Honest Catch
Honest Catch is a Munich-based online retailer selling premium, sustainably sourced frozen seafood and fine foods to D2C consumers, DACH gastronomy, and corporate gifting clients, leveraging a sister-company RAS aquaculture supply chain (Oceanloop) for own-brand shrimp and grouper.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersMunich, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Honest Catch does
Honest Catch is a Munich-based online seafood retailer operating as HONEST CATCH GmbH, founded in 2012 (originally as Crusta Nova, rebranded in early 2023). The company sells premium frozen seafood, shellfish, fish, caviar, and curated fine foods through an owned Shopify storefront (honest-catch.com) serving Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, complemented by a physical retail location in Munich-Schwabing and a B2B sales motion into gastronomy and corporate gifting. Its assortment combines three own-brand aquaculture lines — Bayerische Garnele (White Tiger shrimp from Oceanloop RAS farms in Langenpreising and Kiel), GOOD GROUPER (land-based grouper from Kiel, launched 2024), and GOOD GAMBA (Spanish land-based shrimp from Castile and León) — with a partner-brand portfolio including Ora King Salmon, Tristan Lobster, Obsiblue Shrimp, Glacier 51 Toothfish, N25 caviar, and complementary fine foods (Wagyu, organic ice cream, spices, wines).
The company's core technology is built around its sister-company relationship with Oceanloop, which operates closed-loop Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) using Microbial Technology System water purification, enabling antibiotic-free, year-round shrimp and grouper production independent of coastal locations. Honest Catch applies shock-freezing at approximately -40°C immediately post-harvest to preserve cell structure and sensory quality, and pursues a circular economy model in which shrimp shells are repurposed into soups (40–52% shell content). Distribution relies on temperature-controlled shipping via GO! Express with next-morning delivery for orders placed before 14:00 across Germany.
The revenue model is entirely transaction-based across three streams: D2C e-commerce on the Shopify storefront (per-kg unit pricing, MEER-Rabatt volume discounts, Vorteilspackung multi-packs, €49 minimum order), B2B gastronomy supply from country inns to Michelin-starred restaurants, and a corporate gifts program serving clients such as Gaggenau, Riedel Immobilien, and SIXT. Marketing combines content (recipe blog, Seafood A-Z, interactive fish quiz), SEO, email/newsletter, refer-a-friend, and earned PR coverage in major German media, with star-chef endorsements providing fine-dining credibility. The team is small (~12–15 individuals), revenue is not publicly disclosed, and there is no evidence of external equity investment in Honest Catch itself.
Honest Catch firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Honest Catch
- Legal name
- HONEST CATCH GmbH
- Website
- https://honest-catch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Honest Catch is a Munich-based online retailer selling premium, sustainably sourced frozen seafood and fine foods to D2C consumers, DACH gastronomy, and corporate gifting clients, leveraging a sister-company RAS aquaculture supply chain (Oceanloop) for own-brand shrimp and grouper.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Honest Catch industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Seafood Retail
- NAICS
- Fish and Seafood Retailers (44525), Fish and Seafood Retailers (445250), Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171)
- SIC
- Retail-Food Stores (5400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Seafood Markets & Fishmongers (CRAHAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Frozen Seafood Meals & Value-Added Seafood (CRADADAG)
Keywords
Where Honest Catch is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Munich
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Honest Catch business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- D2C E-commerce Seafood Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of frozen seafood, fish, shellfish, and fine foods through owned Shopify storefront at honest-catch.com. Customers order individual products or curated boxes (cooking boxes, trial packages, advantage packs) with temperature-controlled home delivery.
- B2B Gastronomy Sales: Supply of premium seafood to professional kitchens ranging from country inns to Michelin-starred restaurants. Relationship with star chefs Julia Komp, Dany Cerf, Jason Grom and others drives professional credibility.
