for Chinese people it is a

very exotic country,” says Tull.

China is a growing market for Estonian

honey where a large amount of the lo-

cal production could be transported in

the future. Eight hundred to a thousand

tons of honey is produced in Estonia an-

nually. In 2012, Meveda produced 28 tons

of honey.

In addition to traditional natural honey,

the products of Meveda include honey

with propolis, honey with royal jelly and

honey with pollen.

Manager of the Estonian Food Industry Asso-

ciation, the aim of their quality label Best Esto-

nian Food is to designate innovation, and the

aim of the flag Label is to emphasize prod-

ucts produced in Estonia. “Our goal is to mo-

tivate producers to work on product develop-

ment and to come onto the market with more

and more exciting foods, offering consumers

new taste sensations.”

Another trend in Estonia is regional labels

on products and labels created by producers

themselves. For example, food products pro-

duced on the largest Estonian island of Saare-

maa are promoted heavily and increasingly

producers include on their packaging guar-

antees that their products include no artificial

colourings or taste and flavour enhancers. The

Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Com-

merce has tried to encourage this trend: “For

example, as a rule testers of food products do

not want to see artificial colourings or meat

mass being used in products with quality la-

bels,” confirms roomet Sõrmus, Director of

ECAC.

It is also considered important to emphasise

the local nature of raw materials through a

quality label. For example, the label eesti siga

(Estonian pork) by Rakvere Lihakombinaat,

the biggest manufacturer of meat products in

the Baltic states, refers to the local origin of

pork and is used as a quality label on products

which have Estonian pork as a raw material.


The advantages of quality labels for producers and consumers

The aim of food labels is to help customers

orientate themselves and to choose the best

products. For producers, it is an opportunity

to make their products stand out. For consum-

ers, the quality label offers assurance that the

product has really been produced in the way

that is claimed and its quality has received a

high evaluation. According to research, three-

fourths of consumers select products with

quality labels either always or occasionally.

For companies, it is important to stand out on

the shelves, which are loaded with all kinds of

products. This is often especially significant for

small companies or those who are new in the

market, for whom a quality label is often the

best marketing strategy. According to Roomet

Sõrmus, many small businesses have benefited

from quality labels: “These days it is difficult

and expensive to market your own brand. A

quality label attracts the interest of consumers

and provides consumers with certainty about

the quality of the product.” Recent experience

demonstrates that receiving the label Best

Estonian Food has greatly increased the sales

of products. For example, Sirje Potisepp says

that the sales of Fazer seed bread tripled after

receiving the quality label. Of course, the label

helps less known companies a lot. They may

have a good product but consumers don’t buy

it. For example, after receiving the label Best

Food of the Year in 2013, the sales of marinat-

ed African sharp-tooth catfish by M.V. Wool

has risen by ten-fold!”

In addition, applying for a quality label helps

to give food producers professional and in-

dependent feedback from experts. The test-

ing committee evaluates products extensively,

looking at their appearance, taste, smell and

texture. In selecting products for the Swallow

and Clover labels, experts fill out a form that is

useful for producers in making changes in fu-

ture products and in evaluating the strengths

and weaknesses of existing products.

The evaluation committee of Best Estonian

Food includes only the best specialists in the

food industry, and when they sum up the

points on their evaluation sheets they deter-

mine the tastiest and the best products.

Grocery stores are also more likely to stock

those products which have quality labels. It

gives a guarantee to the shop that consum-

ers will be more interested in the products and

they will therefore be sold more easily.

The impact of the economic crisis on the food industry

The economic crisis significantly influenced the

purchasing behaviour of Estonian consumers

and also the choices they make in their food

baskets. Difficult times made consumers more

pragmatic and people now buy more selec-

tively. Products on sale and special campaigns

determine the behaviour of consumers more

and more. According to Sirje Potisepp, they

regularly monitor consumer behaviour and

currently it shows that “60% of consumers

look for cheaper offers, and even wealthier

consumers look at product prices. Hence, sales

are no longer just meant for less affluent cus-

tomers since most consumers look for the ‘yel-

low price tags’.”

In order to support Estonian companies and

to create new jobs, the flag Label was intro-

duced in 2009. In just a few years, this quality

label has become one of the best known labels

in the country. The label is given to products

produced in Estonia, although the raw materi-

al may come from another country. The origin

of the raw material and the location of pro-

duction continue to be important for Estonian

consumers and also impact their purchasing

behaviour.



Estonian quality labels in comparison to the rest of Europe

Quality labels are also common in neighbour-

ing countries and Estonia has learned a lot

from their experiences. For example, the evalu-

ation criteria of the Clover and Swallow labels

were adopted from Germany. The same prin-

ciple applies for the Finnish Swan label, which

is given to products with local raw materials.

In both countries, quality labels are highly re-

garded by consumers, and supermarkets pre-

fer to stock products with labels.

Estonian products with quality labels also sell well

in other countries. Sirje Potisepp says that Esto-

nian foods are very highly regarded in the Rus-

sian market because of their quality and taste.

The added attraction of a quality label increases

the preference for a product on foreign markets.

Estonians tend to have taste preferences simi-

lar to those in the Nordic countries and less

similar to other Baltic states and Russia.

Future trends of quality labels

According to Sirje Potisepp, in recent years

producers have only participated in the Best

Estonian Food competition with their best

products and with the clear goal of winning.

This is based on the fact that a quality label

makes a very strong case for consumers to

buy the product. As organic products are in-

creasingly popular, Potisepp believes that in

the near future one competition category

may be Best Estonian Organic Product. “But

we can already consider many Estonian prod-

ucts organic products and this is the reason

why they are highly valued elsewhere in the

world, especially in Japan,” says Potisepp.

There is a growing trend in Estonia to pro-

duce interesting organic products and to ap-

ply for quality labels for them. For example,

the Swallow Label has been given to such

unique local organic products as Moe vodka,

made from local grain, and the cheeses and

curds of Saidafarm.

There is an increasing trend of producing en-

riched foods (where minerals and vitamins

have been added). Foods supplemented with

pro-biotics, which help to keep gut-microflora

balanced and boost the immune system, are

also increasingly popular. These products in-

clude the dairy products of the Hellus bacteria

range and the TENSIA bacteria in Südamejuust

(heart cheese – ed.). Both bacteria were devel-

oped in Estonia and have received numerous

prizes abroad.

Advertising food quality labels is continuous

work and, according to Potisepp, market-

ing cannot allow for any gaps in time. Also,

Roomet Sõrmus claims that it is important for

producers to have labels on their products: “It

does not matter how much we advertise qual-

ity labels; the consumers will really only notice

them on the packaging of the product.”

* In Estonia all foods are subject to VAT.

Sirje Potisepp, Manager of the Estonian Food Industry Association, recalls that the Flag Label was introduced in 2009 in order to support Estonian companies and to create new jobs.


KALAMATSI GOAT-MILK DAIRy experiments with new

cheeses TExT: KrisTiina Kruuse / PHOTOS: maarJa oTsa

Unripened cheese in brine is a speciality of the Kalamatsi Dairy. No other dairy produces such a cheese. The dairy also offers cheese spreads for those with a sweet tooth. Frying cheese is made of a mixture of goat- and cow cheese.

Aita Mets and Jaan Raudkivi moved to Esna during the same week. Neither of them knew what they would do there and they did not know each other. Today they are partners in life

and business.

Goat milk

Goat milk is digested more easily than

cow milk, as its fatty acid chain is five

times shorter than that of cow milk and

therefore easier to digest.

The fat content of goat milk is

3.5 – 4.2 per cent.

Goat milk contains more A, B1, C and D

vitamins. In addition, the potassium, calci-

um, phosphor and iodine content of goat

milk is higher than that of cow milk.



The fact that the first goat-milk dairy in Estonia is located in Esna is, to

a large extent, a result of a favourable twist of fate. Aita Mets was on

her way to becoming a scientist. She was employed as a laboratory as-

sistant at the Tallinn University of Technology when she took a holiday

in Austria and volunteered at a small goat-dairy farm. Back in Estonia,

she quit her job, as her soul yearned for the countryside. “The desire

to live in the country was huge and then I had the chance to move to

Esna,” she recalls.

Jaan Raudkivi, who had worked in the timber industry, moved to his

grandfather’s house in Esna during the same week. Neither of them

had a clear idea about what they would do there and they did not

know each other. “But things developed their own logical momentum

in Esna,” says Aita. The young people also found each other outside

their business partnership and today they have three children: four- and

two-year-old boys and a baby girl. “We were a great match because we

had different experiences. Aita knew how to make cheese and I knew

how to develop a business,” explains Jaan Raudkivi.

Kids from Sweden

Aita Mets and Jaan Raudkivi bought their first 30 kids from Sweden in

the spring of 2010, and by autumn they had completed building the

first housing for the goats. Today their herd has 80 goats and Jaan talks

of enlargement plans. “We have plans for about a hundred animals”,

he says.

In 2011, the building of the dairy plant for the processing of goat milk

was completed and cheese production began. The couple claim that

they had no funds whatsoever to buy the goats and build the dairy. “We

had nothing, just our two hands,” recalls Aita. They were able to make

their dream come true thanks to support from the Estonian Agricultural

Registers and Information Board (ARIB), which did not require any self-

financing, and because of this they were able to receive a bank loan.

Currently the Kalamatsi Dairy produces approximately 150 kg of cheese

a week. The product selection includes goat cream cheese spread and

unripened cheese in brine, which resembles feta and can be used in

salads or added for taste to soups.

Own invention

The unripened cheese in brine is the Kalamatsi Dairy’s own invention:

even the renowned Austrian and French dairies don’t produce anything

like it. “We invented this technology and it cannot be found anywhere

else in the world. It is complicated and involves a handmade process,”

explains Aita.

In addition to savoury cheeses, the Kalamatsi Dairy produces sweet

cream cheeses in buckthorn-chocolate and bilberry-vanilla flavours.

