Hotel Iso-Syöte is located at the top of a mountain, surrounded by beautiful nature. We also want to cherish this landscape, so we pay special attention to the environment and energy issues in our operations.

Hotel Iso-Syöte holds the Green Key certificate and Green DQS certificate, which indicates that we are committed to doing more for the environment than required by law or regulations. Certified companies focus on issues such as energy consumption, the use of water, recycling and the eco-friendliness of their services.

With the new hotel we wanted to further improve our eco-credentials by investing in environmentally friendly technologies. The hotel uses the latest energy-efficient air conditioning technology, and the kitchen appliances used also meet today’s energy requirements. In addition, we have our own heating plant, which uses renewable energy. Wood chips are used to heat the entire hotel, including the suites’ outdoor hot tubs. Heat is generated by means of a closed water circulation system, which is controlled by an automated and energy-efficient system.

Environmental responsibility is reflected in the everyday running of Hotel Iso-Syöte in many ways; for example, we actively monitor electricity and water consumption, and we have taken measures to reduce the consumption thereof. Hotel Iso-Syöte uses powerful yet eco-friendly LEDs that are automatically controlled, which means that lights are only on when they are really needed. Hotel Iso-Syöte has also invested in solar power and electric cars.

Hotel Iso-Syöte uses locally sourced pure spring water. In order to avoid the unnecessary use of water, the taps in our hotel are fitted with water-saving solutions, and we encourage our guests to pay attention to how often they want their towels changed.

In addition to technical measures, we have also paid special attention to small but significant everyday operations. We want to invest in recycling so that glass, cardboard, paper and other materials are correctly sorted at the new hotel. For the time being, plastic waste is not collected in our region.

All snowmobiles are new and feature modern four-stroke technology, which means lower fuel consumption and lower emissions.

Through these actions, we want to support sustainable development and a healthy environment in the years to come, whilst offering a fantastic holiday destination to those who appreciate ecological travel options.

Restaurant Hilltop

The restaurant strives to reduce food waste through various means. At the restaurant’s breakfast, the weighing of leftover food waste from customers is conducted daily. The daily waste amount per person is announced the following morning upon arriving for breakfast. Customers are also thanked for their cooperation in promoting waste reduction.

A sign at the buffet breakfast reminds customers to take only what they can eat at a time. The same reminder is in place for the dinner buffet as well. Attention is paid to the size of dishes during the presentation of both breakfast and dinner items, with a focus on minimizing residual waste generated from buffet dining.

Leftover food items from the buffet are efficiently repurposed through proper cooling and storage methods. In designing the à la carte menu, efforts are made to select ingredients that generate minimal surplus during processing. For example, meats are chosen in a way that minimizes the amount of inedible parts left over after cutting.

In food preparation, the entire ingredient is effectively utilized, and food items are selected to maximize efficiency and minimize waste. The restaurant uses moderately fresh vegetables, incorporating pickling to extend their shelf life and allow for longer usage, thereby reducing waste. Burger patties, used in the restaurant, are vacuum-sealed in bags containing a few portions and frozen to extend their shelf life. Freezing is commonly employed in the kitchen to enhance the longevity of food items.

The restaurant has also shifted to using and increasingly preparing a variety of dried fruits as garnishes for drinks. This significantly extends the shelf life of fruits, reducing waste due to spoilage.

Efforts are made to store each food item at an appropriate temperature to maximize their shelf life. Upon the arrival of new food deliveries, the condition of the items is checked, and the newest products are placed behind the older ones to ensure proper rotation. Staff schedules are designed so that a member of the kitchen staff is always available to receive incoming food deliveries.

Efficient circulation and waste reduction are further pursued through the proper organization of refrigerators and storage areas. This aids in easier and more efficient ordering, aiming to prevent the unnecessary purchase of products, ultimately reducing waste.

Food items are delivered to the restaurant by wholesalers who ensure proper transport temperatures and handling. The restaurant’s receiver checks the delivered products, and any discrepancies are immediately reported directly to the wholesalers.

LOCALLY SOURCED, ORGANIC, AND FAIR TRADE PRODUCTS USED IN THE DAILY OPERATION OF THE RESTAURANT

MEAT, FISH
• Rainbow trout, Kuusamon Kala – Local product
• Whitefish, Kuusamon Kala – Local product

Reindeer meat is a local food, so if you prefer local, Finnish production, please choose reindeer meat from the menu.

We would like to use domestic beef and pork, but unfortunately good domestic production is not sufficient to meet the needs of restaurants. The beef and pork we buy has grown under optimal growing conditions in warm countries. Climate, sun, water and grass also make livestock more affordable to grow. No hormones or antibiotics are given to the cattle. The long history of animal husbandry also ensures that the meat is hung for long periods (up to months), resulting in good quality and uniform quality meat, while domestic meat is placed directly from the slaughterhouse to the table, making the meat tough.

The carbon footprint of imported cargo is equivalent to driving about 200 km by truck, as 10-20 thousand containers go to the container ship. In addition, in Finland, cattle are raised in yard farms, where they need to be served fodder, and heating consumes a huge amount of energy and money.

DAIRY PRODUCTS
• Smoked cheese, Kuusamon juusto – Local product

PLANT-BASED PRODUCTS
• Happy Coco coconut yogurt alternative – Organic
• Naturli Vegan spread – Organic

BERRIES
• Lingonberries, handpicked by local people – Local product
• Biokia Blueberry Powder – Organic
• Biokia Lingonberry Powder – Organic
• Biokia Dried Sea Buckthorn – Organic

VEGETABLES, GREENS, ROOTS
• Morel mushrooms, handpicked by local people, Syötteen Sieni ja Yrtti – Local product
• Urtekram Butter Bean – Organic
• Urtekram Black Bean – Organic
• Urtekram White Beans – Organic

GRAINS, FLOURS
• Urtekram Almond Flour – Organic
• 4-grain flakes, Mylläri – Organic

SWEETENERS
• Honey + tar honey, Arctic Honey, Oulunsalo – Local product

OTHER
• Vegan chocolate, Benjamissimo + iChoc – Organic

LOCALLY SOURCED, ORGANIC, AND FAIR TRADE BEVERAGES IN THE RESTAURANT

COFFEE AND TEA

• Paulig Cafe Mundo – Fairtrade, Organic, Carbon neutral product • Nordqvist teas
• Unflavored green organic tea – Organic, Fairtrade
• Cool Mint tea bags – Organic, Fairtrade
• Gentle White tea & blackcurrant – Organic, Fairtrade
• Lively Green tea with ginger & citrus – Organic, Fairtrade
• Golden Mountains tea bags – Fairtrade
• Japan Sencha loose tea – Organic
• Wehreä Green loose tea – Organic • Forsman Tea Rooibos Blood Orange loose tea – Organic & Fairtrade

JUICES, SOFT DRINKS, AND MILK

• Arla skimmed milk – Organic
• Fazer Aito organic oat drink – Organic

WINES

• MARQUES DE CACERES VINO ECOLOGICO red wine – Organic
• TENUTA MARSILIANA VERMENTINO white wine – Organic
• TENUTA MARSILIANA BIRILLO COSTA TOSCANA red wine – Organic
• SCHÖNHELL RIESLING AUSLESE dessert wine – Organic

BEER

• Lapin Kulta Pure, Gluten-Free Organic Beer – Organic
• Lapin Panimo bottled beers – Local product, Rovaniemi
• Sonnisaari bottled beers – Local product, Oulu

CIDER / LONG DRINK

• Tornion Hilla Longdrink – Local product, Tornio