Welcome to enjoy!
FFCR PROGRAM
Coming later. The next FFCR Helsinki will be held on January 21-22, 2026. See you there!
Delicious moments with food and drink await — flavors, inspiration, and fresh insights! FFCR Helsinki 2026 brings together industry professionals, innovations, and engaging discussions about the future of food.
Read more about the program below!
LIVE KITCHEN
Things are heating up at the Live Kitchen event arena!
Top professionals from the industry will visit the kitchen, giving us a chance to follow their work from just a few steps away. This arena is a full sensory experience: while you watch and take in the atmosphere of the kitchen, you’ll also hear our host Jani Salmela (Brasserie Deux), mise-en-place chef Hannu Tuhkanen (Demo), and their guests discuss the latest and hottest topics in the industry. And finally, you’ll get to taste their creations as well.
Note: A limited number of tasting portions is available.
Sponsors
Jani Salmela
Live Kitchen Host
A long-time professional in the restaurant industry and head chef at Brasserie Deux, Jani Salmela, will be the host of the Live Kitchen area at the FFCR Helsinki event. Jani will cook and chat with our guests about current topics in the industry. Welcome to enjoy, taste, and get inspired.
WEDNESDAY 21.1.2026
10:45-11:15
Live Kitchen hosts
Jani salmela & Hannu tuhkanen, The agenda of the day and welcome
Welcome to the event! Our stage hosts, Jani Salmela (Brasserie Deux) and Hanni Tuhkanen (Demo), will guide you through what’s happening on stage throughout the day. They’ll also talk about what’s worth making yourself in the kitchen and what’s better to buy ready-made. Along the way, they’ll be cooking—and inviting the audience to taste what they prepare.
11:45-12:15
Sikke Sumari,
FINNISH AND ITALIAN RESTAURANTS IN COMPARISON
Sikke Sumari is a Finnish chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and TV personality, also known for the shows Kokkisota and MasterChef Suomi. Italy and Italian food culture have been a strong part of his career and thinking.
At the FFCR Helsinki event, Sikke compares Finnish and Italian restaurants – what is particularly good about them and what could still be improved. During the discussion, he makes risotto.
12:45-13:15
Keliakialiitto -
Quinoa, a gluten-free grain
Quinoa – the mother of all grains – is an excellent gluten-free alternative to rice, pasta and couscous
Quinoa is a versatile gluten-free and protein-rich side dish. It has a mild and pleasant, slightly nutty taste, and it goes well with almost any dish when cooked. The simplest way to use quinoa is as a substitute for rice and pasta as a side dish and, like couscous, in salads, but it is also suitable for casseroles, veggie patties and desserts. Quinoa is rich in stomach-friendly fiber and protein that keeps you full. It also has all the amino acids necessary for humans in the right proportion, making it a great addition to vegetarian diets to replace meat and fish.
Live Keittiöttä is preparing Mexican quinoa and bean stew. Come and hear more about why quinoa is worth using in professional kitchens.
14:15-14:45
Linnea Vihonen
The Plant-Based Food Revolution
Linnea Vihonen is a versatile presenter, host, and media professional with a strong background and passion for cooking and food. Her warm, intelligent, and engaging presentation style is paired with a genuine dedication to the food industry—particularly in the plant-based sector.
At the Live Kitchen, Linnea explores the wide variation in plant-based options across restaurants: why do plant-based menus differ so much? Is it due to technical challenges, lack of inspiration, or is the whole topic simply considered too complicated? She will prepare interesting plant-based dishes in the kitchen while sharing her own thoughts and experiences on developing plant-based cuisine in the industry.
15:15-15:45
Atria - Two men show, meat meets the fire
Welcome to a unique two-man show, where the precision of a butcher’s hands meets the expertise of a chef in a display of genuine skill.
As the cutting progresses, a delicious dish is created from the same piece of meat, with aromas and stories that will captivate you.
16:00-16:30
Dani
Hänninen RESPONSIBILITY IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY
Restaurateur – Esmes, Wellamo, 305, The Bull & The Firm – Dani Hänninen will join the Live Kitchen to discuss sustainability in the restaurant industry from both food and staff perspectives, with Finnishness at the forefront.
At the same time, Dani will prepare a tasting featuring cold-smoked pike, Puikula potatoes, wild garlic, pine, buttermilk sauce, and vendace roe – briefly: pike and buttermilk.
THURSDAY 22.1.2026
10:30-11:00
JANI SAMELA AND HANNU TUHKANEN
work wellbeing
The Live Kitchen hosts, Jani Salmela and Hannu Tuhkanen, will walk through the day’s agenda and also discuss workplace well-being—what it means today compared to 20 years ago. Along the way, they’ll be cooking and inviting the audience to taste what they prepare.
