History of Vilniaus Duona

Established almost 130 years ago, the bakery of Vilnius has become the market leader both in Lithuania and in the Baltics. Wood-stoked baking ovens have been replaced by up-to-date equipment,  and „Vilniaus Duona“ has become the bread of the whole of Lithuania.

Vilniaus Duona is the largest and oldest bakery in the country, its history dating back to the end of the 19th century.

Opened in 1882, the first large bread bakery in Vilnius, which  was made of brick and powered by steam, was established merely to satisfy the needs of the army. Resources say that the bakery employed 119 people. Standard bread loafs of 21 pound were baked there – bread produced both for the army and sold to the citizens. 

In 1895 the bakery produced 378311 pounds (1 pound equals 16.38 kg) of bread. A decade after, the Vilnius army bakery was officially assigned to supply its produce to the most deprived citizens and denizens of the suburbs of Vilnius at reduced rates.

In 1944 Vilnius bread factory was established that owned said bakery and 15 smaller ones. The bakeries were non-automated and usually fuelled with wood. They produced several types of bread, loafs and pretzels. Until 1947 most of procedures were performed manually.

In 1948 the old baking ovens were replaced with new ones, the capacity of the bakery doubled and in the same year it saw the outbreak of the industrial production era. Ten years later, the bakery started making the most popular kinds of bread in Lithuania – „ Palangos“ and „ Vilniaus“ , which are made under exactly the same recipe to this day.

In 1990 the legal status of the Vilnius bread industry manufacturing association (when all the bakeries in Vilnius were merged into one) was changed into „ state company“ and was given the title of Vilniaus Duona. This name is still unchanged.

In the last decade of the 20th century Vilniaus Duona expanded its business to other regions and has become the Bread of The Whole Lithuania.

In 2002 the company joined VAASAN group, the bread market leader in the Nordic and Baltic States.

From 2004 to 2008 „Vilniaus Duona“ succeeded implementing a major restructuring project which resulted in modern and effective production of rye and wheat bread. During the restructuring process the company established a new bakery in Vilnius, modernized the bakery in Panevėžys and closed three old ineffective bakeries in the centre of Vilnius. The restructuring of production and logistics provided the necessary basis for the further successful development of the company and the production of new, modern bread products.