According to Aita Mets, consumers really like the mixed cow-milk and

goat-milk cheeses, which can be fried. This cheese was created in co-

operation with the restaurant Leib & Aed in Tallinn, after their chef ex-

plained what kind of cheese they needed and the dairy then produced

it. As the frying cheese became popular very quickly, it is also available

in supermarkets today.

“Every cheese has its own story,” says Jaan, who adds that, if necessary,

their dairy can produce tailor-made cheeses on request from customers.

Flexibility is the key advantage of a small dairy, he says.

Security of supply

In addition to flexibility, it is equally important to guarantee the secu-

rity of supply. “There is a lot of quality handmade cheese produced in

Estonia, but it is important to continuously guarantee the same supply.

For us, security of supply is very important: if we have agreed to deliver

something to a customer, then it is settled and we will guarantee provi-

sion. Even if double or triple amounts are needed, you have to be able

to supply it,” says Aita. “So far we do not owe anyone any cheese,”

she adds.

The Kalamatsi Dairy products are equally valued by customers of shops

and restaurant kitchens. “Goat cheese has a special taste and it gives

an extra nuance to food; it is not a daily sandwich cheese,” says Jaan,

who adds “goat cheese production is not very effective and goat cheese

cannot be produced at the same levels as cow products.”

willing to experiment

The top priorities of the Kalamatsi Dairy today are to guarantee the

security of provision and to expand their special cheese selection. “We

want our existing operation to run smoothly and, at the same time, we

wish to offer something new, a choice with a special edge,” explains

Aita. She adds that enlarging their product selection also means that

their herd has to grow.

Aita Mets explains that goats have great personalities – shy but curious

at the same time – which makes them easy to raise. They stay very true

to their daily rhythm and do not go roaming about on their own. For

example, once the door to the lairage was left open by mistake for a

whole night, but the goats faithfully remained inside.

It principle, it would be possible to produce several hundred kilograms

of cheese a week in the Kalamatsi Dairy (instead of the current 150 kg),

but increasing production volume means not just buying more goats

but also building a new storage space. “We have lots of room for de-

velopment,” says Aita.

The two young entrepreneurs could have limited themselves to goat

herding and milk production, but they consider it important to add val-

ue to their basic product. “I was very impressed while volunteering at

the dairy farm in Austria with how they made everything themselves,”

recalls Aita Mets. “I did not grow up on a farm and I don’t have tradi-

tions to fall back on, but that just makes it more important to me to

increase the value of our products and to create something interesting

for ourselves,” she adds.

* This article was first published in the daily newspaper Postimees’ Country Life Extra

Esna, a picturesque village in the Estonian countryside, is where Aita Mets and jaan Raudkivi have, in just three years, established the Kalamatsi Dairy, whose products are sold in shops and the best restaurants in Estonia.


TExT AND PHOTOS: maarJa oTsa

Minna Sahver surprises with special jelly candy

In the new production facility, Siret Elmi demonstrates jellied candy

made of wild berry, fruit and vegetable purees.

The products are free of artificial colourings and preservatives. Therefore, kids with allergies

can also eat the candy.



Siret elmi, the founder of Minna Sahver (Min-

na’s Pantry, ed.), became a businesswoman

thanks to having a baby, as she wished to serve

natural and healthy food to her child. At first

she thought of making baby food purees in

deep frozen cube form: you put the cube into

a bowl, mix with hot water and the baby food

is ready. It seemed like a great idea but did not

develop further, as market research showed

that a small business could not compete with

the prices of large baby food producers.

From tester to small business owner

Siret started to make jelly candy thanks to her

own mother. “My mum went to a food fair

in Latvia and saw jellies made of purees,” she

recalls. Hence, she could still make the pu-

rees but now they would be used for making

candy. At first, her mum made the jelly candy,

and all other duties– procuring the raw ingre-

dients, packaging, labelling, marketing, cus-

tomer relations and so on—were carried out

by the daughter.

Once the concept was ready, they needed to

find the essential ingredients and develop the

recipe. Siret Elmi was lucky: the importer of

the important jellying agent – agar-agar – had

a production technologist who helped to de-

velop the recipe for the jellies of Minna Sahver.

After that, Siret and her mother started to pro-

duce the jelly candy themselves.

In spring 2010, Minna Sahver had its first cus-

tomer-testing at a rural shop in Rapla. “At first

we had three customers. It seemed enough to

keep working in our home kitchen,” says Siret.

Today the jelly candy is sold in the supermar-

kets of Tallinn, Tartu and Pärnu and in small

Tallinn Old Town shops.

The production volume of Minna Sahver has

increased significantly in the three years and

today they produce 4,000 packages of jellied

candy a month. At first, she produced the jel-

lied candy as the orders came in. “When I got

an order, I started to make the product and

the customer had to wait for two weeks,”

she explains. But the orders kept pouring in

and the home kitchen became too small. In

2012, the company moved to new production

rooms. During the move, Siret’s mother finally

was able to return to her own job and Minna

Sahver employed two new staff members.

“Last Christmas we had more orders than we

were able to supply, but this year we don’t have

that problem any more,” says Siret. While eve-

rything in the home kitchen was prepared in

cooking pots, the company has now obtained

proper equipment (an industrial boiling pot

and jelly forms) with the help of Leader fund-

ing, which enables them to produce at a much

larger capacity. The new production space also

has a storage area for ready products. “Our

sales prognosis for December is 5,000 pack-

ages,” says the young business owner.

A wide selection

The product selection of Minna Sahver in-

cludes 26 different types of jellied candy:

something for every taste! The products are

free of artificial colourings and preservatives:

the colour comes from the purees. Therefore,

kids with allergies can also eat the candy.

Another unique characteristic of Minna jellied

candy is that it is handmade. The whole pro-

cess is a handicraft. Siret Elmi has no plans to

mechanise the production process as she likes

the fact that they produce handmade candy

and sees it as a unique selling point.

Of the product range, the most popular pack-

ages include a mixture of three different types

of jellied candy. The popular flavours include

blueberry and sea-buckthorn; special flavours

include rose-hip and quince. Children love the

strawberry flavour.

The vegetable jellied candy is becoming more

and more popular: for example, candy made

of carrots, beetroot, spinach and pumpkin.

“When I offer vegetable-flavoured jellied

candy at food fairs, I often receive a negative

response until the customers taste it, and then

they want to buy it immediately,” says Elmi.

Minna Sahver buys its raw ingredients from lo-

cal small producers. This year the owner of the

company still picked the wild berries herself,

but next year she will not be able to do so as

production has grown so much.

Future plans

Siret Elmi’s idea of creating something natural

and local probably has roots in her childhood

summers spent with her granny, who had a

large fruit tree garden. Her grandmother Min-

na spent most of her time doing housework

and garden work and she had a large pantry

where she kept all sorts of preserves. “My

granny is no longer alive, but my company got

its name from her,” says Elmi.

Siret Elmi says that the future holds many chal-

lenges. For example, they need to redesign the

label on the packaging as the current one was

done on someone’s lap, without any market-

ing knowledge.

Export is also being considered, first to Esto-

nian food shops based in Finland. In addition,

the products are still not sold in eastern towns

of Estonia, such as Rakvere, Narva and Jõhvi.

“We will first visit fairs in those areas and see

how local people like our product,” Elmi says,

describing her plans for the near future.

* This article was first published in the daily newspaper Postimees’ Country Life Extra

TExT AND PHOTOS: maarJa oTsa

Minna Sahver is a small company which sells jelly candy hand-made from natural berries, fruit and vegetable purees, producing 4,000 packages each month. In november, the company celebrated its third birthday in its new production facility.

Siret Elmi’s brother surprised his sister by drawing the logo of

Minna Sahver on the wall of the new production facility


TExT AND PHOTOS: Jaanus Kõrv

SuCCESS GuARAnTEED By PRODuCT DEvELOPMEnT AnD InnOvATIOnThe only yeast producer in Estonia, the Salutaguse yeast Factory is part of the Lallemand Group, which has its head office in Canada. The factory in Salutaguse produces liquid yeast for the baking and confectionery industry, inactive dry yeast for human consumption and animal feed, and inactive dry yeast-based additives for fermented beverage production. Most of the production is exported to Europe, north America and Asia.

Tiina Valk , Executive Director of the Salutaguse Yeast Factory, is thoroughly at home with the specifics of yeast production. For twenty-one years, Tiina has worked in different positions, from accounting to logistics, and has been involved in initiating new production projects.



Baker’s yeast has been produced in Salutaguse since 1927. After Estonia

regained its independence in 1991, a state-owned public limited com-

pany was founded on the basis of the yeast factory. Those were turbu-

lent times and the current Executive Director, Tiina Valk, is convinced

that without foreign investment the factory would not have survived.

The Salutaguse Yeast Factory was privatised and purchased by a foreign

investor in 1994 for the price of one Estonian kroon. The symbolic price

was based on the dilapidated buildings, run-down equipment, and the

ineffective production process: the production capacity of the factory

back then was 3,150 tons per year, but only about 20% of this was

reached. The foreign investor was the Lallemand Group, registered in

Canada.

The yeast factory was the first European company for the Lallemand

Group. The only obligation for the investor was to maintain a certain

number of jobs and to make the investments required in the contract.

It was only in 1999 that the company was able to break even, primarily

due to cutting costs and starting to produce inactive yeasts. The com-

petition in the baker’s yeast market is fierce and this makes small-scale

production unsustainable.

