Mustard production is to be moved to a production plant in Latvia and will be marketed under the Felix brand, after parent company Orkla Eesti decided in autumn to sell the Põltsamaa business and brand, in order to focus on strategic product groups.

"Unfortunately, mustard production will not continue in Põltsamaa," Sven Voites, CEO of Svensky Kaubanduse AS who bought the facility, told Maaleht, adding Orkla will still produce the mustard itself and using the same recipe.

"The buyer is taking over the production complex, the brand, the products and the employees' contracts," Orkla Eesti CEO Kaido Kaare said, adding the Põltsamaa plant will, under the agreement, continue to supply other products, such as pickled vegetables.

"Consumers need not worry about the sale of the Põltsamaa factory and brand – Orkla Eesti will continue producing and marketing the beloved mustards, but from now on we will do so under the Felix brand," said Orkla Eesti spokesperson Hanna-Liisa Ruul, adding the Felix range, including three milder flavors as well, will start appearing on store shelves this month.

Production of Põltsamaa strong mustard began in 1961, and around 60 million tubes have been sold to date – this averages out at nearly a million tubes a year, or nearly one per Estonian person per year.

"Estonians truly love mustard, and the undisputed favorite has been Põltsamaa strong mustard," Ruul noted, adding that the bulk of the Põltsamaa output is consumed domestically, with only small amounts exported.

Põltsamaa mustard, even the milder variants, is not for delicate palates and is very similar to strong mustard brands, such as Colmans, produced in the U.K. – in fact, the mustard powder used in Põltsamaa production comes from Canada.

Maaleht cited statistics which show that overall mustard consumption in Estonia has gone up in recent years, from 89 tonnes in 2020 to 96.7 tonnes in 2024.

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