It all started in the kitchen during maternity leave
Hyväkakku's story didn't begin with a polished business plan drawn up at a desk, with investors or with grand visions. It was born in a home kitchen that smelled of berries and freshly baked sponge, where the children's naps set the rhythm of the working day. When you ask Mammu where it all began, she laughs a little and puts it just as it is:
“I just wanted to earn a bit of extra money during my maternity leave. I started selling home-made bakes through REKO, and I quickly noticed that the cakes attracted more interest than anything else. One order led to another, and suddenly there were more than I could count.”
What started as a small experiment began to grow. Word of mouth did its job. People told each other about cakes that genuinely tasted good and looked like someone had made them with thought. The home kitchen filled up with whisks, tins and frozen berries. Everyday life revolved around baking and family life.
When a passion grew into a business
From the very beginning, Mammu wanted everything to be done properly. No half measures, no near enough.
“I registered the company, got the kitchen approved as food premises and learnt the necessary business side of things while also learning how to combine work and family. It was tough, but really rewarding at the same time.”
When the fridges began to take over the rooms and there were more ingredients at home than cupboard space, it was clear that the next step had to be taken. Hyväkakku moved into its own premises in Kirkonmäki, Kokkola. The first employee came on board, and from that moment on this was no longer just Mammu's thing, but a shared one.
“I remember realising that this is now a real workplace. That there are others here whose everyday lives and livelihoods depend on this. It felt both daunting and wonderful at the same time.”
“I baked at night and ran family life with the kids during the day. Of course I was completely exhausted at times, but at the same time really excited. It felt like I was doing something meaningful.”
When family and a shared direction came along
Over the years, more people and expertise joined in. Mammu's big brother Ville started developing the online shop. Many of the things that make ordering easy, and even a little fun, are his handiwork. At the same time, we started talking openly about what Hyväkakku really is.
“It was clear to us that caring is at the heart of everything. Not just caring about our customers, but about each other. We want a cake to feel and taste like it was made with thought.”
The Cake Designer was developed within the online shop – an incredible innovation that is still Hyväkakku's best-selling product week in, week out. It lets customers build their own cake easily and in a fun way. At the same time, the Cake Designer freed up a huge amount of Mammu's time, letting her move from serving customers on the phone to hands-on work: designing cakes, developing the company and baking.
24h Self-Service Pickup was also created to make everyday life at Hyväkakku easier. Customers can collect their cake exactly when it suits them. The idea came from a very practical need, as Mammu couldn't always stay at the bakery waiting for customers to collect their orders when her family was waiting at home.
Cakes made with heart
Hyväkakku's cakes aren't made by cutting corners. The jams are cooked in-house, and the mousses are made from scratch. The berries come from Finnish farms, as close by as possible.
“Even though a cake has to look stunning, in the end everyone understands that it's the taste that counts. That moment when someone takes a bite and smiles – that's what we do this for.”
Creativity shows at Hyväkakku every day. Every cake reflects its maker. We don't even try to hide the handcraft – it's allowed to be seen and felt.
The courage to experiment and permission to be a work in progress
“We boldly try everything. Sometimes it's a bit nerve-racking, sometimes it makes us laugh, and we often wonder whether we dare, but without experimenting nothing new is ever created. And things rarely go as wrong as you fear beforehand.”
The company has been built calmly, one day at a time. Not chasing perfection, but with heart.
Work, family and being human
Family is a huge source of strength for Mammu. As a mother of five, her everyday life is anything but quiet, and it keeps her feet on the ground.
“When I step through the front door at home, work stays behind. At home there are more important things to do than think about cakes. The children's everyday worries put things back into perspective pretty quickly.”
Mammu's spouse, who works at Hyväkakku, is also part of both everyday life and the business, and in turn makes it possible for Mammu to focus on the company.
At Hyväkakku, being human is allowed to show – both in the people who make the cakes and in those who order them for their celebrations.
The journey continues
Hyväkakku was born from courage, care and a love of good cakes. It has grown from a kitchen into a bakery, from a bakery into a team, and from a team into a community.
When she was young, Mammu applied to study food production and was initially offered a place. A little later, however, she got a call saying they couldn't take her on after all. The reason given, bluntly, was that she was too short and wouldn't cope in the industry with the big pots and pans. That phone call stuck with her.
At the moment, Hyväkakku has three locations, in Kokkola, Oulu and Tampere, and the company employs almost 20 bakers.
And the journey continues.
“I don’t know exactly where this will take us, but maybe that’s part of the beauty of it all. Let’s do what we know how to do well today. And then a little more tomorrow.”