Drum dryer brought about the change

The big change came in 1998 with the installation of the first drum

dryer, which dries cream yeast, resulting in the end product of inactive

yeast in the form of powder or flakes. In order to make baker’s yeast

or inactive yeast, it is first necessary to produce yeast milk. Yeast milk

can be sold as liquid yeast to bakers or it can be filtered and packaged

into compressed yeast. It can also be inactivated and dried, in order

to produce an inactive yeast product. Inactive dry yeast and yeast bio-

mass fractions (e.g. yeast cell walls and yeast extracts) are used as ad-

ditives in the food, feed and fermentation industries because of their

unique flavour characteristics (savory), high nutritional value (B-group

vitamins, protein and nutritional fibre content), and their physical and

chemical properties, which make it possible to change the texture

properties of foods. For example, inactive yeast enriched in a natu-

ral antioxidant called glutathione is used in pizza dough as a texture

improver, as well as in the fining of wines, where it prevents wine

oxidation and related wine faults, including colour changes and loss of

aromas. A range of B-group vitamin-enriched inactive yeast products

are produced as nutritional supplements for vegetarians. “Fermaid”

products in the wine industry are different dry-blend formulations of

inactive yeast, yeast extract and inorganic compounds which are used

to help the fermenting yeast start wine fermentation and prevent

“stuck fermentations”.

The key to success for such a small factory is specializing in high-value

speciality products. “At first we only produced a kilogram-package,

a 500-gram package and a 100-gram package of fresh baker’s yeast,

but now we have 400-450 different products and brands. In the last

four years, the annual growth in sales has been around 20%,” ex-

plains Tiina Valk.

There has been a continuous stream of new activities. In 2002, the

blending department, which produces dry blends for the wine industry

(fermaids and wine-fining agents) made on the basis of inactive dried

yeast, was opened. The investments made to increase blending and

packaging capacity have tripled the overall production capacity. As the

demand for inactive dried yeast is continuously on the rise, further in-

vestments were made to increase the drying capacity by installing two

new dryers. In January 2012, the production unit for natural plant pro-

tection products (solid-state fermentation of fungi), the Lallemand Bio-

Ingredients Customer Sample Centre and the Customer Service Centre

for Lallemand Animal Nutrition Products all started operations.

Investments have also been made in cleaning appliances and a vacu-

um steamer which produces vinasse: a high value by-product of yeast

fermentation.

“During the production process, vinasse and condensed water come

out of the vacuum steamer. We can use the condensed water for the

cleaning of existing equipment, and the rest goes into the bio-cleanser

to produce biogas. We are currently marketing vinasse as animal fodder

and as a soil fertilizer,” explains Tiina Valk.

The products of the Salutaguse

Yeast Factory are highly regarded

throughout the world. The dried

yeast label Lalvin, which is en-

riched with minerals and vitamins,

received the golden innovation

award in the Kellerwirtschaft cate-

gory in 2004. In 2006, the inactive

dried yeast mix Natstep received

the VINITECH Trophies Award for

trendiest product development.

The inactive dried yeast label En-

gevita (2007) is a premium-class

product and in high demand.Juhan Parts, Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications, during his visit to the Salutaguse Yeast Factory on 13 September 2013.


In installing the new cleanser, the owner had to invest not just mon-

ey but also faith in the future of the Salutaguse Yeast Factory. Today

the factory also has a process for producing effluent streams, which is

known as the best existing technology for cleaning the effluent of the

yeast industry. Investments this year reached 3 million euros.

The Salutaguse Yeast Factory has the duty to produce high-quality prod-

ucts and it does not deal with sales directly. The products are sent direct-

ly to customers or to the Lallemand Distribution Centre. The products

are sold in Asia, America and throughout Europe.

The Lallemand Group employs approximately 2,500 staff, and more

than 70 of them work in Research and Development. There are nearly

30 production units all over the world. The yeast factory in Estonia is the

only one where inactive yeast products are produced on drum dryers,

and the factory has been called “the pearl of Lallemand”.

Tiina knows her way around all jobs

Tiina is thoroughly at home with the specifics of yeast production and,

as she says, she grew up in the factory. For twenty-one years, Tiina

has worked in different positions, from accounting to logistics, and has

been involved in initiating new production projects. She became the

manager in 2006, but it has never been important to her what her exact

position in the factory is. “I was always there where something had to

be made to work,” she says modestly.

As a manager, she is thankful for the variety of her experience, because

she is able to offer quick solutions when problems arise. The mother

of four, nominated as Mother of the Year in 2013 by Kohila County,

and the head of the Social Committee in the local government, laughs

when asked about sleepless nights, saying: “That is when the best ideas

happen.”

20 million euro turnover

In 2006, the factory started to specialize in the production of inactive

dry yeasts, the packaging of baker’s yeast stopped in Estonia, and the

equipment and technology was transferred to Poland. Of the active

yeasts, the Salutaguse factory only retained the production of liquid

yeast supplies for the Estonian baking industry and the distribution cen-

tre for the baker’s yeast produced by the group. In comparison with the

early 1990s, the production volumes have increased geometrically. The

production volume of yeast milk, after the current investment, will reach

11 thousand tons per year. As a result, the production and packaging of

inactive dried yeast and yeast mixes will reach seven to eight thousand

tons per year.

The turnover last year was 18 million euros, and this year it is predicted

to be around 20-21 million euros. 97% of total turnover is exported. In

order to maintain this level of turnover, it is imperative to develop new

products, with the keywords being innovation and product develop-

ment. There is increased interest in new and niche products. The market

has also expanded because most of the products are also certified as

Kosher and Halal.

Innovation and product development as keys

Product development is carried out in the Research and Development

Centres of the Lallemand Group. One such centre is the Competence

Centre of Food and Fermentation Technologies in Tallinn, where Lalle-

mand has its own research group of close to 10 researchers.

“People have asked me what lies behind the success of our food indus-

try. I believe people these days are more interested in living healthily.

Therefore, we must, first and foremost, work on innovative products. At

the same time, there is pressure to maintain low prices as the market is

seeking cheap products which are just as good quality as the premium

products,” explains Tiina. The keywords of their products are: natural,

healthy, organic, salt-reduced and clean label. And all of the products

are non-GMO.

The goal of the Lallemand Group is to be one of the world leaders,

especially when it comes to special products. These are the products

produced in Salutaguse and this is the reason for the investments in the

yeast factory.

The work of Estonians is appreciated

Why is production kept in Estonia? The main reason is that the own-

ers are very happy with the Estonians’ know-how and attitude towards

work. “Our long history has given us the know-how to produce inactive

dried yeast, and the group highly appreciates this,” explains Tiina.

Average salaries at Salutaguse are somewhat higher than the average

Estonian salary and production operators do not want to leave. They

have never had problems in finding staff, although vocational education

institutions do not provide specialized courses for this field. The training

is done in the company. Today the factory employs 94 people and plans

to recruit three or four more. “What we are looking for in employees

is a sense of duty, transparency, the ability to participate in team-work

and, if possible, we always prefer to hire local people,” says Tiina Valk.

Heiki Hepner, the Mayor of Kohila, gets acquainted with new products.



Peeter Laurits wrestLing with ancient forces

It must be creative potential which has taken Peeter Laurits where he is today. It has brought him through dark sorrows and elevated dreams, in order to find his own place in the arts world.

we know you as a photographer. Besides photogra-phy, have you been interested in other forms of cre-ative self-expression? For example, staging a ballet?

I have never really wanted to direct a ballet. I have had problems with

gait since birth and I cannot really carry a tune. As a child, I decided to

become a scientist and a writer, but life took its own course. In primary

school, I won a story competition of a children’s magazine and the prize

was a camera, but I was totally disinterested in taking photos back then.

I studied hieroglyphs and the alphabets of extinct languages, dreaming

of creating and breaking secret codes. Literature and the process of

making up new worlds have always captivated me, but as a teenager I

had the feeling that I would only make a mediocre writer. Then I focused

on drawing and painting. After some time I lost my enthusiasm, feeling

I would also make a mediocre painter. I studied languages and tried my

hand at translating, but that was also not what I was looking for. Finally

I found myself as a photographer and this mysterious, magical world

entirely captivated me and all the tricks I tried were successful from the

start. I must have been twenty-five years old when I got the feeling that

I had found myself. Still, those earlier interests have not disappeared; on

the contrary, new ones have developed.


INTERVIEW BY anneliis aunapuu

Noah’s Ark

CULTURE I

It was complicated to find the time in your busy sched-ule for an interview. How many jobs are you doing?

Actually there is just one job - freelance artist - but there are several pro-

jects in the works. Book design provides me with a stable income. The

largest project in the last few years has been a contract for panoramas

for the Finno-Ugric permanent exhibition at the new exhibition hall of

the Estonian National Museum. There are a total of one thousand square

metres of photographic context for our tribal peoples.

when did your interest in the primal sources of humanity begin, and are you interested in other sources besides the Finno-ugric?

Since I was a kid, I have wanted to know what I am. And the primal

sources of culture seem like the right place to find answers to that ques-

tion. The Neolithic was a very exciting leap in the history of humankind.

That was when a range of new technologies—land cultivation, ceram-

ics and textiles—were developed, and in order to implement them it

became necessary to model the next steps long in advance. This is also

reflected in the art of that period: whereas Mesolithic art was mostly

figurative, depicting animals and sometimes humans, the art of the

Neolithic was dominated by geometric ornaments. This clearly refers

to abstract thinking, which is not far from the beginnings of symbolic

systems and written communication. I find this totally fascinating. The

Finno-Ugric tradition is naturally what I can best relate to, because I am

connected to it through my mother tongue. We are a very old people,

and we remember the times when Etruscans, Pelasgians and the build-

ers of Stonehenge disappeared from the historical arena. We do not

possess rich archaeological resources, but our language, place names,

old songs, myths and ornaments represent a huge time span’s worth

of wealth of ancient traditions in coded form. I am interested in all an-

cient cultures of which still some signs remain, but it seems like one can

penetrate deepest via ancient languages. I am not enthusiastic about

globalisation because it is destroying old and peripheral languages at

an enormous rate, destroying the different ways of coding memory. It

is a death sentence.

How deep into history have you managed to peek?

History is by definition the story of our written heritage, and everything

before the beginning of written memories is pre-history. One can peek

into pre-history with intuition or with the methods of exact science.

Counting the bones of dinosaurs reminds me of forensic science, and I

lack the resources for that. Yet when we look up into the sky, we can see

quite far in time. With the help of photos from the Hubble telescope,

we can see 13.8 billion light years away. Broadly speaking, that is the

shock wave of the Big Bang reflecting back at us. I have not managed

to look further than that with my imagination.

