Clarion's Kitchen Manager has strong confidence in Metos

Last year, Jari Kettunen, Head of Cuisine, was put in charge of the kitchens and food products at two new Strawberry hotels. Everything has gone smoothly, thanks to Metos' reliable equipment and quality customer service.  

Jari Kettunen took charge of the kitchens and food products of two new Strawberry hotels last year. Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport and Comfort Hotel Helsinki Airport, both located at Helsinki Airport, have a large and exceptionally international clientele. Kettunen's kitchen team runs on Metos equipment. The equipment was selected from Sweden.  Previous experience had shown that cooperation with Metos works.  

– The cooperation has been excellent, and the kitchen project went well. All installations were done on time and Metos people could always be contacted if help was needed. Spare parts have also been organized quickly. Both sales and the rest of the organization have been on top of the situation, Kettunen praises.  

 

Functioning equipment and good communication are the prerequisites for success, as Kettunen is responsible for all food products at both Strawberry hotels at the airport. This includes everything from breakfasts to dinners, but also delicacies such as those served in the spa. There is simply no room for poor kitchen equipment if you want to do the job properly.  

Clarion's breakfast range alone comprises 190 products. The entire breakfast menu is available from 4 a.m. onwards.  

 

– The omelette chef is already at work. He bakes the omelette of the customer's choice to order. We get a lot of them, and the customers like them, says Kettunen.  

Kettunen praises the technology in Metos' kitchens as top quality and modern. The ovens, for example, have dozens of different programmes and can be used for frying, grilling, braising and steaming, among other things.  

– The new ovens work perfectly and do what they say they will do, so you don't have to wonder whether the grill programme will give you a good enough surface to cook on. The technology keeps the ingredients in first-class condition and, for example, reduces cooking losses to a minimum.

It also saves time, because when the kitchen team knows how the oven works, they can schedule other activities more accurately, because they don't have to watch the food cooking in the oven but can rely on it.  

– I started in this business in the 1980s, when everything was just put in a 200-degree oven and taken out at different times. Modern technology has certainly made life easier, and it ensures a much better end product for the customer.

Sustainability drives the business

Over the decades, not only the technology in professional kitchens has changed, but also attitudes. Sustainability is now a major business driver for the Strawberry hotel chain.

– Sustainability is indeed an important issue, and we have a name for it: WeCare. Above all, it stands for social responsibility, with three strands: people, planet and community, says Erika Ehrnrooth, Country Manager for the Strawberry chain.

The people section covers the well-being of hotel guests and employees, the planet section includes responsibility for the well-being of the earth and nature, and the community section covers the societies in which the Strawberry chain operates.

– We want to be part of local life, and we strive to keep the planet involved in every day-to-day activity, says Ehrnrooth.

Responsible choices are reflected in the Strawberry hotels in many ways: green electricity is used, energy and water consumption are measured, as is heating and cooling of the properties. For example, food waste in restaurants is also measured, and over the past year Strawberry has focused on food ethics throughout the supply chain.

– We have our own reporting software, which gives us concrete information and allows us to be more goal-oriented. And when booking, customers can already see our hotel's sustainability rating index, which shows how the hotel is doing. For Finland, I can proudly say that the figures are good for all our hotels, says Ehrnrooth.

Sustainability shows in the kitchen too

Today's kitchen appliances must be energy-efficient and water-saving. They are also designed to be ergonomic and easy to use, saving both backs and nerves for the kitchen team.

– Metos appliances heat up quickly, so no time is wasted on preheating, which saves energy. With new equipment and good technology, it is also more responsible from a waste perspective. Food does not escape into the air as steam and bad equipment does not cause manufacturing errors, says Jari Kettunen.

 

At Helsinki Airport's Strawberry hotels, sustainability is of course also reflected in the choice of raw materials, for example, a higher proportion of vegetables and sustainably selected fish species.

– Customers are also more responsible nowadays, for example at the breakfast buffet, they only put on their plates so much they can eat, says Kettunen.

Strawberry chain targets new cities

The brand-new Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport and Comfort Hotel Helsinki Airport in Helsinki-Vantaa are a prime example of how the Strawberry hotel chain operates: the chain is aiming for organic growth of 5% per year.

– That's a lot, as Strawberry has a total of 250 hotels. In Finland alone, we have added 1,250 new hotel rooms in four months, says Erika Ehrnrooth, Strawberry's Country Manager.

19 of Strawberry's hotels are located in Finland. The majority are in Sweden and Norway, but Strawberry also has hotels in Lithuania and the Svalbard.

The Strawberry hotel complex at Helsinki Airport is the largest in Finland, with 716 rooms in two hotels. In addition, Strawberry acquired the Hotel Katajanokka in Helsinki in the spring, which became the Clarion Collection Hotel Katajanokka. In early summer, Strawberry also acquired the Hotel Hyvinkää Sveitsi, and in August it added the Clarion Hotel Mestari in Kampi, Helsinki.

– Our growth strategy is so strong that we like to say that growth is part of our DNA.

And there's more to come, with Strawberry opening a new hotel next to Turku railway station in 2028. The area will be completely redeveloped, with an arena going up next to the station and a new hotel next to it.

– We are actively exploring opportunities to bring diversity to the hotel scene in Tampere, Oulu and Lapland. Our aim is to bring services where there is demand.