“Cooking has always been close to my heart,” says Chef Lassi Heinonen. Working in kitchens and restaurants for almost 20 years, Chef Heinonen says the best part of going to work every day is leading his culinary team, overcoming challenges and learning something new.

After stints as a cook and a restaurant manager, Chef Heinonen is now Head Chef at the main campus of JAMK University of Applied Sciences in Jyväskylä, Finland’s seventh largest city. He serves more than 2,000 students, faculty, and visitors daily in four campus restaurants, with each location preparing fresh food on site. He is most interested in a mix of traditional and new cooking styles and loves exploring strong, yet simple flavors in his creations.