Human family, human tribe, shaman and god. Have we today forgotten or discarded old connections? Forever?

The changes are not as big as we believe. Everything changes. The

world is I Ching, the Book of Changes, but those changes take place

within the patterns of eternity. People still reproduce in two sexes and

they form families. Families form tribes and tribes need leaders who at-

tempt to look beyond the horizon. Yesterday it was the shamans, today

it is software engineers, and tomorrow it will be someone else. We are

still attempting to model our experience via the matrix of eternity. God

today is the invisible hand of the market, a naive masturbating pragma-

tist, but people believe in it and this has great power.

Do you read ancient national and traditional pat-terns like an open book? Or like the writings of a bark beetle under tree bark?

Reading ornamental writing is about an intuitive grasp, after all old

codes have vanished.


I CULTURE

Gordian Knot

night flight

51

PORTFOLIO_PEETER LAURITS

atlas of Heavens #11 I 99 X 99 I digital print, 1999

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54


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How many ancient languages have you studied?

I have studied the dialects of southern Estonia, of which today there

are attempts to reconstruct the written form. I have dabbled in classical

Chinese. And, of course, Latin.

In the tough 1990s you had a successful career in advertising. what made you give it up and find exile in Kütioru?

After returning to Estonia from studies in New York, it seemed that

under the conditions of early capitalism it was possible to transform the

cultural role of photography, and in the context of mass culture to cre-

ate new unexpected connections. And so it was. Herkki Erich Merila and

I founded the DeStudio and worked on the borderline between art and

advertising as tricksters and smugglers. We put together exhibitions and

initiated media projects of which I am still proud. In time, it started to

feel like the media industry which we were trying to use was capable of

consuming us. In the end, it came down to the choice of being a media

critic or an artist. I made my choice. I moved to southern Estonia into

a secluded forest cabin and concentrated on the thoughts which I had

neglected during those intermediate years.

you turned your back on the social life. But exile didn’t save you from it; it seems it followed you.

Social animals cannot make very sudden turns. Friends and habits fol-

low you. Kütioru became an art centre: more people came to visit than

I had the strength to host, and the solitude I was seeking in the forest

became rarer than it had been in the city.

you have also challenged death by trying psychotropic substances which you yourself call means of transportation. Do you have any regrets?

Sometimes you need to go somewhere that you can’t normally access.

Then you ask for a ride.

Do you remember the first time you went mush-room-picking? what about the last time?

I remember the first time. I remember the last time. But those are very

intimate experiences.

you have been captivated by the impermanent nature of human existence and our journey in life. Is there a particular childhood experience behind this?

My childhood is linked to hospitals. Since my first year of life I have been

cut up and sewn back together dozens of times. I have experienced

clinical death. My childhood home was located next to a large hospital

and I had no fears of that place; the hospital park was my favourite

playground. Behind one window, you could see how babies were born.

The cemetery was next to the hospital park and this was an even more

exciting playing field. As an adult, I have had to fly around the world a

lot. Maternity wards and cemeteries are a little bit like the waiting areas

of airports.

Do you still find time for photography in the middle of all the computer assignments and memberships in juries and committees? what motifs attract you?

I take photos rarely but then with extreme concentration and ecstasy.

I find it most thrilling to photograph tiny things in natures – grass roots

and the slimy paths of snails - or distant galaxies. Sometimes I just pho-

tograph randomly, a snapshot here and another one there. Photography

metropolis

bank reserves

your nature motifs have an air of completeness about them. But your performances reflecting the visual culture of civilized nations embody a sense of disarray?

I am always and everywhere looking for a sense of cosmic completeness.

The whole is made up of pieces. I try to visually bring conflicts together

and observe what they are doing to and with each other. I am interested

in dynamics, bringing small elements into a larger background system.

Normally one has to aid those processes on the computer. If a picture is

too harmonious, then I try to merge it with another one to see if I can

create something unpredictable.

Does living in big cities mean the decay of humanity?

This is a difficult question for me. Obviously the city is not an organic liv-

ing environment. It is a place where most things necessary for life have

to be imported from somewhere. You might say that a city is a place

where inorganic stuff is made of organic materials. It is awful to observe

how urbanization and covering the planet with asphalt is destroying liv-

ing creatures. It looks like eczema, but it is not necessarily decay.

will technology take us into a better future or is it in conflict with divine laws?

This endless growth and massive reproduction which we are experienc-

ing in parallel with crazy technological development may actually signify

an evolutionary leap. The technology which during the last half century

has focused on the prosthetics of the nervous system instead of the

muscles may lead to a situation where we may be able to surpass our

own individualism and make a leap towards collective consciousness.

I don’t know how good that would be, but it would at least somewhat

excuse the growth, which has reached an absurd level.

Is a human body pure chemistry or the embodiment of God? Or are we biorobots?

I don’t know. These are very metaphysical questions. Without a long-

winded introduction, which is beyond the scope of this magazine,

I can just say that I sense everything living as an embodiment of divinity.

Eczema for me is no less divine than human civilization.


I CULTURE

archaelogical photo finish

I ching - The book of changes

for me is an excuse and a way to look for inspiration. It is only once the

photos are downloaded onto the computer that the real fun starts.

TExT: pireT Järvis

PHOTOS: Janar raidla

It is said that the most models per square metre come from Estonia and some of them, including Carmen Kass and Karmen Pedaru, are the most in-demand models in the world. yet it was not our first-class beauties who recently created furore on the pages of the fashion bible the Italian vogue; no, it was six Estonian shock punks from the group winny Puhh!

wInny PuHH-

how rural lads from southern Estonia became punks and how

the punks became pets of the world’s fashion elite


Fashion and music have always gone hand-in-

hand and it is not unheard of for musicians

to be portrayed in Vogue. But it all seems a

bit different knowing that the website weird-

estbandintheworld.com ranks Winny Puhh as

indeed the weirdest band in the world. Their

genre, according to them, is punk/metal/what-

the-fuck, and in their activities they stay true

to the philosophy: “Listen carefully to what

everybody else tells you to do and then do

the exact opposite!” Some consider them to

be totally bizarre, others geniuses and many

people are simply so confused that they can-

not stop thinking about them.

The Estonian punk/metal six-member band

gained a cult following this year thanks to the

unbelievable performance they gave in an at-

tempt to represent their country in this year’s

Eurovision Song Contest, Their attempt failed,

but their performance became extremely fa-

mous on YouTube.

This performance also provided the initial im-

pulse for the six south Estonian musicians to

create a commotion in the world’s fashion

circles in the summer of 2013 and to later

land in Vogue: their appearance at the Paris

Fashion Week. rick Owens, a designer of ex-

clusive male fashion, saw the performance on

YouTube and invited the band to perform at

the presentation of his Spring Collection 2014.

The show in which guitarists hung upside

down from the ceiling, drummers circled on

the walls and the vocalist’s face was covered

in long white fur, looking like an albino Chew-

bacca, received immediate media attention all

over the world.

“What I love about them is that they have a

cheerful aggression. They also have this won-

derful over-the-top limitlessness – there are

just no limits in their performance. I love that

kind of aggression; it’s a friendly aggression,” said Rick Owens to “Dazed Digital”. Rick Ow-

ens is a fashion designer whose leather jackets

will set you back a few thousand euros, whose

regular customers include Kanye West and Or-

lando Bloom, and who is, among other things,

famous for having said no to Michael Jackson

once when asked to design clothes for the

star’s tour.

Winny Puhh is a band which came together

in 1994 in the small southern Estonian town

of Põlva (6,600 inhabitants) when school

friends decided to start a band. It is not sur-

prising that they became an inspiration for

fashion folk if we consider that one of their

trademarks has always been outrageously

eccentric stage costumes. In addition, it is

important to mention that the band never

wears the same costumes on stage twice.

Here are some colourful examples of their cos-

tumes. In a recent television appearance, the

band members wore bright latex costumes, a

look which resembled heated marshmallows.

It was said then that the metal-men really ap-

pealed to pre-school audiences. For one of

their first music videos, the group transformed

themselves into elderly ladies who later be-

came Bollywood dancers with scary keep-smil-

ing grins. Often they take to the stage naked,

just wearing a sock for cover or some paint.

They’ve also performed in doctor and nun cos-

tumes, as robot aliens wrapped in foil and as

giant poisonous mushrooms.

The guitarist of the band, Ove musting,

has explained their costume phenomenon

thus: “I think it is offensive for the audience

if we just hop onto the stage in our street

gear, sing some songs and then hang out on

the street wearing the same clothes. A per-

formance should be a spectacle and what

we do is music therapy and healing people.

High priests and shamans are always in spe-

cial attire. So are we.”

This grand costume drama is part and parcel

of Winny Puhh’s southern Estonian humour,

with which they spice their lyrics, public per-

formances and speeches. Thus two summers

ago they shocked an Estonian festival organ-

iser with their demand for a sound technician


I CULTURE

with a university degree, two kilograms of be-

luga caviar, boiled plums, one egg and for no-

body on the technical team to talk to the band

members. They asked the fans to bring along

recorders in order to expel bad spirits together.

At a recent rock festival, the band decided just

before the beginning of the concert that they

did not want to perform on stage but in the

middle of the audience as “part of the peo-

ple”. Hence, the festival team had no choice

but to surrender and move all of the sound

equipment and instruments off the stage just

20 minutes before the start of the show.

Considering such tricks, many may doubt the

sanity of the band members, but one should

not be too hasty. One of the most important

music journalists in Estonia, erik morna, has

said the following about Winny Puhh: “they

are a very distinguished and intelligent band.

Winny Puhh is never banal. This is what makes

them a good funny band, which works.”

And there is no reason to doubt Morna’s words,

as most members of this shock band, which

has been active for 19 years, have university

degrees and they are family men who are also

successful in other fields of life. For example,

the leader of the band, Indrek Vaheoja, has

a degree in history from the University of Tartu

and works as copywriter, radio DJ and TV host.