- Corporate Gifts: Sale of curated gift boxes, cooking boxes, and vouchers to corporate clients for gifting occasions. Personalized offers via contact form with flexible budget, delivery date, and customization options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual product pricing with per-kilogram unit rates |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Volume discount (MEER-Rabatt) for bulk purchases |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Advantage packs (Vorteilspackungen) with reduced per-unit pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Honest Catch product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Honest Catch operates an online and physical retail shop selling premium, sustainably sourced frozen seafood and gourmet foods across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). The assortment combines own-brand aquaculture products (GOOD GAMBA, Bayerische Garnele, GOOD GROUPER) sourced from sister company Oceanloop's land-based RAS farms with curated partner brands (Ora King Salmon, Tristan Lobster, Obsiblue Shrimp, Glacier 51 Toothfish, caviars, meats). Sales channels include a Shopify D2C e-commerce store, a Munich retail store, B2B gastronomy supply, and a corporate gift program.
Product overview
HONEST CATCH is an online seafood retailer and gourmet food shop operating as a Shopify-based e-commerce platform. The company offers a curated portfolio of own-brand and partner-brand premium seafood and fine food products. Its core proprietary brands include GOOD GAMBA (sustainably farmed Spanish shrimp), Bayerische Garnele (German farmed shrimp from Oceanloop RAS facilities in Bavaria and Kiel), and GOOD GROUPER (German farmed grouper). The company also distributes premium partner brands such as Ōra King Salmon (New Zealand), Tristan Lobster (South Atlantic), Obsiblue Shrimp (New Caledonia), Glacier 51 Toothfish, various caviars, and artisanal food products including meats, ice cream, spices, and wines. Supplementary offerings include cooking boxes with recipe cards, trial sampling packages, and corporate gift solutions. The business model combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce with B2B gastronomy supply and physical retail through a Munich store.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- GOOD GAMBA Premium White Tiger shrimp sustainably cultivated in land-based indoor aquaculture in Castile and León, Spain, offered in whole, cooked, kitchen-ready, and easy-peel formats under Honest Catch's own 'good range' brand.
- Bayerische Garnele (Bavarian Shrimp) White Tiger shrimp cultivated in Germany at Oceanloop's land-based RAS facilities in Langenpreising (near Munich) and Kiel; the first German premium shrimp, known for nutty and buttery umami flavor with firm, crunchy texture.
- GOOD GROUPER German Zackenbarsch (grouper) cultivated through land-based closed water circulation systems by sister company Oceanloop, launched from the Kiel facility in 2024 as an alternative to overfished wild grouper stocks.
- Seafood Cooking Boxes Curated seafood meal kits with recipe cards for home cooking, including options like salmon pasta, sea bass risotto, miso black cod, and seafood boil for multiple servings.
- Trial Packages (Probierpakete) Assorted sampling packages allowing customers to try various seafood products, including fish, shrimp, caviar, meat, and ice cream variety packs at discounted prices.
- Corporate Gifts (Firmengeschenke) Customizable corporate gift boxes, cooking boxes, and gift vouchers for business clients, partners, and teams, with options for personalization, bulk ordering, and specified budget/delivery dates.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.8/5 rating from 6,504+ verified customer reviews
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Honest Catch
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Honest Catch technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Honest Catch partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sana Mare e.V.coreNon-profit ocean cleanup organization supported by Honest Catch since 2020. The 'Spendengarnele' (donation shrimp) campaign lets customers buy Bio Black Tiger shrimp at half price while donating to Sana Mare's plastic waste collection in rivers and oceans in Africa and Asia. Each €1 donated removes approximately 3.7 kg of waste. Cleanup actions employ and pay local populations fairly while raising awareness of plastic pollution.
- Oceanloop Munich / Oceanloop KielcoreSister company (sister firm) operating land-based RAS aquaculture farms. Oceanloop Munich (Langenpreising, near Munich) operational since 2015, Oceanloop Kiel since 2015 with official merger in 2023. Produces Bayerische Garnele (White Tiger shrimp) and GOOD GROUPER (grouper). Oceanloop is developing the world's largest land-based shrimp farm in Spain (2,000 tonnes/year). Honest Catch has exclusive sales rights for Oceanloop products.
- KlimAPI (by Envalor)minorIndependent climate tracking partner that transparently tracks donation amounts and handles fund disbursement to Sana Mare e.V. Customers receive certificates confirming their kg of waste collected per donation.
