Ilja Björs and Antti Ahokas at work in Juuren Puoti.

The shopkeepers at one small Helsinki shop are attempting to start a shopping revolution.

Remember the days when the local shopkeeper knew you by your first name and offered kids a taste of fresh bread every time they walked in clinching to their mother’s hems? Stepping into the small shop is like stepping right back into the good old days. As soon as I’m in the door I am greeted with a smile and offered a cup of steaming fair-trade coffee to warm my freezing fingers. This is not special treatment, but the genuine warmth with which each customer is treated at Juuren Puoti, The Juuri Shop.

The shopkeepers at one small Helsinki shop are attempting to start a shopping revolution.

Remember the days when the local shopkeeper knew you by your first name and offered kids a taste of fresh bread every time they walked in clinching to their mother’s hems? Stepping into the small shop is like stepping right back into the good old days. As soon as I’m in the door I am greeted with a smile and offered a cup of steaming fair-trade coffee to warm my freezing fingers. This is not special treatment, but the genuine warmth with which each customer is treated at Juuren Puoti, The Juuri Shop.

A joint project of restaurateur Ilja Björs and chef de cuisine Antti Ahokas, the shop opened its doors only three weeks ago but is already gathering a number of loyal customers who appreciate the unique produce on offer. The shop sells food products from independent producers from around Finland, with emphasis on high quality.

“Taste and quality are the most important things for us. We want to be able to stand behind each product that is for sale at the shop and they have to be products that we would gladly use in our own kitchens,” says Ahokas. “Ethics are also very important to us and the majority of the products for sale here are organic. We want our products to be clean, as preservative free as possible and produced as ecologically as possible,” adds Björs. The pair has a long history in the restaurant business and has run Restaurant Juuri with the same values for the past five years.

The shop attracts customers who value high quality.

Stacks of goodness

The shelves are stacked with beautiful products from fresh bread and free-range eggs, to organic juices and jams. There are also a number of more exotic products for sale, such as rye crisps or Perga aka Bee Bread. Despite the name, Perga is nothing like bread, but the small – I have to say not appealing at first glance – droppings are actually very tasty and full of natural goodness guaranteed to give your immune system a boost.

Juuren Puoti is one of the few specialty shops in Helsinki that offers everyday food products for those who value knowing where the food has come from and appreciate high quality over cheap prices. Although the products sold at Juuren Puoti are a tad more expensive than those at your local supermarket, there is really no comparing the two and the price-quality ratio at Juuren Puoti is correct, assures Björs. “At the moment Finns tend to choose products by the cheapest price. Our mission is to change this and influence people to choose by quality and taste.”

Personal service

As well as products of good quality, Juuren Puoti offers a different shopping experience. The owners call themselves “walking recipe books”, offering cooking advice, ideas and tips to customers on any of the products. “We have prepared food from majority of the products here with our own hands, so we can provide our customers with genuine information and advice,” Björs promises.

The co-owners of Juuren Puoti have made quite a change in their lives from running a busy restaurant to standing behind the counter at a small speciality-food shop. When I ask them what their titles are, the men exchange an amused look and reply, “Shopkeeper,” with a smile.

Petra Nyman - HT
Juuren Puoti