The main songwriter, guitarist and producer

of the band is the music teacher and sound

studio owner Silver Lepaste. The outrageous

rhythms of the band are created by a graduate

of the Tartu Art School and a working graphic

designer, Kristjan Oden and Olavi Sander,

who studied drums at the Georg Ots Music

School. The base player is Indrek nõmm,

Executive Director of a successful southern

Estonian agricultural company, and second

guitar is played by one of the most well-

known Estonian TV directors, Ove Musting.

Although Winny Puhh has not made it onto

any of the important charts, we can calmly

claim that this shock rock sextet have received

the most international recognition of any Es-

tonian band to date. Different publications,

from North America to South Africa, from

Australia to Uruguay, have written about

the group and, whether you like their mu-

sic or not, you cannot possibly ignore them.

“We didn’t really expect this kind of attention

and the fact that we receive invitations from

abroad to go perform and totally sane people

are interested in us and listen to our music is of

course a source of joy. Of course, if all this fu-

rore had happened to us fifteen years ago, we

would have been doing somersaults, but today

we are all old, our families are at home and we

would rather go to the sauna and cinema with

our wives. I don’t know if we’re really eager to

go abroad to perform,” says the guitarist Ove

Musting about their sudden fame.

SOME COMMEnTS ABOuT wInny PuHH:

Dangerousminds.net:What the hell did I just watch??? Pre-

pare to have your mind blown… or an

epileptic seizure. I’ve NEVER seen any-

thing quite like this before. It’s a new

genre! (Right?)

MTv Iggy:Winny Puhh are far from your typical

band on the rise. For starters, they’ve

been around since 1993. Secondly, they

represent a rock theatricality that peaked

around the time of Kiss, Gwar and Ozzy

Osborne. But it’s exactly their outland-

ishness that makes them ripe for the

viral age of today. They’ve performed

covered in paint or with hair glued to

their faces like Teen Wolf. They wear

brightly colored wrestling leotards. Lead

singer Indrek “Korraldajaonu” Vaheoja

screeches his vocals like a banshee wild

man. Their performances and videos can

be consumed alongside Buzzfeed lists

about LOLcats or photos of Lady Gaga’s

latest costumes.

At the same time, there’s something

egalitarian about their punk/metal/

hardcore sound that prevents them from

being too kitschy or annoying. They also

manage to be arty without the grating

pretentiousness that often accompanies

so-called “high art.”

The Guardian:The performance by Estonian hardcore

werewolf band Winny Puhh at the Rick Owens show provided delight or fright

depending on your point of view.

See for yourself at:www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4X_-TkDOYU

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dllo85ZSUk


Winny Puhh appeared at the presentation of Rick Owen’s Spring Collection 2014 in Paris.

Raw food is a trend which is finding many followers

throughout the world, including Estonia. Eating raw

food does not mean chewing on a carrot or a piece of

turnip, and this is proven by one of the most unique

dining places in Tallinn: Bestseller, at the Viru shopping

centre. The café is run by Tiina Kilter, who is a food tech-

nologist by training, together with her son Marten and

daughter Maari-Liisa. Actually, they are not pure vegans,

and they do not eat raw food every day, but only when

they feel like it. The most important aspects are fresh

and organic ingredients and healthy food. It is a great

establishment and Bestseller’s raw food menu has won

many fans in a very short time. After all, it is exciting to

eat courgette spaghetti or “liquid salad”, or to try dif-

ferent smoothies. Raw food means mostly avoiding salt,

sugar, vinegar, flour and most food oils. As to certain

dishes, soups for example, the food is only heated up to

47 degrees. The food is exciting, healthy and colourful.

A nEw TREnD In THE ESTOnIAn RESTAuRAnT LAnDSCAPE


I TOURISM

It is clear that the era of “presentation” restaurants – dots of food artis-

tically arranged on the plate - is over. This trend is not only noticeable in

Estonia: it seems that the entire world is moving towards more simple

and fresher food. Famous head chefs from different continents, clearly

fed up with overly complicated taste combinations and exclusive ingre-

dients, are taking a step back toward their roots. Local ingredients, sim-

ple flavours and, last but not least, affordable prices are being honoured

once again. Of course, top-class restaurants will not disappear - they

will always have their clientele - but newcomers in Estonia, and in the

rest of the world, tend to be cafes and bistros.

Until now it was always from the warehouse that head chefs acquired

their ingredients, local and foreign. But today they increasingly rely on

the local market and farmers. More and more head chefs have come

out of their kitchens and made personal arrangements with farmers.

Only in this way can they be assured that the final results are what they

are looking for: that the potato and beetroot taste the way they are sup-

posed to and have the proper shape and size. Hunters and fishermen

have also become key suppliers. Pickers of mushrooms and wild berries,

who gather the best goods from the forests as a hobby, are in direct

contact with restaurants. Estonian forests are undoubtedly some of the

richest in Europe and much remains to be discovered. Of course, there

is room for development when it comes to stable and sustainable sup-

plies. The time when farmers themselves come knocking on restaurant

doors with their boxes of apples or fresh fish is hopefully coming soon.

Another clear trend in Estonia is the fact that restaurants themselves are

moving closer to the ingredients. How? The prevalent attitude that life

only happened in Tallinn and only Tallinn residents visited restaurants is

a thing of the past. Tallinn residents are actually quite willing to drive

hundreds of kilometres for good organic food. Organic and eco are

trendy and citizens of the capital want to be trendy, of course. There

are many new enjoyable dining places in smaller towns and even near

motorways and in villages. For example, there is Põhjaka, which has

become a magnet on the Tallinn-Tartu motorway, and the Ööbiku farm,

which requires a special trip and cannot be just driven by coincidentally.

Organic and rustic food is trendy in the city and in the countryside.

Organic and rustic

TExT: ene KaasiK / magazine KÖÖK

PHOTOS: lauri laan

www.facebook.com/KohvikBestseller

Bestseller


Ants Uustalu, the master of the Ööbiku farm, has proved that it is pos-

sible to make a living in the countryside with a restaurant. It is unlike

common restaurants, which are open between certain hours, as one has

to book in advance and be there on time, because the menu is shared

by all guests and depends on what ingredients have been obtained from

the neighbouring farms. Customers are served in a barn in summer and

inside the house in winter. There is plenty of farmhouse atmosphere in

every season. The main ingredients always come from just a few kilo-

metres away. Ants’s experience suggests that it is possible for a village

to sustain a restaurant with its own supplies and feed guests properly.

In addition to his own business, Ants provides income for neighbouring

farmers. This results in the freshest and most organic of foods in his

restaurant.

“I am a fan of clean tastes and quality raw material. I like to know

where my ingredients come from, and how they have been raised,

stored and marketed. That creates a sense of security and makes the

food taste great,” explains Ants. Whereas many people refer to the

tedious nature of Estonian ingredients, Ants disagrees. He says Estonia

has very rich fauna and flora and people have not made use of eve-

rything available. In addition, in comparison with western Europeans,

Estonians place greater value on what grows around them; they know

their mushrooms and herbs.

The Ööbiku gastronomy farm is unique in its simplicity. The initial fear

that diners would not accept the rustic eating experience was unfound-

ed: there are many more bookings than the farm can accommodate.

Clean flavours and quality local ingredients are honoured in Estonia. It

is another matter whether such a restaurant can survive in every village,

but there is definitely room for more establishments like this.

www.oobiku.ee

Ööbiku gastronomy farm

Mahedik www.facebook.com/pages/Mahedik-kohvik-ökogurmaanile


I TOURISM

Mahedik is the first courageous step towards the organic cafe in Esto-

nia. It seemed like a crazy idea to open a cafe offering mostly organic

foods in the centre of Estonia’s summer resort Pärnu during the busiest

season, summer. The joint mother-daughter business of Evi and Evelin

Kuusik received a lot of attention from the outset and they never had to

resort to special tricks to attract customers. Clearly it was the right time

for that kind of business: people were tired of expensive restaurants and

yearned for more simple food. This is what Mahedik offers. The organic

local produce was an added value.

The cafe menu is exactly to the liking of its owners: simple homelike

grub. There is an excellent female trio in the kitchen: two chefs and a

baker. The cake selection is superb: pumpkins, carrots and other season-

al field and garden produce are used in making desserts. The hosts have

more ideas than time to implement them and they do not complain

about a lack of ingredients. Even during the poorest period - early spring

- something can be found in the pantry to create exciting food with.

The owners are happy with the way it has worked out. Evelin, the

daughter, has no regrets about going into business, although at the

busiest times the cafe takes up not just their days but also their nights.

The result - happy and pleased customers - makes it all worthwhile.

Mahedik has that special atmosphere which makes a cafe a true cafe.

As soon as you step in, you are hit with the amazing aroma of oven-

warm baked goodies.

till ja Kummel www.till-kummel.ee


Till ja Kummel is a great example of following one’s instincts. The owner,

Nele-Marit, had a dream: owning her own design store or cafe. She

chose the latter and the first year shows that it was clearly the right de-

cision. Depending on the day, weather and time, the tables are always

busy or the place is even fully booked. Those who visit say good things

and promise to come again. And this is a promise they keep.

The allure of Till ja Kummel is its simplicity and its homelike atmos-

phere. The interior reflects the style and signature of the owner: it is her

“home”, where people come to eat and have a good time. There are no

expensive or complex interior design solutions to attract customers. The

food is also simple and homely. Organic and local produce is used in the

most natural way, just as we all use what we get from the gardens of

our grannies. The menu changes according to the season and the cafe

uses products from similar small businesses.

Till ja Kummel works perfectly without higher culinary pretensions.

Honest, uncomplicated food is what we are looking for in today’s over-

saturated world.

OKO www.okoresto.ee


I TOURISM

Kaberneeme village on the picturesque northern Estonian coast has al-

ways been a favourite spot of city folk on hot summer days. It is a place

for water sports, swimming and sunbathing.

