Jukka Luojukoski

I’ve been in the restaurant business for a long time – I started my career back in 1974. Since then, I’ve undertaken over eight years of training in different aspects of the restaurant industry and I’ve also taken part in several courses relating to manual skills. My education originally focused on cuisine, but later on I took leadership and management training. That’s why I’ve spent the majority of my career working on various restaurant industry projects, such as launches, planning, and enhancing purchasing, and these have almost always been a regular part of my working day. But in a way, I’ve never forgotten where it all began and I still want to spend some time in the kitchen every day.

Over the years, I’ve worked for both privately owned restaurants and chains, for hotels, and even on passenger ferries. I’ve also worked abroad, for example, at the Lisbon World Fair and in restaurants in Stockholm, Paris and Oslo. I value down-to-earth, so-called country-style cuisine that embodies old Finnish, Russian and French traditions combined with fresh ingredients from local producers and a slow food approach. Everyday, I find inspiration in new trends, but I still respect the teachings of my old role models, such as Antoine Carême, Paul Bocuse and Eero Mäkelä. My favourite ingredients include the wild produce of Satakunta – game, fish, mushrooms and berries – as well as organic lamb and veal from local producers.