11:15-11:45
Teemu Laurell
the appeal of the restaurant industry, future prospects, and Finnish ingredients
Teemu Laurell is a head chef, restaurateur, and entrepreneur whose food philosophy is built on combining flavor, simplicity, and visual appeal. He won Finland’s Top Chef competition in 2012, after which his career has included founding restaurants, appearing on TV shows, and authoring a cookbook. In his cookbook Teemun pöydässä, Laurell shares 60 of his favorite recipes—from breakfast to late-night dishes—featuring a wide range of meat, fish, and vegetarian options, as well as easy-to-make sauces and desserts.
12:15-13:00
Samuli Sepponen
Food & Social media
Samuli Sepponen is the winner of MasterChef Finland, who, after his victory, began working full-time pursuing his passion for food. Today, as an entrepreneur, Samuli’s days are filled with managing his social media account (@Samulinsoppa), private chef gigs, recipe development, and commercial collaborations with various brands. He is especially known for his relaxed and positive approach, and for showing that delicious, flavorful food can be both approachable and ambitious at the same time!
14:00-14:30
Atria - Two men show - Meat meets the fire
Welcome to a unique two-man show, where the precision of a butcher’s hands meets the expertise of a chef in a display of genuine skill.
As the cutting progresses, a delicious dish is created from the same piece of meat, with aromas and stories that will captivate you.
15:00-15:45
Jaakko Sorsa -
NoHo Partners EXPERIENCES OF DIFFERENT CULTURES AND DIFFERENCES IN WORK CULTURES
- Ocean Table Executive Chef
- Tasting Kitchen (TK) Media Group
- Quality Director, NoHo Partners, Finland
- Founding President, Disciples Escoffier Hong Kong
Jaakko Sorsa is a Finnish chef and restaurant professional with nearly 30 years of international experience. He began his culinary career at Palace Gourmet and has worked in top kitchens around the world, from the Middle East to Bermuda, and from Fiji to Japan and Indonesia.
Over the course of his career, he worked at Chez Dominique. Jaakko was involved in the restaurant from its launch in 1998 through 2000. During that time, the restaurant was chosen as Restaurant of the Year 2000 and received Finland’s first Michelin star after seven years without a star.
Jaakko’s experience includes working in luxury hotels and resorts and private events for, among others, Princess Takamado of Japan, the Crown Prince Couple of Denmark, the Princess of Sweden and the royal family of Saudi Arabia. He has also been part of the kitchen team at the Finnish Presidential Palace.
After leading some of the finest restaurants in Hong Kong the past 19 years, he returned to Finland two years ago and joined NoHo Partners as Quality Director.
At FFCR, Jaakko will prepare overcooked hanger steak, oyster mushroom orzo, and apple char siu sauce. During the cooking session, the discussion will touch on topics such as working abroad, cross-cultural experiences, and differences in work culture.
16:15-16:45
To be
announced
Welcome to a unique two-man show, where the precision of a butcher’s hands meets the expertise of a chef in a display of genuine skill.
As the cutting progresses, a delicious dish is created from the same piece of meat, with aromas and stories that will captivate you.
Schedule
WINERY & BREWERY & DISTILLERY BY FFCR
WEDNESDAY, 21.1.2026
12-12:30 Tarkiainen Winery – Berry sparkling wines made using the Champagne method
13-13:30 Teerenpeli, Pairing whisky and cheese
14-14:30 Metro Wines Winebattle
15-15:30 Monditaly, Sparkling wines of North-Italy
16-16:30 BBWines – Cognac Tasting
17-17:45 TBA
THURSDAY, 22.1.2026
11:30-12:00 BBWines, Veneto Tasting
12:30-13:00 RF Wines, Small-producer wines from Catalonia
13:30-14:00 Teerenpeli, Pairing Whiskey and cheese
14:30-15:30 Metro Tukku, pairing wine and food – learn to recommend a wine to the meal
16:00-16:30 RF Wines, Wines of Priorat
Schedule
INNOVATION STAGE
WEDNESDAY, 21.1.2026
NOTE! Program in Finnish
11:00-11:30 Employee-driven sustainability – Soupster Family Green Advisory Board (GAB)
12:30-14:00 Innovation Awards Finalists introduce themselves
14:30-15:00 Tasting presentation: Innovation Awards 2025 winner Kirjolohipekoni – Kalaneuvos
THURSDAY, 22.1.2026
NOTE! Program in Finnish
10:00-12:30 The future of public food – breakfast on the agenda
10:00-10:15 Breakfast and opening of the seminar
10:15-11:00 Panel discussion: Security of supply and preparedness of public food services, moderator Virpi Kulomaa, preparedness manager, MaRa ry
11:00-11:30 Environmentally sustainable and recommended eating – carbon footprint information in public procurement, Juha-Matti Katajajuuri, Luke
11:30-11:40 BREAK
11:40-12:00 Taking the circular economy into account in food and supplies competitions – Anna Kara, Category Manager, Hansel
12:00-12:30 Trust in the plate – gluten-free food safely from planning to serving, Eija Lindberg, Finnish Celiac Society
BREAK
14:30-15:00 Announcement of the winners of the Innovation Awards competition