The seaside pub with its pretty Falun red walls, which has been open

in Kaberneeme for decades, has had a total makeover and in the right

direction: the new owners helped to design the place themselves, and

decided to experiment with exciting food. In just three weeks, OKO

Resto was born.

Pastel shades and wide sea-views. Homely interior and friendly hosts.

OKO Resto is a true family restaurant: little toddlers run around in their

socks, feeling at home; people come and go, eat and drink. It seems

that this place has always been here. It is just part of the environment.

OKO became famous long before it opened. Rumours of one of Esto-

nia’s most famous chefs, Tõnis Siigur, creating the menu and training

the kitchen staff started to spread on social media channels long before

the place opened. The excitement grew day by day. Once the first curi-

ous visitors arrived, it became clear that it was worth the wait. Tõnis has

combined what seems impossible at first: child-like, joyful ideas, local

fresh ingredients and modern kitchen technologies.

The ingredients come from near by: from fishing boats, gardens and

fields. When the sea yields nothing exciting, they resort to the woods

and the Estonian woods are endless; one just has to find the ingredi-

ents and bring them out. The fantasy continues with service on stones,

branches, pots, planks, salt cruts, jars and pieces of paper: the young

head chef, Joonas Koppel, continues to play with food in a good way.

neikid www.neikid.ee

Neikid is a young establishment, but has already become loved

by local residents. It is easygoing and straight-forward, and this

applies to both its menu and decor. The owners love local fresh

produce, simplicity, clarity and transparency. The name of the

restaurant, Neikid (pronounced “naked”, as in English) is very

suitable indeed. The owners strive to make their restaurant

transparent, simple and sincere, offer food without trickery, and

serve normal fresh produce. The principle here is to first see

what the customers like; the culinary achievements of the head

chef and owners are secondary.

The restaurant uses local Estonian produce as much as possible;

for example, they purchased a few hundred kilograms of moose

meat from Saaremaa and a large batch of Lake Peipsi onions,

which form the base for their famous onion soup.

It is worth mentioning the beer list of Neikid, as there are a

large number of handmade Estonian beers available, pro-

duced by small breweries. The organised beer-tasting dinners

have proved very popular. They decided to test a large choice

of beers imported by James Ramsden (the owner of Drink Bar,

which has the largest choice of beers in Tallinn) and, during the

tasting, they tried various foods and ingredients; thus the first

beer menu was born.


Von Krahl’s aed www.vonkrahl.ee/aed


I TOURISM

As it is connected with the Von Krahl Theatre, the restaurant Aed has

a similarly cosy, bohemian atmosphere. Within the secure walls of the

Old Town, the sign “Clean Food Embassy” on the door promises fresh

and tasty food, which is sadly not always easy to find in the tourist-

orientated Tallinn Old Town.

Entering the restaurant, you will find yourself in a cosy and historic inte-

rior, and immediately spot a lot of greenery. The shades of green have a

calming effect, which makes your senses more alert and also raises ex-

pectations of what will appear on your plate. There are no white table-

cloths, and all of the chairs, tables and sofas are differently shaped and

support the general atmosphere. At Aed one feels pleasantly liberated.

There are not that many dining places in Tallinn focusing on vegetarian

food. More of them are starting to appear and existing restaurants are

increasingly adding vegetarian sections to their menus. Healthy lifestyles

and healing chronic health problems with food are increasingly popular.

Also, healthy meat eaters need some changes in their diet. Aed is a

place which offers it all: the vegetarian section of the menu is very well

thought out, offering many pleasant surprises.

Aed is a great place for people who are looking for wholesome organic

food, and Estonian ingredients are found in the fish and meat dishes.

The wine menu is also worth mentioning as it includes many organic

wines.

TExT: aivar Hanson / PHOTOS: lauri laan


The food served in Estonia is sumptuous and diverse The opportunity to enjoy tasty local cuisine plays an increasingly impor-

tant role in making travel decisions. According to research results intro-

duced at the International Food Tourism Association in Gothenburg,

77% of all travellers take food into account in choosing their travel

destinations.

Six years of experience in choosing the fifty best restaurants in Estonia

demonstrates that the local cuisine offers a good reason to visit the

country. Each year, about a third of the restaurants in the rankings are

new, and there are eateries ranging from farm-restaurants, with one

staff member, to top gourmet establishments.

Every selection system has to keep pace with the times in order to be as

objective as possible. The method of choosing the top fifty restaurants

in Estonia was significantly improved last year. Now the selection takes

place in two rounds. The first round takes place among restaurants.

Each restaurant has the opportunity to nominate three voters (one from

the board, one from the kitchen and one from the dining area). Each

voter compiles a personal ranking of the seven best eating places in

Estonia. Each restaurant which receives at least three votes is then in-

cluded in the voting process. All of the votes are counted and the fifty

restaurants with the most votes are then included in the official rank-

ings. The ranking table is published in spring, but this still does not

determine the final positions of the restaurants included.

The final positions are determined by an international jury made up of

30 representatives of food media. In addition to Estonian judges, the

jury includes representatives of leading food media in Sweden, Finland,

Russia and Latvia.

Each restaurant is visited covertly by six to eight jury members at differ-

ent times. Each judge fills out an evaluation sheet, in which a restaurant

can achieve up to 100 points (up to 40 points for food, up to 20 points

for beverages, up to 25 points for service and up to 15 points for the

milieu). In the official ranking, the restaurants are rated according to the

points received for cuisine. The other points become important when

two or more restaurants have an equal number of points received for

cuisine.

The TOP 5 restaurants show the diversity of food on offer in Estonia. The

nationalities of the Head Chefs of the five best Estonian restaurants are

Danish, Estonian, British and Chinese! Where ever you come from, you

can be sure to find good food in Estonia.

The TOP 50 Estonian restaurants can be found at

www.flavoursofestonia.com

>

ALExAnDERpädasTe manor,

muHu island

www.padaste.ee

Peeter Pihel


I TOURISM

It has been the best restaurant in Estonia for four years running. The food on the menu is made of local ingredients. The restaurant employs an herbalist, who collects various herbs for the restaurant chefs from the local manor park, forest and seaside. This forms a unique basis for the cuisine served at Alexander.

With the change of the year, the Chef de Cuisine also changed at the Pädaste manor house. Today the kitchen is headed by the Danish chef Yves Le Lay, who has been familiar with Nordic cuisine since his early childhood, and whose cooking signature adds new value to Estonian food.

pHone: +372 454 8800 / [email protected]

1.


TCHAIKOvSKyHoTel Telegraaf

vene 9, Tallinn

www.telegraafhotel.com/restoran-tchaikovsky

Ranked second for three years. Boring? Far from it. Staying at the top for several years is proof of stable high quality. The difference in quality between the two best restaurants is minute. It is also important that the two best restaurants are not resting on their laurels, but keep developing.

The cuisine of Tchaikovsky is totally different from the food offered at Alexander. The Russian-French cuisine combination dates back to the end of the 18th century czarist court. Now it is complemented by modern techniques and Nordic ingredients. Tchaikovsky is a very unique restaurant.


2.

PõHjAKA mäeKüla, paide, Järvamaa counTy

www.pohjaka.ee


I TOURISM

Two of the three best Estonian restaurants are located out-

side Tallinn. This shows that restaurants move closer to the

best raw materials. They prefer to be involved in producing

great ingredients and also grow them themselves when

the conditions permit.

This illustrates the kind of restaurant Põhjaka is. It offers

simple local food, the kind which the chefs themselves

recall from their childhoods. It is much more difficult to

catch diners’ attention with simple food than to boast of

complex technologies and foreign ingredients which have

been perfected over years.

Põhjaka offers a challenge to fine dining restaurants,

which normally dominate in such ranking tables. Põhjaka

caters to people who wish to dine outside their homes

more often whilst paying less.

It is also significant that Põhjaka was able to open a popu-

lar restaurant next to a highway in a location that people

used to just speed by.


3.

HORISOnTswissôTel Tallinn

Tornimäe 3, Tallinn

www.horisont-restoran.com


Four of the five best Estonian restaurants are located in hotels! This is

a great message to travellers who prefer comfort. In order to enjoy the

best food, it is sufficient to check into a hotel, with no need to ever

leave it.

Horisont, located on the highest floor of Swissôtel, makes Tallinn into

a real city. The views from up here are true city views and the food on

offer is comparable to cuisine offered in the biggest cities in the world.

Swissôtel offers international cuisine and has helped to make Tallinn an

international city.pHone: +372 624 3000 / [email protected]

4.

CHEDI sulevimägi 1, Tallinn

www.chedi.ee


5.


I TOURISM

Although Chedi has ranked near the top of the list since it

opened its doors in 2009, visitors to Tallinn are still surprised

to find ultra-modern Chinese cuisine in Tallinn! For years, the

Head Chef was second in command in the Chinese restaurant

Hakkasan in London, the first Michelin star Chinese restaurant

in the world.

The nearest place where one can enjoy this level of Chinese cui-

sine is indeed London. A country of great food is not one which

only offers the traditional fodder of its own country. A great

food country is one which is able to attract the best food profes-

sionals from other countries.

Estonia in briefOfficial name: Republic of Estonia

State order: Parliamentary republic

Area: 45,227 sq kilometres (17,500 sq miles)

Population: 1,294,236 inhabitants: 67.9% Estonians, 25.6% Russians and 6.5% others

Population density: 28.6 people per square kilometre. Over 70% reside in urban centres

Capital: Tallinn with 427,894 inhabitants (as of 1 Sep 2013)

Other major towns: Tartu (98,522), Narva (64,041), Pärnu (42,433), Kohtla-Järve (40,032)

Administrative divisions: 15 counties (maakond), divided further into 226 local municipalities,

incl 33 towns and 193 rural municipaliites (vald)

Islands: 1521, the biggest being Saaremaa 2,671 sq km, Hiiumaa 989 sq km, and Muhu 198 sq km

Biggest lakes: Lake Peipsi 3,555 sq km (1,529 belong to Estonia), Lake Võrtsjärv 271 sq km

Longest rivers: the Võhandu River 162 km, the Pärnu River 144 km, and the Põltsamaa River 135 km

Highest point: Suur Munamägi (Great Egg Hill) 318 m

Air temperature: annual average +7ºC; March +6.3ºC; July +17.7ºC (2013)

Official language: Estonian, a member of the Finno-Ugric group. Russian is widely spoken.

