Sustainability
Generally
Sustainable tourism is a durable and profitable business, which pays attention to all consequences to society.
Continuous development of more sustainable tourism is good for nature and the well-being of those living, working, traveling in the area.
Slope restaurant Pehku got the Ekokompassi-certificate for taking care of and developing environmental issues.
Companies in the Tahko area have done lots of work for sustainable tourism. They are aiming to achieve Sustainable Travel Finland-sign created by Visit Finland. Pehku is also committed to achieving it by the year 2024.
Pehku got the Ekokompassi-certificate on the 6th of July 2021 for taking care of and developing environmental issues. For more information about Ekokompassi click here.
Slope restaurant Pehku is a restaurant that is at the top of Tahko. The views over the Tahko area are breathtaking. Close to the Pehku is also a panoramic sauna, that is heated on request.
One of the best values of the area is the surrounding and unique nature. Responsibility is shown in our business by the way we respect environmental values. To us, it means making sustainable and ecological decisions every day. We are developing our operations and increasing awareness of our employees and customers.
Cooperation
We work closely with the other companies and participate in development activities in the Tahko region by being active and involved in joint marketing.
We want to increase commonality by taking part in organizing various events. We also participate in tourism events such as Matka Nordic Travel Fair and Skiexpo.
Regular morning coffee meetings for entrepreneurs are also one way to increase commonality and update things with others.
Ecology
Buildings and interiors are made of local materials in Pehku. Recycled materials have been used partly in construction, such as used locks, windows, rocks. They have been purchased from the surrounding area.
Wood has been felled from the Tahko slope for construction needs.
The construction principle has been to utilize local, ecological recycled materials and to preserve original nature.
The buildings blend in well with the environment. And the construction principle has been to preserve original nature. So the valuable traditional landscape preserves also in the future allowing it to be enjoyed by locals, visitors and employees alike.
Furniture and decorations are mainly recycled products. We use materials like straws, old skis, or old tools as decoration.
Reducing food loss and sorting waste is important to us.
We do everything we can to reduce food loss. We make biscuits or bun pudding from our cinnamon buns. Dry bread is used as croutons. We put the surplus meat and vegetables in the pastries, pies, or pizza. So all the foodstuffs can be used. We give our surplus food to communities. Used cooking oil goes to a nearby farm for heating.
We have food alternatives also for vegetarians and vegans. In our portions, we use local seasonal vegetables. Then they are at their freshest and best without any extra energy consumption. In the summer, we grow herbs for use in our restaurant.
We are sorting our waste correctly and guiding our customers in this. We sort metals, glasses, bio waste, cardboard, plastic bottles.
Social sustainability and accessibility
We consider social sustainability by providing jobs for local people. That for well being increases and tax euros will also remain in our region. We use local products and services. The mushrooms for example are supplied by a local person.
We provide jobs for local people, use local products, take care of our employees, and availability of our services.
We take care of our employees and partners by treating them equally and being flexible according to the individual stage of life. We provide for our new employees relevant orientation on the job description, recycling, environmental issues, etc.
We offer our employees the opportunity to study. We organize regular sports activities for our employees, and they have access to occupational health services. Feedback discussions for employees are also held twice a year.
Students are welcome in our company to learn the way of working.
Accessibility has been taken into consideration by taking care of the maintenance of the road to Pehku. Then bus and taxi traffic work. And this reduces the need for your car, also reducing traffic emissions. Road maintenance also benefits road and forest owners.
In digital accessibility, we have taken into consideration that we are accessible regardless of the customers ́ operational limitations or characteristics. Our products and services can be booked both by phone and e-mail. Our updated contact information can be found on our own and kuopiotahko.fi websites as well as on our Facebook and Instagram accounts.
We want to offer nature experiences for everyone, so the observation tower is open for admiring the scenery even when Pehku is closed.
We take into consideration other companies and locals by participating in the development of the area and informing them about the events we organize. Our partners are those who share the same values as we do.
Our company sponsors athletes and donates Christmas card money to charity.
Quality and safety
We carry out self-monitoring by following regulations, and all our food-handling employees have a hygiene passport.
All employees serving alcohol are aware of alcohol legislation and have an alcohol passport.
We have occupational safety and rescue plans and we follow food and alcohol legislation.
Food control authorities monitor the activities of food businesses. The Oiva report is a document obtained from inspections and made public. It informs the consumer about the findings made during the inspection, such as the hygienic level of the company and the safety of the products. You can read Pehku’s Oiva report here,
We have updated occupational safety and rescue plans and staff has been trained accordingly. We will update our first aid skills by attending a first aid course in 2022.
We instruct our customers to navigate the area safely, for example on ski slopes, with the help of a map, signs and, advice. We direct customers to use skis on the slopes instead of walking.
Operational reliability in exceptional circumstances has been ensured, for example, by adding to the menu portions that can be prepared without electricity.
We constantly monitor the achievement of our quality objectives. We process customer feedback and take it into account when developing our operations.
Cultural sustainability
We know the history, cultural and food traditions of the area, which we also utilize in our services and food offerings.
Our menu includes for example local roots, mushrooms, grains, berries and fish, as well as traditional desserts that have been part of the Eastern Finland diet for hundreds of years. Through our activities, we support the preservation of local food traditions.
Our beautiful cultural landscape can be enjoyed by locals, customers, employees and hikers in the area.
Combating climate change
We favor the reuse of goods and materials. And only what is necessary is purchased as new. We use time-resistant and ecological materials such as wood. As serving dishes, we use for example wooden planks and boards. We don’t use plastic containers.
Whenever possible, we use locally made products in our purchases.
Our restaurant offers food options for vegetarians and vegans.
We encourage our customers and visitors to walk, cycle or use a bus or taxi ride to the top of the slope.
We monitor the amount of food loss purposing to reduce it.
Responsibility in communication
On our website, we communicate to customers about the accessibility, opportunity to use public transport, accessible services and, our measures in sustainable tourism.
Ekokompassi ́s certificate was granted to Pehku on July 6, 2021. Ekokompassi is an environmental system suitable for companies, that has been developed to facilitate companies’ environmental management and environmental impact assessment. You can find the information about it also from the front page of our website.
Financial sustainability, competitiveness and commitment
We are a renewable company and respond quickly to fluctuations in demand by developing and innovating our services, products and operations. By doing so, our company will continue to be an economically sustainable and employing company in the future.
Our sustainable tourism measures are coordinated by a responsible person who receives education if necessary.
We have a written sustainable development plan.