History

1569 – First written record of cheesemaking in the Maasi castle region, Saaremaa

Since 1843, cheesemaking in Saaremaa has been continuously recorded.

1870–1910 – There were nearly 50 manor dairies in Saaremaa, many of which produced cheese.

Since 1875, famous Swiss cheesemakers Schlupp, Imhof and String operated in Saaremaa.

1887–1930 – Cheese manufacturer Albert Schlupp was awarded nearly a couple dozen gold and silver medals from both local fairs and fairs held in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Berlin, Milan, etc.

1890 – Maasi Manor in Saaremaa obtained the first cream separator.

1895 – First photographs were taken of churning butter in Saaremaa.

1899 – Prestigious awards were won for cheese at the Baltic fair in Riga.

1912–1913 – First dairy cooperatives in Saaremaa were established in Valjala and Püha.

Of the 25 dairy cooperatives established since 1923, ten were remaining in 1940.

In the 1930s, Pöide Dairy Association was one of the best in Estonia for turnover and production of butter for export.

1932 – The Silver Jug, the prize awarded to producers of butter for export by the Saare County Government, was often held by Pöide, Muhu and Tõlluste dairies.

1950 – Saaremaa dairy associations were nationalised and butter factories were established.

1955 – Cheese rinsing machine manufactured at Pöide Dairy was on show at Estonia in Tallinn. Production of Meleshen and Ruber butters commenced in Saaremaa for the first time. The latter has developed into the contemporary production of sour cream butter.

1958 – Saaremaa Dairy Products Manufacturing Company (Saaremaa Piimatoodete Kombinaat) was established on the basis of butter factories.

1963 – Estonian Model Cheese Factory (Eesti Näidisjuustutööstus) was opened in Valjala, which introduced cheese vats and mobile shelves for maturing cheese.

1965 – The central factory of the Manufacturing Company was opened in Kuressaare.

1966 – Production of skimmed milk powder commenced for the first time in Saaremaa and production of ice cream started again in Kuressaare.

1967 – The company was recognised for centralised milk collection by the Estonian people.

1975 – Saaremaa Dairy Products Manufacturing Company and Kingissepa Meat Manufacturing Company (Kingissepa Lihakombinaat) were merged and reorgnised into Saaremaa Meat and Dairy Manufacturing Company (Saaremaa Liha- ja Piimatootmiskombinaat), headed by the Director General Ahti Viilup.

The long-term reconstruction and expansion of the dairy industry commenced.

1982 – Production of complete milk replacer feed commenced.

1987 – The largest quantity of milk was processed in Saaremaa – nearly 62 thousand tonnes.

1991 – Urban treatment facilities built under the leadership of Saaremaa Meat and Dairy Manufacturing Company were completed.

1995 – The industry was privatised by the farmers of Saaremaa. Saaremaa Meat and Dairy Association (Saaremaa Liha- ja Piimaühistu) was established.

1996 – Sales company Pinus was established, and its own building was completed in 2001.

1997 – The company began providing overdraft facility to dairy farmers for the purchase of animals and equipment.

1998 – Saaremaa Meat and Dairy Manufacturing Company was the best production company in Saaremaa.

2000 – Focus shifted to the production of dairy products. Cheese production was relocated from Valjala to Kuressaare. Kuressaare is now home to the only milk production company in Saaremaa.

2007 – The dairy factory became independent – the meat factory was sold.

2008 – Cheese production in Kuressaare was modernised (75 million kroon). At the time, the cheese factory was one of the most contemporary in the Baltics.

2009 – The first automated milking farm in Saaremaa was launched in Valjala.

2012 – We were the first in Estonia to start producing cream butter with salt crystals.

2012 – The new butter plant starts operating.

2020 – We launch a Pure-Pak line (0.5 million euros).