Once upon a time, in the heart of Turku, a delicious aroma drifted through the air. It was August 27th, 2020, and at the Durat showroom, something special was simmering. No, it wasn’t just excitement, it was roach soup. Yes, roach. The humble fish, often overlooked, took center stage at our first ever Baltic Sea Day celebration, launched by the John Nurminen Foundation. And who better to whip up this wild wonder than Sami Tallberg, Finland’s own wild food wizard? With herbs in hand and a glint of mischief in his eye, Sami wowed our guests with a feast made entirely of ingredients you could find on a stroll through the archipelago.
About 30 curious customers joined us in Turku that day – and by the end, they were spooning up seconds and grinning like sea otters.
The only hiccup - year 2021 the pandemic put a brief pause on the party.
But in 2022, we were back – this time in our Helsinki showroom on Albertinkatu, where the celebration has continued annually. Each year, around 50 guests gather to taste Sami’s latest creations, raise a toast to the Baltic Sea, and share a few sea tales of their own.
Way back in 2019, we dove headfirst into Baltic Sea advocacy by joining the John Nurminen Foundation's support group. To mark the occasion, we made a Raita bench, designed by the talented Eeva Lithovius in a Baltic Sea-inspired new colour combination.
It wasn’t just a bench; it was a storytelling station. That summer, it traveled with us to seaside events, collecting people’s heartfelt, hilarious, and sometimes salty stories of the sea. We captured it all on film and shared it on YouTube channel – because who doesn’t love a good maritime memory?
In 2020, we created a new Durat colour scheme – our Baltic Sea pattern: a vibrant blue-speckled surface that practically sings of waves and water. A portion of its sales goes directly to protecting the sea.
In 2022, we teamed up with the John Nurminen Foundation to bring the Baltic Sea to the heart of Esplanadi Park in Helsinki. Our colourful info board stood proudly among the trees, guiding passersby to Baltic Sea Day events and spreading the word about our beloved sea.
For us, Baltic Sea Day isn’t just about wild food. It’s about connection. To nature. To each other. And to the stories that ripple across time and tides.
And that’s a celebration worth having, year after year.
