Kirjalan Kahvipaahtimo

Kirjalan Kahvipaahtimo is a small roastery established in late 2018 in Mikkeli. The roastery started in the heart of Kirjala’s old wooden house district, from where it moved to Heimari in the heart of lake Saimaa in the spring of 2020. At the same time, the company started their café business in Nuijamies, a district just outside downtown Mikkeli.

The first spark

The idea to start his own roastery was born when roaster Olli tasted “blood-quenching” coffee in Porvoo. It was coffee from a small roastery. The diligent man then embarked on an intensive journey of research and study into the world and secrets of coffee, which led to the design of his first roaster together with his friend, a local metalsmith. The first home-made roaster has since been replaced by a Giesen W15 roaster, which Olli uses to create mouth-watering coffees for the whole coffee nation to enjoy.

Experiences for the coffee table

The roastery sources their coffees with quality and accountability with the help of professionals to ensure that the relationship with coffee farms and producers is as worry-free and mutually beneficial as possible. Through roasting and tasting, a suitable recipe is created for each coffee to bring out the best in its flavours and characteristics. The company hopes that in everyone’s cup of coffee quality would overrule quantity.

Family is best

Today, following a generational change, the company is run by Olli’s daughter Anna and her brother Väinö. The family business roasts coffee and serves café customers with a big heart and a twisted sense of humour. In a short time, the café has succeeded in creating a new kind of coffee culture in Mikkeli and establishing itself as the locals’ living room.

As a self-taught barista and roasting entrepreneur, Anna has gained recognition in the industry from many directions in a short time. In 2021 she came third in Aeropress’ Finnish Championship competition, in 2022 she was named Young Coffee Influencer of the Year at the Helsinki Coffee Festival, and in 2023 she was awarded with the Newcomer of the Year title at the PRO Gala. The acknowledgements have also given confidence to Anna to share what she has learned to Väinö, who jumped into the roaster and café business a little later directly from construction work.

From Mikkeli to the world

Kirjalan Kahvipaahtimo collaborates a lot with small businesses and entrepreneurs in Mikkeli, and community and responsibility are the cornerstones of their business. Although the company hopes to expand its operations, it wants to keep its roots in the heart of Saimaa. The cooperation with Slurp goes hand in hand with the company’s future plans: to bring quality and responsibly produced coffee to more and more people, one cup at a time!