We import specialty coffee directly from small farms in India and Bali, Indonesia, to our own small Metsäpaahtimo and European small roasters. Our passion for Indian and Balinese coffee from further east was born from a decade of practicing yoga and a yogic lifestyle. Guided by our years in India and coincidences, we realized the values of specialty coffee grown in India, which met the values of life we practice. However, the first introduction to coffee was that one cup of coffee, the aroma of which made us interested in the origin of Indian coffee and its possibilities.
Spruce sprouts, the young tips of a spruce tree, is a magical Finnish natural product that enchants with its taste and has been used as a healing, health-promoting herb for centuries. We manufacture our products by hand and our processes are based on innovations we have created, the core of which is that our spruce products are made without heating and without additives. We rightly call our products “raw” or “cold-extracted”.
The Forest Roastery is a small roastery and a food alchemist’s workshop. The Forest Roastery brings coffee from India and beyond to the Finnish forest for roasting. We work in close cooperation with our coffee farmers by practicing direct import. The effectiveness of the cooperation is built on the foundation of community, friendship and trust. By implementing these values, we together create top-quality coffee for you to enjoy.
For us, producing high-quality coffee is simple. The secret to simplicity is the highest quality raw material. When the raw coffee is of high quality, the roasted coffee gains excellency in the Finnish forest, handcrafted as a Finnish artisanal product. In addition to coffee, we produce life-enhancing foods from the raw materials of the Finnish forest.
Our friendly roastery is located in the South Karelian forest by the lake. The coffee roastery, built in a shipping container on the “off-grid” principle, gets its energy from the sun and wind, which enables self-sufficient and natural operations outside the heavy infrastructure. Utilizing nature, creativity, self-sufficiency and manual skills, we produce high-quality, clean products in an ecological and ethical manner. Our values are the foundation of our operations. Values we have inherited from the common wisdom traditions of humanity, of which we are also a continuation.
For us, high quality coffee means …
Story & Values
SINGLE ESTATE COFFEES
Our coffees are “single estate” coffees. This means that the origin of our coffee can be traced back to a single farm and farmer who produced it. The coffees we roast are often unblended, meaning you have the opportunity to experience the unique aroma of each farm’s coffee berry. You can find information about the coffee farms on the Coffee Import tab. Our chain from coffee tree to cup is unbroken in terms of value, and that includes Metsäpaahtimo’s operations.
FOREST ROASTERY
Forest Roastery operates cleanly and self-sufficiently in South Karelia, Finland, on a lakeside surrounded by beautiful nature. The roastery, founded in 2018, has been built from the ground up on the principles of self-sufficiency, ecology and reasonable consumption. This has given us the opportunity to follow values and practices that echo tradition, and we believe that tradition is the standard and necessity of the future. We want to be the change, and the handmade DIY principle enables freedom and the free implementation of a progressive unique operating model and values. It also enables partial financial independence, Since that what you have created yourself, you can probably also fix yourself. We started our operations based on these values, which gave us a head start in ecology and ethics.
DEMETER & ORGANIC
Demeter labeled producs come from biodynamic agricultural and horticultural production, where the purpose of the cultivation measures is to maintain and increase the health and fertility of the soil. The view stemming from Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy is taken into account not only in primary production but also in manufacturing, further processing and sales. A Demeter-certified product is a step forward from creation, to a production method in which humanity and nature are one, and man’s task is to support nature, which supports humanity selflessly with its existence. According to coffee roaster and importer Petteri, biodynamic farming briefly explane is: ”preserving the diversity of nature by maintaining the health of the soil. In addition to the world understood with the senses, it takes into account the energies of the entire cosmos and the interconnectedness of everything”.
Organic certification guarantees the purity of the product, meaning that only organic fertilizers and pesticides have been used in the cultivation of the product. The end product is additive-free, that in roaster Petter’s thinking means it is pure. A Demeter product is always organic, but in production the farmer/farm is self-sufficient, meaning it does not use commercial fertilizers or pesticides, as in organic farming. A Demeter-certified farm produces everything independently with its diversity (plants, domestic animals, wildlife, water, air, sun, composting). Demeter farming is therefore always CO2 positive, meaning the farm binds more carbon dioxide than it produces.
In coffee, the sub-variety of Arabica coffee means a lot in terms of the aroma and quality of the coffee. Native varieties are more valued precisely because they are mostly always refined and more aromatic than varieties crossed by humans. Demeter and organic also monitor breeding, meaning that, for example, GMO-modified varieties are not allowed. The Demeter organization also maintains seed reserves, which guarantee the availability of native varieties to biodynamic farmers and prevent the disappearance of native varieties.
