The Pirkka Parhaat product range is once again seeking new products from Finnish small producers. The K Group development project invites small producers to develop products suitable for the Pirkka Parhaat range, primarily using Finnish ingredients. The project will select winning products that will be included in the Pirkka Parhaat range and made available for sale in K-stores.
“Supporting Finnish production is important to us. K-stores offer as many as 50-60,000 products from local and small producers. We therefore want to further expand the range of small producer products in the Pirkka Parhaat range and, in doing so, support and encourage Finnish small producers. We have gained valuable experiences and introduced excellent products to market through the previous project, and we now want to lower the threshold for commercialising more great products through this new project,” says Nina Salmi, Director, Sales and Own Brands, at Kesko.
The application period for the small producer project started in early March and will continue until mid-June. After this, Kesko’s project team will select products from the applications to proceed to the product testing phase. Products can be further developed based on feedback received during testing. The selected products are expected to be launched for sale towards the end of 2026 and in early 2027.
“Through the project, small producers receive support in assessing the qualitative and commercial potential of a new product. Pirkka Parhaat is one of Finland’s best-known own grocery store brands, and inclusion in the range provides small producers with a springboard for broader growth, as products may achieve nationwide distribution with Kesko’s support,” Salmi says.
As a result of the most recent project, four new products were added to the Pirkka Parhaat range during 2025. These included high-fibre, protein-rich snack bars from Wild&Berg of Kaustinen, non-steamed oatmeal from Kinnari farm in Hollola, vintage cheddar from Jukolan Juusto in Leivonmäki, and cloudberry ice cream from Närpiön Jäätelötehdas. The Pirkka Parhaat blueberry and white chocolate full snack bar produced by Wild&Berg was selected as a finalist in the 2026 European Private Label Awards in February.
Pirkka Parhaat is a product range that offers customers enjoyable, high-quality and contemporary taste experiences from Finland and around the world. Products are selected through rigorous processes and must meet strict criteria related to their ingredients, origin or production methods. All small producers with maximum net sales of EUR 20 million in their last financial year are eligible to apply for the development project. Products must be suitable for nationwide distribution, including with regard to shelf life and date management, taking into account their characteristics and packaging solutions. Manufacturing facilities for Kesko’s own brand products are required to have a certified audit standard in place or to commit to building a product safety system. A supplier agreement will be concluded with the selected small producers, setting out the detailed terms of cooperation.
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