This is how to make a Michelin dinner in the middle of the Perämeri – a restaurant opened for an icebreaker

Guests of the tourist icebreaker Sampo, cruising in the Baltic Sea, have been treated to a fine dining dinner at the Michelin restaurant Finnjävel. Kemi Tourism is also celebrating a record season.

– Cooking on a moving vessel is different from cooking on land and you never know if there will be a gust of wind or if the ship will rock. The ice also rattles quite nicely, so you really have to make some noise when communicating with your colleagues,” says von Lüders.

The dinner is designed with respect for local traditions. The menu includes, among other things, Meri-Lap lamb, potato, salted whitefish, whitefish roe and spruce bark granité, as well as mushroom chocolate.

– The menu is made up quite a lot of local ingredients, because local food and local food producers are also at the heart of Finnjävel’s business idea,” Linnamäki says.

“Pleasure is as deep as the sea”

On the dining room side, customers will be able to admire the beautiful seascapes of the spring winter, while the waiters of Finnjävel and Kemi tourism bring food to the tables.

– It’s wonderful to try this and even though the portions were quite small, it feels saturated, says Aili Virtala.

Winter cruise records set again

Sampo and its sister ship Arctic, who had been operating in the Gulf of Bothnia all winter, made a record season. Kemi tourism vessels visited a total of more than 36,000 cruise guests during the season, while the previous record was just over 20,000 customers.

Cruise guests visited all continents in the world. For example, they were from Asia, India, Israel and Southern and Central Europe.

Cooperation with Finnjävel has also extended through Sampo outside the tourist season.