THE STORY
After the owner of this company returned from a 7-year study trip into the traditions of humanity, during which the lifestyles he learned on the trip had become part of his own life, it was time to start working for the benefit of other people. My partner Janita and I started two companies, the other one being Forest Roastery, that is more in line with Petter’s inclinations and life purpose. Janita finds it purposeful and in line with her inclinations to increase people’s well-being as a provider of yoga and therapeutic treatment methods. Forest Roastery focuses more on the production and concrete provision of material nutrition that increases well-being to a large number of people with a replicable concept, while Janita focuses on a more individual approach. Both companies support each other, and we both work together regardless of the company, because both operations are based on the same values and we are aware that separation is an illusion.
VALUES
We are committed to maintaining our lead through personal development and concrete action, maintaining creativity, balance of mind, and diligent craftsmanship. Ultimately, the values of all companies are the combined intent of their owners, managers, and employees, which creates value capital. Thus, Forest Roastery is the sum of the values of its creators and is therefore forever changing.
IMPLEMENTATION
The forest roasterY is the handiwork of SampoKone’s Petter. The container itself looks very simple, but it has been built with care and imagination. The roastery incorporates cutting-edge technology, traditional tried-and-tested construction techniques combined with the possibilities of modern technology, and a suitably whimsical sense of being alive.
It is worth mentioning that the roastery operates normally even at -22 degrees below zero and has experienced a 90 cm snow cover. Operations have continued uninterrupted despite the lack of large-scale infrastructure. The roastery is remotely monitored and controlled, for example its temperature can be remotely adjusted or switched off or on when the roastery and rest room are not required to be worked in. In addition, the roastery is insulated. The heating can therefore be switched off when there is no activity, which is the most important method for saving energy. The heating fuel is Mydiesel made from waste, which is 100% domestic and fossil-free. The same fuel is also used to power our vehicles. The most visible part of the roastery, the solar panels and wind turbine, are mounted on a pivoting “pedal” so that in winter the panels drop snow from their heads, but the pivoting bed allows the panels to operate horizontally in summer, which in turn allows for the best solar energy and a vortex-free wind for the wind turbine.
The water comes from a well we built, and the water system is pressurised by a pump. The system can, of course, be drained quickly in winter to prevent freezing damage.
Ventilation is essential in a coffee roastery not only because roasting coffee produces smoke (lots of it!), but it also generates heat. In this conditions the roaster needs to be able to work for long periods without losing concentration. So you need an adjustable exhaust air blower and supply air, as the outside air temperature ranges from -25 to +25. In addition to carbon monoxide alarms, safety is monitored by devices that monitor carbon dioxide and gas levels. Because forgetfulness happens when things are repeated thousands of times, the alarms are what monitor the back of the roaster and, if necessary, interrupt concentration on one task for safety reasons.
The earth is where everything lies. This roastery lies on land owned by the family, which guarantees continuity and freedom of action. It also ensures that the principle of reasonableness will be maintained for years, as a constantly rising rent would mean a constantly rising profit requirement. In handicrafts, there is a limit to productivity that cannot be exceeded at any point, because it requires those hands, and only a human being has working hands. Man is limited in his productivity, and anything beyond that limit leads to a loss of welfare or a compromise between craftsmanship and quality in the drive towards industrial production. Raising prices is often put forward as a solution, but unless people’s purchasing power increases, raising prices is not a very sustainable solution. The moderation of an unreasonable operator is never met, i.e. nothing is enough. SampoKone cannot work with actors who hold such values, because the knowledge we have studied shows that unreasonableness does no good for oneself, the community or the environment. An unreasonable operator pedals a chainless bicycle and therefore never reaches his destination.
The amount of heat energy required to roast coffee is very high for a short period of time. And this is the realism you learn by doing and creating yourself. You can’t get enough electricity from the wind and sun with a reasonable investment to heat a coffee roaster on the scale we do to make any economic sense. There is plenty of sun and wind in South Karelia, but the electricity generated from them would have to be stored in a huge battery, which is a questionable investment in terms of purchase price, lifetime and environmental value. So for the time being, until technology improves, we also need some gas to roast coffee. We aim to switch to Finnish biogas in the next few years, and for now we use normal LPG, with the roaster and roaster electrification coming from the sun and wind.
