Polarbröd facts for kids
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| Industry | Bread Production |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1971 |
| Founder | Gösta and Greta Nilsson |
| Headquarters | , |
Polarbröd is a well-known Swedish company that makes delicious bread. Their main office is in Älvsbyn, a town in northern Sweden. Polarbröd is actually the third-biggest bread company in Sweden!
They are famous for their soft, round, flat breads. They also make special sandwiches called renklämma. These sandwiches are made with their bread and tasty reindeer meat. They became popular in the 1960s.
On August 23, 2020, a big fire started at the company's main factory in Älvsbyn. Sadly, the building could not be saved. But the company worked hard to rebuild.
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The Story of Polarbröd
The history of Polarbröd is a long one. It goes back five generations in the same family! It all started in 1878 when Johan Nilsson came to Älvsbyn. He was a master baker.
Early Baking Days
Johan Nilsson and his wife, Hilda Nordström, started baking bread. They baked for the people living in Älvsbyn. They also baked for the "navvies." These were workers who built paths for floating logs down rivers. Later, workers building the Northern Main Line railway also became customers.
Johan Nilsson first rented his bakery. But in 1885, he was able to buy it. After the railway was finished in 1893, many workers left the area. This meant fewer customers for the bakery.
A New Kind of Bread
After Johan Nilsson passed away in 1912, his son Frans Gustav took over. The bakery had many debts at that time. In 1926, Frans Gustav built a new bakery. He created a special kind of thin, soft bread. He made it with rye flour mixed with wheat flour, water, salt, and yeast.
He called this new bread "Tioöreskakan." This name meant "Ten-öre cake," because it cost 10 öre (a small Swedish coin). The bakery closed in 1959. Frans Gustav Nilsson died the next year.
The Birth of Polarkaka
Frans Gustav's youngest son, Gösta Nilsson, and his wife, Greta Stålberg, ran a café in Älvsbyn. After some years, they started trying out new ideas with the "Tioöreskakan." They called their version "Älvsbykaka."
Greta had a clever idea. She would put butter and smoked reindeer meat on the bread. Then she would freeze it. This way, she could quickly thaw it and serve it to guests. She first called this sandwich "Rågstrut" (rye cone). But it soon became famous as "Renklämma."
Gösta and Greta decided to open a special bakery just for this soft rye bread. They named the bread "Polarkaka." In 1972, their company, Polarbageriet AB (which means "Limited Company"), was officially formed.
Growing and Rebuilding
In 1977, a brand new bakery opened in Älvsbyn. The company kept growing through the 1980s and 1990s. The business stayed in the family. Gösta and Greta's granddaughter, Karin Bodin, later took charge.
As mentioned, a large fire broke out at the Älvsbyn bakery on August 23, 2020. The main factory was destroyed. Polarbröd quickly made plans to increase production at their second factory in Bredbyn. This allowed them to keep making all their different breads.
The company worked hard to rebuild the Älvsbyn bakery. It was reopened in May 2022. This was just in time for the company's fiftieth anniversary!
Where Polarbröd Bakes
Polarbröd has several bakeries where they make their delicious bread:
See also
