"In the food industry, you have to constantly develop and innovate your products to stay competitive."
Kadarbiku Project Manager Ranner Pak
The best vegetables come from nearby
In March, Prisma held a special campaign "The best food comes from nearby”, which focuses on Estonian food and small domestic producers. The aim of the campaign is to highlight the high-quality and fresh products of Estonian producers and emphasise the importance of local ingredients. This time, the focus is on two domestic vegetable producers – Kadarbiku and Grüne Fee – whose stories and products deserve special attention.
The story of Kadarbiku began in the early 90s, when they started growing head cabbage. Over the years, the product portfolio has grown significantly and Kadarbiku is now primarily known for its carrot juice, baby carrots, and sauerkraut. These products have won the hearts of consumers and stand out from their competitors due to their uniqueness – for example, no-one else produces carrot juice and baby carrots in Estonia.
Kadarbiku’s collaboration with Prisma has been ongoing for over 20 years, helping bring their products to more consumers. The company's success is based on continuous product development and collaboration with research institutions, one of the latest results of which is kimchi, fermented cabbage of Korean origin.
What also makes Kadarbiku special is that it is a family business, with three generations working together. In addition, the products use as many home-grown vegetables as possible, such as carrots, cabbage, beet, turnip, kohlrabi, and in the summer time, cauliflower and broccoli.
Grüne Fee – Luunja cucumbers and a pioneer in the field of biocontrol
Grüne Fee started out in 1993 on the territory of the former Anne gardening farm of the Luunja state farm. The company's best-known product is the Luunja cucumber, which has become an integral part of Estonian people's diet. In addition to cucumbers, Grüne Fee grows millions of salad and herb plants a year. Besides cucumber, Estonians also like Frillice salad, green leaf lettuce, basil, dill, and parsley.
Grüne Fee also stands out for its innovations – a range of plated herbs in biodegradable packaging was recently launched, clearly demonstrating the company's commitment to environmental friendliness. All Grüne Fee products are grown in Luunja greenhouses and packaged on site.
The company is particularly proud of its use of biocontrol, which means that pests are combated using natural enemies. This method allows plants to be grown without chemical pesticides, maintaining the purity of both the produce and the surrounding environment.
"Biological pest control is an expensive method, but thanks to it, there is no need to use chemical insecticides during the plant growing season."
Kristo Eisenberg, Managing Director of Grüne Fee
In addition, Grüne Fee started collaboration with the Ilmatsalu biogas plant in 2024. As a result, the company's biowaste will end up as biofuel in the tanks of green buses in Tartu and Tartu County, contributing to the promotion of the use of green energy.
The best food comes from nearby
Prisma’s campaign "The best food comes from nearby" focuses on the importance of local ingredients and supports small Estonian producers who contribute to Estonia's food security. The stories of Kadarbiku and Grüne Fee are excellent examples of how a commitment to quality and environmental friendliness can lead to consumer trust and popularity.
In March, you will find various posters introducing local producers on the shelves in Prisma stores, so that you can easily find domestic products and can support local food production even more.