ELEMENTS
Whatever we build, we have to take care of the five elements and work in harmony within these elements. The elements are earth, fire, water, air and water. The sixth element is the ether, but this is not something that man needs to take care of, although when resting in it, creativity and wholeness take place within the individual.
COFFEE ROASTER
The w6000 6 kg drum of our coffee roaster is the work of Wiliam Edison from Indonesia. This outstanding roaster was born from the ability of Wiliam Edison, a skilled designer and entrepreneur living in Bali, to create top quality coffee roasters. We met Wiliam while practicing yoga in Bali. Wiliam started making coffee roasters out of a desire to help coffee farmers in his home country. He first built a low-cost 1 kg roaster, which was the first coffee roaster at the Forest Roastery. This 1 kg roaster allowed local farmers to process their own product. This increased the farmers’ desire to grow quality coffee and brought in much needed extra income by allowing them to sell/market their coffee directly to tourists, hotels and cafes. This low-cost roaster, costing around $1000, became super popular, and Wiliam became a locally known and respected entrepreneur. Switching to specialty coffee production was an option at a time when the low price of green coffee has caused poverty for farmers worldwide. In 2024, the price of green coffee has risen significantly, bringing some relief to farmers globally. The price of speciality coffee has not been so significantly affected by this increase, as speciality coffee costs between 2 and 5 times more than regular coffee, but the availability of speciality coffee has played a role in the current situation.
Coffee bag labelling
Coffee and packaging information
We have two packaging options for bags from 250g to 1000g. One is a fully biodegradable coffee bag with a biodegradable hemp and sugar cane label. This packaging is also naturally plastic-free and contains a valve, so it can be used for ground coffee to avoid swelling of the coffee bag due to gases escaping from the coffee.
Our other packaging option is an aluminium-free coffee bag with full print that can be recycled into cardboard waste. This packaging is available if you order your coffee as a bean. So far this bag is not biodegradable, but in the future it will become biodegradable too.
All our bags are airtight and of high quality, so they can be opened and closed with the zip.
Product name
The package is labelled with a bean or ground coffee label. In the case of an online order, your coffee has been ground according to your order and is marked ‘filter’ even if the grind is finer or coarser, or if there is no marking at all. This is for aesthetic and clarity reasons. There are so many different grades that the package would be difficult to read if all the options were indicated.
Degree of roasting
We have chosen to indicate the degree of roasting on a scale of 1-6. It may seem like a simple matter to indicate the degree of roasting, but as is often the case, the more you think about it, the more complex it becomes as you accumulate information. Light, medium, dark roast – sometimes roasts are indicated in such a simple way on a scale of three. The Forest Roaster’s interpretation is that it is also necessary to leave some room for manoeuvre within these three roasting stages, because the scale of each roasting degree is quite broad, which has a significant impact on the aroma of the coffee. In our pack 1-2 are light, 3-4 medium and 5-6 dark roasts. In North America, a medium roast is often referred to as a city or city+, the Forest Roaster follows the same logic.
Bean or ground coffee
The package is labelled with a bean or ground coffee marks. In the case of an online order, your coffee has been ground according to your order and is marked ‘filter’ even if the grind is finer or coarser, or if there is no marking at all. This is for aesthetic and clarity reasons. There are so many different grades that the package would be difficult to read if all the options were indicated.
Packaging materials and recyclability
After the icons, you will find out how this product was created and how its packaging should be recycled. We recommend reusing the bag as it is made of cork-quality material. The bag is airtight and resealable. The inside of the bag can be wiped with ethanol or a damp towel before reuse. If you reuse the bag once you will reduce waste by 50%, if 4 times then you will have to ask a mathematician how many percent waste was reduced, but we promise that more than twice reuse 🙂. Even fully biodegradable packaging can be reused because of the quality of the bag.
Best before and roast date
The bottom of the bag is stamped with the best-before date for the contents. The date 6 months back from this date is the date your coffee was roasted. Coffee can also be used well after the best-before date. Especially if it is a bean coffee and the product has been stored in a cool place, it is probably still a good cup. Coffee is best fresh, but not too fresh. Coffee should be allowed to rest for about 4-6 days after roasting to release the combustion gases from the bean. Light roast coffee will keep better than dark roast, but generally speaking, coffee is fresh for 6 to 90 days after roasting. If the coffee is ground, the shelf life is significantly reduced. We therefore recommend buying bean coffee and investing in a small coffee grinder in the office or at home. Coffee keeps best in a cool and airtight container. If you store coffee for months before using it, freezing is a good option. There is little ageing in the freezer.
