Hello there,
I’m happy that you’re here and decided to read my post. I recently attended a vegan food event with my wife, and it was an interesting experience. Vegemessut allows you to see what’s currently going on in the vegan landscape when it comes to available and upcoming products in Finland.
I’m not personally vegan, but I’ve been leaning more vegetarian as time goes on. This is mostly because it’s getting harder to justify killing animals through mass production when it’s not really necessary anymore. Food science and technology have come a long way, and by supporting animal protein alternatives, you help create a world with more innovation, and finally give our animal friends a much-deserved break.
In this article, I’ll guide you through the event and show you what was available.
1. Flip Vegan Pizza
While I had heard of Flip Pizza before Vegemessut, I had never tried anything from them. I meant to take a photo of the sample they gave out, but it wasn’t actually pizza. It was a thin cut of crust, almost like a pizza chip, with some pizza sauce in a small dipping cup.
The sauce was the best part, packed with flavor, though if you’re not a fan of sweet pizza sauce, it might not be for you. They were selling pizza slices for 5 euros each, but I should mention that the slices were a bit smaller than normal, likely because the pizzas were made in a smaller oven.
I’m interested in trying them properly in the near future, depending on what they offer.
2. JaloTofu
JaloTofu has consistently sold really high-quality tofu every time I’ve tried it. They do an excellent job of bringing flavor into tofu in a way I haven’t seen many other brands execute as well.
They were giving out free samples that were cooked perfectly and paired with a dip that brought out even more flavor.
3. Trube
Trube had a pretty neat stand at Vegemessut. They let people spin a wheel where everyone was basically a winner, everyone walked away with a packaged pulla (sweet bun) to take home. They were also selling products and giving out free samples of their orange chocolate cake.
I would have bought like 15 of those orange chocolate cakes after trying the sample, but that would have required convincing my wife that I needed them lol. So I decided it was better to appreciate the sample and plan to buy one later from my local grocery store. Maybe next year I’ll bring a disguise.
4. deary
deary had some really cool marketing that felt inviting, both through their messaging and their art style. They position their brand as something for everyone, not exclusively for vegans, even though they sell vegan products.
I’m not usually big on plant-based dairy alternatives, but their products tasted exactly as expected, and I mean that in the best way possible. They were showcasing their plant-based dessert drinks, similar to yogurt drinks, along with some puddings. I tried the strawberry-watermelon dessert, which was pretty good. If I were more into yogurt-texture products, I’d probably buy one or two in the future.
5. hamppufarmi
Hamppufarmi offers a variety of hemp products. While I didn’t try any, I could see myself being interested. The main reason I didn’t stop by is that I’m already fairly educated on hemp, which limits my curiosity around those products despite their benefits.
That said, they had a large stand with a wide range of items, so if hemp is your thing, it’s definitely worth checking out.
6. Oddlygood + Good&Green By Valio
This stand was pretty fun, similar to Trube’s in terms of interactive engagement. They had a Plinko-style game where you dropped a ping-pong ball, and if it landed in the winner slot, you’d win a lime-green Oddlygood & Gold&Green bag.
Unfortunately, I didn’t win, which honestly kind of sucked, since it was probably the nicest prize there.
They did give out free samples, though, and I tried the Gold&Green Mureat & Mehevät Suikaleet.
The sample was solid, something I think I’ve had before. It tasted like soy or seitan, which isn’t a bad thing at all. It felt like a protein you’d typically find in a wok dish.
I genuinely enjoy Gold&Green products, and Oddlygood consistently delivers across categories: soy drinks, vegan cheeses, yogurts, desserts, whipping creams, and cooking creams. Their range and consistency really build trust.
7. Mama Mem’s
This was my first time hearing about Mama Mem’s Tofu, and wow, it was really good. The person behind the stand explained the cooking process and preparation, which made the experience even better.
It’s an authentic Vietnamese-style fresh tofu. I remember it being super soft with a very pleasant texture. They also mention that it’s handmade organic tofu made in Malmi, Helsinki. I can’t wait to see this product near me, because I’ll definitely be buying some to cook with.
8. Friidu
Who doesn’t love ice cream? And if you don’t, Friidu might change your mind. Their flavors are so good that you don’t even notice it’s vegan, not that it matters.
Some vegan ice creams have a distinct aftertaste, but Friidu doesn’t suffer from that at all. The branding is super eye-catching, and I personally love the packaging. Whoever’s designing over there, job well done.
I only tried the mint chocolate flavor, and it might honestly be the best mint chocolate ice cream I’ve had in Finland.
P.S. I cannot confirm whether I had more than one sample… but I’m not denying it either.
