Kiril Rainos of Sooc's broth and sauce kitchen: "Ethical and representative work attire is part of the company's marketing"

The old Vaasan Leipomo property, located in the idyllic settlement of Ylämylly in the municipality of Liperi in North Karelia, got new residents a year ago. Now the property is home to Sooci, a broth and sauce kitchen run by long-time kitchen professionals Kiril Rainos and Timo Melto , whose broth line produces hundreds of thousands of liters of broth every month.

The core of the kitchen are large cooking pots, where fresh ingredients are mixed directly from local producers and without additives.

"We buy leftover beef bones and chicken bones from meat factories. After roasting, we cook broth from them. We sell some as broth and process some into sauce bases and ready-to-use sauces," says CEO Kiril Rainos.

Sooc's customers include professional kitchens, such as restaurants and various companies providing experience services all over Finland. The products are also available to consumers in well-stocked grocery stores.

Finland's best chefs have been involved in the product development, and the recipes have been carefully refined. Completely new products have also been launched on the market: in addition to classic chicken, meat and vegetable broths, the shelves now feature ramen broth, a familiar staple from Japanese cuisine, which is also available in vegan form.

"We want to make it easier for professional kitchens to operate. Few places still cook broth the old-fashioned way," Rainos continues.

Timeless workwear represents professionalism

“A confusingly good employee,” reads the back of the gray-toned work uniforms. Sooci, which employs eleven people, wants to be a workplace that supports sustainable development. Therefore, Medanta, which emphasizes ethical values ​​and sustainable design, was a natural choice as a partner. Sooci’s staff wore work uniforms designed by Medanta in spring 2019.

"We didn't want to choose workwear from a ready-made template, but wanted to be involved in influencing the end result. I have also collaborated with Medanta before, so I knew that they invest in customer-specific customization," Rainos says.

The workwear was created based on a joint brainstorming session between Medanta and Sooc, and the wishes of the employees were also listened to. According to Rainos, it is important that the workwear is timeless and represents the professionalism and quality mindset that Sooc employees have.

The pants, shirt, and jacket were made from Medanta's environmentally friendly Eco Denim fabric, which uses recycled polyester and responsible BCI cotton as raw materials.

The fabric is also technically high quality and works like a sports textile, flexible and breathable even in tight places. The fabric also has an antimicrobial treatment. Workwear is washed after every use, so it is important that the material is durable.

“Workwear must be comfortable to wear, but at the same time it must meet the criteria set for the food industry: no extra buttons and pockets below the waist,” says Rainos.

A twinkle in the corner of your eye

According to Rainos, the staff has been more than satisfied with the end result of the work uniforms.

"The workwear is made with today's technology, but at the same time it exudes an old-fashioned feel. They have a twinkle in the corner of their eye, just like we do. We feel that safe, ethical and representative workwear is also part of the company's marketing."

Sooci is currently putting together an environmental and responsibility package, which they will use to communicate their ethical values ​​to the outside world.

“We have also included work clothes as one of the components of the package, with which we want to highlight our values,” says Rainos.

Despite its young age, Sooci has been well received in the market. There has clearly been demand for broth and sauce production that focuses on domestic raw materials. Ready-made sauce bases make food preparation easier in professional kitchens – without compromising on quality.

Many people have asked Rainos about the origin of the company's name. It's the more international letter c instead of the letter s.

"The name was supposed to be Soosi, but when we registered the company in the trade register maintained by the Finnish Patent and Registration Office, the name was too universal, i.e. not individual enough. In a hurry, we changed the name to Sooc. The funny thing is that advertising agencies have asked if a working group was involved in choosing the name," Rainos laughs.