Finland for the world – These five foods will get a unique opportunity

A jury consisting of Lidl residents selected the winners of the export competition from among 15 finalists. Wind Lindgren

Lidl has chosen five Finnish food products as the winners of its export competition. The winners were northern lights marmalade, smoked rainbow salmon fillet, cashew-based protein pudding, gluten-free Kukko Pils 5.5% and oat crisps, all of which will be displayed at the shopping event organized at Lidl’s headquarters in Germany. In the purchase event, international buyers get to see the products and order them on the shelves of Lidl in their own countries.

Head of Lidl’s purchasing department Thomas Heinrichs is certain that the Finnish products presented at the purchase event will end up on the shelves of European grocery stores.

– Yes, they end up being sold. The question is more that each country has to assess whether the product is suitable for the standard selection, suitable as a seasonal product or whether to start as a batch product, in which case we can try how sales will start.

According to Heinrichs, it is difficult to estimate in advance which countries the winning products will end up in.

– It is very product-specific. Truly innovative products may end up in Western Europe, where people want to boldly try different products. On the other hand, for example, Primula products are sold in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland.

More than a hundred products participated in the export competition. In the selection of the winning products, emphasis was placed on high-quality and clean raw materials, the distinctiveness of the product, and the product’s suitability to the taste habits of many different countries.

Finnish products are already being exported to the world through Lidl’s international network. In 2022, around 60 Finnish companies took their products to Lidl in other parts of Europe.