9. Baba Hummis
Baba, you had me at first bite. This sample was like hummus but way smoother, almost like a spread. According to their site, it’s found near butter and margarine in stores.
The flavor I tried was sitruuna-mieto jalapeño, which was perfectly balanced with very mild heat. I also tried the roasted onion flavor, which was excellent.
The texture alone makes this a standout. It was my favorite free sample at Vegemessut, hands down.
10. Yipin
Yipin has pretty good tofu. Their sample felt a bit less prepared, but the flavor was still good. Presentation wasn’t amazing, but looks are overrated anyway.
It might have been a tofu salad, but I’m not entirely sure. The lettuce and veggies were almost impossible to pick up with the wooden utensil, though
11. Sunfly
Sunfly makes sunflower seed butter, which was surprisingly good. The sunflower flavor was quite strong in the chocolate version. I didn’t try the other flavors, but they did give out free sample packs to take home.
I could see myself using this instead of peanut butter, and with more experimenting, it might become a household favorite.
12. Dava
I’ve had Dava products before, their no-beef taco mix is something you just add water to, and it ends up resembling vegan minced meat.
At Vegemessut, they were offering samples of what looked like a vegan chicken taco protein. It paired really well with the tortilla chip they used, though I imagine it would be even better in actual tacos or burritos.
13. Makuliha
Makuliha probably makes some of the best vegan nakkit you can find in Finland. They offer a solid variety of products.
At Vegemessut, they showcased a new Kasvis-Makkara Tomaatti Mozzarella, along with their roasted chicken–flavored vegan slices.
The roasted chicken sample was especially interesting because it’s normally sold as very thin deli-style slices, but here it was served in thicker pieces, and it honestly tasted even better that way
14. NATA
I don’t have a strong overall opinion on Nata, but their vegan chia caviar on bread was so good, like, genuinely impressive. It had a great lemon flavor and a balanced texture.
They were also sampling soy steaks, which were fine and reminded me a bit of Gold&Green-style proteins.
15. Vegem
Vegem was sampling a vegan jauhis (minced meat). The sample itself was okay, but it lacked seasoning. The only flavor came from the Dolmio pasta sauce it was mixed with, which didn’t really add much.
With proper seasoning, this could be used often, but it definitely needs more love. Serving it warmer would’ve helped too.
16. Muu
Muu introduced a new product at Vegemessut that was actually really good. It resembles large vegan chicken chunks.
That said, it would shine even more in a proper recipe designed to highlight it. The sample could’ve used more dip and its own seasoning to really wow me.
17. Silmusalaatti
Silmusalaatti is solid overall. I was most intrigued by their tulinen silmusalaatti (spicy version), though I didn’t get enough of a taste to fully judge it.
I’ll definitely be picking it up from the store to try more properly. It’s a nice light salad that pairs well with other foods.
18. Kymppi
I’ve seen hernerouhe in stores before but never really knew what to use it for. Their sample, a vegan pea-based meatball, was delicious.
We made sure to take the recipe home and are looking forward to making it ourselves.
19. EuroEast
Euro East sells fermented vegetables and other products commonly found in Finland. I didn’t try their samples since fermented foods aren’t really my thing.
20. Vegan Restoran
Vegan Restoran was selling hot dogs for 7 euros each, which felt a bit pricey, but I bought one to support Ukraine.
I went with the kimchi hot dog. It was solid overall, though the kimchi was a bit too wet and overpowering compared to the Bon Vegan tofu frankfurter.
21. HoviRuoka
HoviRuoka brought some really good products. Their pizza tasted a lot like Kasvispiirakka, so if you enjoy that, the pizzas are a nice occasional option.
22. Mati
Mati brand fillets were so good that I honestly forgot I was at a vegan event. Texture-wise, they’re very similar to Quorn fillets, if you’re familiar with those.
At Vegemessut, they served small diced samples, which honestly weren’t enough, because it was that good. The seasoning was spot on and tasted genuinely unique. It feels very promising in terms of where vegan food development is headed.
23. The Spice Chef
I didn’t get a photo of this stand because I was a little busy, but they sell a variety of broths and seasonings that genuinely elevate vegan proteins, and food in general. I really love the quality and depth that Chef brings with their seasoning options.
Overall, my experience at Vegemessut was a good one. It was fun to try new foods and see how companies are approaching the vegan market.
I probably wouldn’t go again next year, mainly because I like giving companies time to develop new ideas and products. Taking a year or two off and then returning feels right.
Tickets were around 15–20 euros depending on when and how you bought them. My main critique is that some stands didn’t offer free samples, which was disappointing. Additionally, some companies sold their products at slightly higher prices than in stores but not by much, or didn’t offer any discount at all.