The Story of Kotileipomo Sorsa
Many people know our products, but are you familiar with our story? Anna-Liisa Karpathakis, the owner of Kotileipomo Sorsa, shares here the story of how the bakery was founded.
The Story of Kotileipomo Sorsa
Many people are familiar with our products, but few know the story behind our bakery. Kotileipomo Sorsa’s journey begins in 1968, when the business was originally called Kotileipomo Ruokolainen.
I was 20 years old when the bakery’s owner, Liisa Ruokolainen, hired me in the 1980s. Almost immediately, she asked if I would be interested in continuing the bakery when she retired. I put the offer aside and worked at the bakery for nearly two years before moving on to work as a market trader. After about a year and a half, in the fall of 1983, Ruokolainen called me and said: “Come to Liperi to sign the papers for the bakery.” There was no choice but to sell my market stall within a week and take over the bakery. I have never regretted that decision.
The business operated under the name Kotileipomo Ruokolainen for two years before I renamed it Kotileipomo Sorsa. In 1985, the bakery moved to Keskustie in Liperi, into the ground floor of my home. The bakery remained there for 31 years until we built a new, larger facility on an adjacent lot in 2013.
For over 53 years, our bakery has produced authentic hand-made Karelian pies. I have preserved the original recipe and baking techniques all these decades. I remember my mother baking Karelian pies every Saturday when I was a child, and I have used the same recipe in our bakery to keep the taste authentic and traditional.
We started very small and simple. In the early years, our customers were mainly local shops and schools, and we sold only fresh pies. Over time, the demand for raw frozen pies has grown, and today these are our best-selling products. Our customer base is no longer limited to North Karelia—our frozen pies are now enjoyed all over Finland.
Kotileipomo Sorsa is a family business that honors Karelian traditions and history. Passion, perseverance, and strong belief in our products have brought the company to where it is today. We owe our success to our customers, who have enjoyed our products for decades.
— Anna-Liisa Karpathakis, Owner, Kotileipomo Sorsa Oy