Many Estonians speak English, German, and Finnish

Alphabet: Latin

Religion: Predominantly Protestant (Lutheran)

Currency: euro (EUR) since 2011

Average salary: 887 EUR (as of 2012)

Driving: Right hand side of the road. Speed limits in town 50 km/h, out of town 90 km/h.

International driving licence required

Weights and measures: Metric system

Electricity: 220 volts, 50 Hz

Country calling code: 372

Emergency number: 112 (free of charge)

National flag: Blue-black-and-white

National holiday: 24 February (Independence Day)

National anthem: Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm (My fatherland, my joy and happiness)

National flower: Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)

National bird: Chimney swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Member of EU, NATO, OECD, WTO, and Schengen area


For more travel details, please consult the

sources below: www.visitestonia.com

(Estonian Tourist Board), www.riik.ee/en.

Tourist information centres are located in all

larger towns.

The Tallinn Tourist Information Centre in the

Old Town is located at 4 Kullassepa Street - no

more than 10 steps from the Town Hall Square

(ph.: + 372 645 7777, e-mail: turismiinfo@

tallinnlv.ee). The Tallinn Tourist Information

Centre in Viru Keskus (ph: + 372 610 1557,

610 1558), open every day 9 am - 9 pm, is lo-

cated in the centre of the city. A wide selection

of maps, brochures and publications in several

languages (largest selection in English) can be

found at local bookstores and tourist informa-

tion centres.

visaAs of 21 December 2007, Estonia is a part of

the Schengen visa area.

Nationals of EU and EEA member states are

free to enter Estonia. The required travel docu-

ment for entry is a national ID card or passport.

Nationals of the following countries do not

need visa to enter Estonia, and can stay for up

to 90 days in any 6-month period: Andorra,

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada,

Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guate-

mala, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel,

Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco,

New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay,

San Marino, Singapore, South Korea,

USA, Uruguay, Venezuela. The re-

quired travel document for entry is a

valid passport.

Citizens of countries not mentioned

above require a visa to enter Estonia.

Visitors arriving in Estonia with visa

must have national passports valid

at least 3 months after their planned

departure from Estonia.

Children aged 7 to 15 years must have their

own passport when travelling to Estonia or, if

they are registered in their parent’s passport,

must have their photo next to the name. Chil-

dren under 7 years need not have a photo if

they are registered in their parents’ passports.

Persons above 15 years must have a separate

travel document with photo.

For detailed information on visa requirements

and entry rules, please consult the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs website at www.vm.ee/eng.

Arrivalby plane: Recently renovated, the Tallinn Len-

nart Meri Airport, just 3 km from the city cen-

tre, is welcoming, modern and user-friendly.

Among other amenities, travellers have access

to a free WiFi area in the transit zone. The air-

port’s 24-hour customer service telephone is

+372 6058 888.

Tartu Airport is situated at Ülenurme, near

Tartu. Flights from Tartu to Helsinki depart six

times a week.

Regional airports are located in Kuressaare

(Saaremaa), Kärdla (Hiiumaa), and Pärnu; these

provide no regular international connections.

by ship: With over 6 million passengers an-

nually, the Port of Tallinn is undoubtedly Es-

tonia’s main gateway. Large passenger ferries

arrive from and depart for Helsinki and Stock-

holm regularly. The 85-km Tallinn-Helsinki line

is served by ferries that make the journey in

2 hours; hydrofoils and catamarans make

the trip on 1.5 hours and operate between

April to November-December, depending on

weather conditions. Travellers should note

that different ferry lines depart from different

terminals and harbours. The City Port with its

four terminals is a 10-15 minute walk from Tal-

linn Old Town; the Paldiski-Kapellskär line uses

the Port of Paldiski, about 50 km from Tallinn.

by car: Border checkpoints greet travellers

entering or departing the country by way of

the Estonian-Latvian border points at Ikla (the

Tallinn-Riga highway) and Valga, as well as

on the Estonian-Russian border at Narva (the

Tallinn-St. Petersburg highway), Luhamaa,

Koidula and Murati. On the Estonian-Russian

border, all traffic is subject to border formali-

ties both when entering and leaving Estonia.

by bus: Not only is travel by bus the fastest

and most convenient mode of international

public transportation in the Baltic states, it also

offers excellent value for your money. Regular

connections service all major cities in the Bal-

tic countries and St. Petersburg. Eurolines Lux

Express and Hansabuss offer comfortable Riga

Airport transfers from Tallinn, Pärnu, Klaipeda,

Vilnius, Panevezys, and Šiauliai. Prices start

from €20.00. A useful tip: Regular passenger

buses have priority at the border checkpoints,

so travel is smooth.

by train: There is only one international over-

night train to Moscow.

Practical information for visitors


I TOURISM

CustomsWe suggest travellers consult with the Esto-

nian Customs Board help desk (ph.: +372 880

0814 or www.customs.ee) for details. The

limit on import of alcoholic beverages from

outside the EU is one litre for beverages over

22% alcohol content, and two litres for bev-

erages up to 22%, and four litres for wine.

Import of tobacco and tobacco products from

non-EU countries is limited to 40 cigarettes or

100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 50 g of tobacco

products. Counterfeit goods, including pirated

CDs, video and audio tapes, are prohibited

by law. A special export permit is required for

specimens of plants and animals of endan-

gered species, protected species and hunting

trophies (please contact the Nature Conserva-

tion Department, Ministry of the Environment

for details). Articles of cultural value produced

in Estonia more than 50 years ago also require

special permits (please contact the National

Heritage Board).

Getting Around EstoniaInter-city public transportation Public buses are the easiest, cheapest and most

convenient solution for visiting Tartu, Pärnu or

any other of the larger towns. Buses from Tal-

linn to Tartu depart every 15-30 minutes, to

Pärnu every hour. On weekdays, seats to these

destinations are almost always available even

immediately before departure (watch out for

special events). For weekend travel or trips to

more remote locations with fewer connec-

tions, it is advisable to buy tickets in advance.

The Tallinn Bus Terminal is located at Lastekodu

46. The timetable is also available online at

www.bussireisid.ee and ticket information is

available at telephone +372 6800 900.

Travelling by car

Travellers hoping to see more of the country

and the rural areas it would be best advised

to travel by car. The roads are quite good and

traffic is light. Crossing Estonia from north to

south or west to east by car takes approxi-

mately three to four hours. All major car rental

agencies have offices in Tallinn. It is also pos-

sible to rent the car in Estonia and drop it off

at a rental agency in Latvia or Lithuania, or vice

versa. The speed limit in rural areas is 90 km/h

and in cities 50 km/h. In some areas the high-

way speed limit is increased during the sum-

mer months. Headlights and seatbelts (front

and back) must be on at all times. Driving un-

der the influence of alcohol or other intoxicat-

ing substances is punishable by law.

Local transportTaxis: Taxis must clearly display their fares,

driver’s taxi service licenses, and a meter. The

initial charge for entering a cab ranges from

2 to 3.5 euros. Different taxi companies have

different rates, but the average charge per

kilometre is 0.5 euros. There is no additional

charge for ordering the taxi by phone, and it

usually takes the cab just five to ten minutes to

arrive. All taxi drivers must give you a receipt

(in Estonian, ask for “Kviitung, palun”). Locals

usually give the exact fare and no tip. As in

most major cities, some dishonest drivers at-

tempt to overcharge unsuspecting passengers.

If in doubt, note the taxi company and license

plate number.

Public transportation: Tallinn has a public

transport network of buses, trams and trol-

ley-buses. Other Estonian towns have buses.

Check the time schedule for Tallinn bus lines

for any bus stop at www.tallinn.ee/eng.

free public transport: As of 2013, all resi-

dents of Tallinn, students and passengers 65

years and over are entitled to free travel on

Tallinn public transport.

Tickets for visitors: The Public Transport Card

Ühiskaart may be purchased for the price of

€2. This smart card, onto which you can load

money, or e-tickets can be purchased from

post offices and online at www.pilet.ee. Per-

sonalise the card for €1 at the point of sale or

for free at www.pilet.ee/yhiskaart.

If you are using pay-as-you-go credit, your

smart card automatically calculates the cheap-

est fare within the next 24 hrs (never more

than one-day travel card). Validate your jour-

ney with Ühiskaart immediately after entering

the public transport vehicle. You can also buy

tickets from kiosks and from the driver (single

ticket €1.60 and student ticket €0.80). Try to

have precise change (cash only) for the driver.

The ticket is valid for one journey only in that

specific vehicle. Discounts only for ISIC Scholar

and Student Card holders. Holders of a vali-

dated TallinnCard are entitled to a free ride.

AccommodationsAll major hotels in Tallinn have been newly

built or completely renovation in recent years.

Despite annual additions to the number of ho-

tels and rooms, it can nonetheless be difficult

to find a hotel room on short notice (particu-

larly over the week-end). For the best selec-

tion, we urge visitors to Tallinn and the rest of

Estonia to book hotel rooms in advance. For

more details, see the Estonian Tourist Board

website at www.visitestonia.ee.


MoneyOn 1 Jan 2011, Estonia adopted euro as its

currency thus replacing the Estonian kroon

which had been the only valid currency in

Estonia since 1992.

Most larger hotels, stores and restaurants ac-

cept Visa, MasterCard, Eurocard, Diner’s Club

and American Express. However, it is advisable

to carry some cash with you.

Traveller’s checks can be exchanged in most

banks but are less likely to be accepted in

shops. Eurocheque is the most widely ac-

cepted traveller’s check, but American Express

and Thomas Cook are also accepted. Banks

are plentiful and easy to find in Tallinn. Most

are open from 9:00 to 18:00 on weekdays,

while some offices are also open on Saturday

mornings. All banks offer currency exchange

services. Exchange offices can also be found

in larger hotels, the airport, harbour, railroad

station and major shopping centres. ATMs are

conveniently located around town; instruc-

tions are in English, Russian and Estonian.

