Pingviini facts for kids
Pingviini is a super popular Finnish ice cream brand. Its name means "penguin" in Finnish! You can easily spot it by its cool penguin logo. People in Finland have been enjoying Pingviini ice cream since the 1930s.
All Pingviini ice creams are made in Finland. They come from the Turenki factory in Janakkala. The brand even has a special Avainlippu ("key flag") award. This award shows that the ice cream is truly Finnish. It's made by Finnish workers using Finnish milk!
Nestlé Finland bought Pingviini in 2004. But don't worry, the ice cream kept being made in Turenki. Later, in 2016, Nestlé moved the brand to Fronen Finland. Fronen Finland is a company Nestlé owns with a British ice cream company called R&R.
Contents
How Pingviini Started
The story of Pingviini ice cream began in 1935. A company called Oy Jäätelö - Glass Ab started making ice cream. They used a brand new factory in Helsinki. A couple of years later, Valio bought the Pingviini brand.
At first, ice cream was made in Turku. Later, it was also produced in Helsinki, Vyborg, Tampere, and Oulu. The Turenki ice cream factory was built much later, in 1962.
Ice Cream Shops and Kiosks
In the beginning, ice cream was sold in waffle cones. You could also get it on plates at Valio dairy shops. In 1936, Valio opened Finland's first ice cream parlor. It was in the Lasipalatsi building in Helsinki.
Later, ice cream kiosks popped up all over Finland. Today, there are about 200 Pingviini ice cream kiosks. You can find them across Finland every summer!
In 2004, Nestlé bought Valio's ice cream business. They also got the rights to the Valiojäätelö brand for 10 years. The ice cream continued to be developed and made in Turenki.
The Turenki Ice Cream Factory
Pingviini products are created and made at the Fronen Finland factory. This factory is in Turenki, Janakkala. The Turenki ice cream factory was built in 1962. It was needed because more and more people in Finland wanted ice cream.
Today, this factory is one of the biggest and most modern. It's a top ice cream factory in the Nordic countries. About 200 people work there. During busy times, like summer, up to 300 people work there!
Developing New Flavors
The main goal at the Turenki factory is to make ice cream that Finnish people love. They focus on great taste and high quality. For example, the Aino ice cream line was created there. It has Nordic berry flavors like cranberry and blueberry. It also features Arctic cloudberry and even liquorice! In 2019, Aino oat ice cream was added to the line.
Factory Visits
There's a special ice cream bar at the factory. It's for visiting groups and for learning. Many school groups from all over Finland visit this ice cream bar. In May, which is a popular time for school trips, about 1500 to 2000 visitors come!
Pingviini's Look and Logo
When Pingviini first started, its penguin logo was black and white. Over the years, they tried different colors. In the 1980s, the logo was red. Then, in the early 1990s, it changed to its current blue and white look. The Pingviini ice cream cone also became available in the mid-1990s.
Delicious Pingviini Products
The Pingviini brand includes many different ice cream names. Some of these are Pingviini, Aino, Classic, Puffet, Muru, Pingviini Puikko (which was called Eskimo until 2021), and PEHMIS.
You can find Pingviini ice cream in stores. They sell one-liter home packages with about twenty different flavors. There are also ice cream cones and ice cream sticks, like Classic. The Aino product line also has home packages.
Kiosk Favorites
At kiosks and cafés, you can find loose ice cream. There are about 30 different flavors to choose from! They also have special flavors that change each year. Some past special flavors include tar (in 2009) and bubble gum (in 2019).
About PEHMIS
Pehmis is a special name that the company has protected. This means only their soft ice cream can be called Pehmis. This helps make sure people don't get confused with other similar products.
See also
