Fazer and Brunberg pledge to keep making chocolate in Finland

Fazer and Brunberg say they will continue making chocolate in Finland, as confectionery maker Panda moves its chocolate production from Jyväskylä to Estonia, Yle reports.

The shift means Finnish chocolate production will depend on fewer companies. Fazer and Brunberg declined to assess how Panda’s move would affect competition, saying the impact would depend on consumers’ choices. The situation may not change if familiar products remain on Finnish shop shelves.

Fazer invests in Lahti factory

Fazer, Finland’s leading chocolate and confectionery company, currently makes its chocolate at a factory in Vantaa, where it produces more than 13 million chocolate bars a year.

The company is building a new chocolate factory in Lahti to support export growth. Some production will remain in Vantaa after the new factory is completed.

Carolina Bade, head of Fazer’s chocolate and biscuit business, said the company’s decision to invest about 400 million euros in the Lahti factory showed that it intended to continue making chocolate in Finland.

“The chocolate market looks much better this year. Consumption has clearly picked up in Finland as well,” Bade said.

The cost of cocoa and other raw materials continues to affect the profitability of chocolate. It is difficult to predict future cocoa prices because the next harvest will be affected by factors including the El Niño weather phenomenon.

Fazer believes that Finnish origin is not the most important factor for consumers choosing chocolate. “Taste and quality are the two most important things. Consumers buy the brands they have found to be good,” Bade said.

Brunberg links brand to Porvoo

Brunberg’s confectionery factory has operated in Porvoo for 155 years, and the company has no plans to leave Finland or the town.

Chief executive Katarina Enholm said the family-owned company’s origins were an important part of its brand. She also said the company stood out from competitors through its product range.

Brunberg is the only company in Finland that makes lactose-free milk chocolate bars. It also produces a wide range of gluten-free products, as well as vegan and sugar-free chocolate.

“The cocoa content of our products is higher than the market average,” Enholm said.

Brunberg’s factory shop in Porvoo is also a popular tourist destination. The company had a turnover of 13.8 million euros in 2025 and employed 71 people.