Telephones and InternetThe country code of Estonia is 372. Dial 00 for

outbound international calls.

The GSM mobile phone system is available;

please check compatibility with your operator.

Public Internet access points have been set

up all over Estonia. They are located in local

libraries and post offices. There are over 100

wireless free Internet zones around the coun-

try, many of them in rather unexpected places

- beaches, Old Town squares, stadiums, and

concert halls.

Emergencies112 is the emergency number for ambulance,

police and fire department. The police can

also be reached directly at 110. Emergency

numbers can be dialled free of charge. Select

pharmacies are open 24-hours-a-day in many

major towns. The one in Tallinn is located at

10 Pärnu Road (opposite the Estonian Drama

Theatre); the one in Tartu is located in the

Town Hall building (Town Hall Square).

national HolidaysEstonians celebrate January 1 as New Year’s

Day, a rather slow and quiet day as people re-

cover from the festivities. Shops open late and

banks are closed. February 24, Independence

Day, is celebrated with a parade of the Esto-

nian Defence Forces at Vabaduse väljak (Free-

dom Square). May 1 is a bank holiday, similar

to Good Friday and May Day. June 23 is the

biggest holiday of the year as Estonians cel-

ebrate Midsummer Eve and the Victory Day in

commemoration of the 1919 Battle of Võnnu,

and June 24 is St. John’s Day (Midsummer).

August 20 is the Day of Restoration of Inde-

pendence (1991). December 24 (Christmas

Eve), December 25 (Christmas Day) and De-

cember 26 (Boxing Day) are usually spent at

home with families.

FoodTraditional Estonian cuisine consists of simple

peasant food, such as cottage cheese, pota-

toes and bread, all of which are still important

components of the local diet. The Estonian

dark bread is the main staple missed by Esto-

nians abroad. Typical Estonian dishes do not

feature prominently on restaurant menus, and

traditional home cooking is more likely to ap-

pear at small eateries in remote areas. Still,

a few establishments have made Estonian

specialities their niche; to sample Estonian cui-

sine, try the Vanaema juures, Kaerajaan and

Kolu Tavern (Open Air Museum) in Tallinn,

and the highly recommended Muhu Kalakoh-

vik and Lümanda söögimaja on the Island of

Saaremaa.

The list of the top 50 Estonian restaurants can

be found at www.flavoursofestonia.com


I TOURISM

DrinksThe main drinks in Estonia are beer, wine and

vodka. While many young city residents opt

for beer or wine, the older generation and

rural folk tend to prefer vodka. In the 1930s

Estonian vodka made it into the Guinness

Book of Records as the strongest vodka in

the world (96º). Local brands of beer enjoy

a very strong market position in Estonia. The

two main breweries are Saku and A. Le Coq.

Saku is Tallinn-based, and its corporate col-

our is navy blue while A.Le Coq is brewed in

Tartu and its colour is red. There are also many

smaller breweries. A full list of Estonian beers

is posted at www.beerGuide.ee

Spirits also include some traditional liqueurs.

The famous Vana Tallinn (Old Tallinn) has a 45º

alcohol content, and is coincidentally made

from 45 ingredients - the recipe is known only

to a handful of people. Indeed, the legendary

19th-century kristallkümmel (caraway liqueur)

has made its long-awaited comeback.

Estonian wines, made from currants or other

local berries, are rather sweet. Wine lovers

usually prefer imported wine, of which there

is an ever-increasing selection at stores and

vinoteks. A very popular and refreshing non-

alcoholic drink is kali, made of bread, malt,

rye or oats flour and yeast; it has a character-

istically dark brown colour. It was with this

drink that the Estonians forced the Coca-Cola

company into submission, or at least into a

business deal. Kali was enjoying phenomenal

sales, while Coke was not selling up to expec-

tations. It was then that Coca-Cola decided to

broaden its horizons by buying one of the local

kali trademarks in order to make a profit on

the stubborn Estonians.

EntertainmentThe entertainment scene in Estonia is vibrant

year-round, providing visitors and locals alike

with a long list to choose from. Concerts, festi-

vals theatre, street raves, DJ competitions – Esto-

nia has it all. It is not by chance that both Tallinn

and Tartu have their own opera and ballet thea-

tre. Tickets are an excellent value for the money;

concert tickets cost around 10 euros, and best

seats at the opera are yours for about 25 euros.

For more information on the concert schedule

see www.concert.ee; the programme for the

national opera is posted at www.opera.ee.

Tickets can be bought at the box offices or via

ticket agencies located in all larger supermar-

kets, or via Internet www.piletilevi.ee, www.

piletimaailm.com and www.ticketpro.ee

Even the most sceptical museum-goer is bound

to find something intriguing in Estonia’s large

selection of museums, which feature every-

thing from history, art, photography to toys,

chocolate, musical instruments, even wax fig-

ures and many other topics. Most museums

are closed on Tuesdays and many on Mondays

as well. It is advisable to have cash on hand

as many museums do not accept credit cards.

Tallinn is also bustling well into the night with

booming and blooming club scene. Clubs are

usually open and packed with energised vibes

from Thursday to Sunday, with Friday and Sat-

urday drawing the liveliest of crowds. In addi-

tion to local and resident DJs, clubs frequently

present guest performers from London, the

US and other club hubs. For those looking for

a more mellow night on the town, Tallinn’s

street are brimming with pubs, vinoteks and

bar-restaurants, many of which offer live mu-

sic even on weekdays. Rather take in a movie?

Films in cinemas are shown in the original lan-

guage with subtitles.


ShopsSouvenir shops in Tallinn and most other tour-

ist locations are open seven days a week,

10:00-18:00 or 19:00. Big supermarkets and

hypermarkets are open seven days a week

from 9:00-21:00 or 10:00-22:00. Department

stores close a few hours earlier on Sundays or,

in smaller towns, may be closed on Sundays.

Smaller food shops may have shorter open-

ing hours. Some 24-hour shops can be found

as well. Other shops usually open at 9:00 or

10:00 and close at 18:00 or 19:00; they of-

ten close early on Saturdays and are closed on

Sundays. The majority of shops accept credit

cards, with the exception of smaller stores and

stores in rural areas.

SouvenirsSouvenir and shopping preferences vary

hugely but there are certain souvenir gifts that

have gladdened many a heart. Estonian handi-

craft comes in many forms. There are woollen

sweaters and mittens with local ethnic pat-

terns, linen sheets and tablecloths, crocheted

shawls and veils, colourful woven rugs, hand-

made jewellery and glassware, baskets, and

an array of wooden spoons and butterknives

made from juniper. Fine and applied art for

show and purchase is on display at art gal-

leries around the country, featuring graph-

ics, glass, ceramics, hand-painted silk scarves

and leatherwork. Various herbal teas from

wild plants are available at pharmacies. Local

honey – pure or flavoured, e.g. ginger, is an-

other delicious treat. In rural areas, you may

find hand-milled flour. And those who keep

coming back swear by the Estonian black rye

bread. To bring home local spirits, popular

choices include Vana Tallinn or kristallkümmel

liqueur or local beer. And there is no place bet-

ter than Estonia to buy Estonian music.

CrimeAlthough common sense is advisable in all

destinations, Estonia gives no particular reason

to be excessively worried. Do not walk the un-

lit and abandoned areas alone at night. Do not

leave bags or items of value in the car, as not

to tempt car thieves or robbers. Pickpockets

may operate at crowded tourist destinations

in Tallinn, so make sure your wallet and docu-

ments are stored safely.

LanguageEstonian is not widely spoken in the world, so

Estonians do not expect short-term visitors to

master the local language. Still, local people

are thrilled and pleased to hear a foreigner say

“Tere!” (Hi!) or “Aitäh (Thank you) in Estonian.

Knowledge of foreign languages is naturally a

must for hotel staff and numerous other pro-

fessions in the service sector. Many people are

fluent in English, particularly the younger ur-

ban generation, and a great number of people

also speak Finnish, due to Finnish TV, Finland’s

close proximity to Estonia and the great num-

ber of Finnish tourists. German is less widely

spoken in Estonia, although previous genera-

tions have often studied German, not English,

at school. Russian-language use has dropped

to a point where older people no longer speak

the language well and the younger generation

have already chosen other languages to learn

at school. Studying French has become more

popular over the last few years but the number

of people who speak French is still quite small.

An English-Estonian dictionary is available on-

line at www.ibs.ee/dict.

EstoniansEstonians are typical Nordic people – they are

reserved, not too talkative and speak rather

monotonously, with very little intonation. All

this may give one the impression of coldness

bordering on rudeness. But rest assured, this

is not the case, and the speaker may actu-

ally be extremely well-meaning, even excited.

There are several well-known Estonian sayings,

such as “Think first, then speak”, “Weigh eve-

rything carefully nine times before making a

move”, and “Talking is silver, silence is gold”.

It is, therefore, no wonder that the people are

not very good at small talk, do not waste too

much time on grand introductions, and usually

come straight to the point. This is why Estoni-

ans’ English may sometimes sound shockingly

direct. There is, however, often a subtle irony

involved in Estonians’ utterances - delivered

with a serious face and just the slightest twin-

kle of the eye.

Estonians are relatively individualistic. There

is a saying that five Estonians mean six par-

ties. Even though people agree on the final

objective, they insist on reaching it in their

own ways. Estonians also value their privacy.

In the old days, it was said that the neigh-

bour’s house was close enough if you could

see the smoke from the chimney. Modern,

tight-packed urbanites flock to remote coun-

tryside on the weekends to enjoy more space

and privacy.

Even though guests at birthday parties and

concerts are rather quiet and subdued in the

onset, they warm up eventually and turn into

a direct opposite of their day-character, as you

are likely to see in Tallinn’s clubs.


I TOURISM

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