- GO! Express & LogisticscoreReliable express shipping partner for temperature-controlled seafood delivery across Europe. Honest Catch ships exclusively using GO! Express in highly efficient, thermally insulated recycling boxes. Partnership ensures unbroken cold chain and next-morning delivery for orders placed before 14:00.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Honest Catch competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Deutsche See: Germany's largest seafood retailer and processor, serving both consumers and food service with a broad assortment. Comparable to Honest Catch as a German seafood counterpart, but operating at significantly larger scale with deeper distribution and B2B reach.
- Atlantic Sapphire: US-listed land-based salmon aquaculture company with large-scale RAS facilities. Comparable as a category-defining land-based aquaculture operator targeting premium retail and food-service channels with sustainability credentials.
- HelloFresh: Global D2C meal-kit incumbent with operations across Europe including Germany. Comparable to Honest Catch's recipe-led cooking boxes and D2C food delivery model, though at vastly larger scale and broader category scope.
- Pure Salmon: Global land-based salmon aquaculture operator with facilities across multiple geographies. Comparable to Oceanloop / Honest Catch's land-based aquaculture ambitions as a peer pursuing industrial-scale RAS production.
Direct peers
- Frischeparadies: German premium food specialist (seafood, meat, fine foods) supplying both restaurants and consumers. Most directly comparable to Honest Catch in terms of premium positioning, gastronomy customer base, and curated assortment across protein categories.
- Fisch Grell: German online and physical-store seafood retailer focused on freshness, traceability, and sustainable sourcing. Closely comparable to Honest Catch as a direct D2C seafood competitor in the German market with similar value proposition.
Others
- Oceanloop: Sister company and exclusive supplier to Honest Catch, operating the Langenpreising, Kiel, and planned Spain land-based RAS aquaculture facilities. Comparable as the upstream production partner whose technology and capacity directly determines Honest Catch's differentiated product availability.
Emerging players
- CrowdFarming: Europe-based direct-to-consumer marketplace for sustainably sourced food from certified farmers. Comparable to Honest Catch's D2C sustainable-food positioning and consumer-curated brand promise, though broader in category scope.
- Salmon Evolution: Norwegian land-based salmon farming company using hybrid flow-through / RAS technology. Comparable to Honest Catch's Oceanloop supply chain as a peer land-based aquaculture operator pursuing scale and sustainability positioning.
Regional players
- Kochzauber: German meal-kit and curated food delivery service. Comparable to Honest Catch as a DACH D2C food brand with curated boxes and recipe-led engagement, though focused on meal kits rather than premium frozen seafood.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Honest Catch social profiles
Digital presenceHonest Catch compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Honest Catch financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Honest Catch leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Honest Catch funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Honest Catch M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Honest Catch
What does Honest Catch do?
Honest Catch operates an online and physical retail shop selling premium, sustainably sourced frozen seafood and gourmet foods across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). The assortment combines own-brand aquaculture products (GOOD GAMBA, Bayerische Garnele, GOOD GROUPER) sourced from sister company Oceanloop's land-based RAS farms with curated partner brands (Ora King Salmon, Tristan Lobster, Obsiblue Shrimp, Glacier 51 Toothfish, caviars, meats). Sales channels include a Shopify D2C e-commerce store, a Munich retail store, B2B gastronomy supply, and a corporate gift program.
Is Honest Catch a public or private company?
Honest Catch is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Honest Catch founded?
Honest Catch was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Honest Catch based?
Honest Catch is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Honest Catch make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. D2C E-commerce Seafood Sales are the primary driver. The others are B2B Gastronomy Sales and corporate Gifts.
Who are Honest Catch's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Deutsche See, Atlantic Sapphire, HelloFresh and Pure Salmon. Direct peers are Frischeparadies and Fisch Grell. Oceanloop is listed as an others. Emerging players are CrowdFarming and Salmon Evolution. Kochzauber is listed as a regional player.
Does Honest Catch have an API?
No public API is recorded for Honest Catch.
What industry is Honest Catch in?
Honest Catch's product category is Online Seafood Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAHAC, Seafood Markets & Fishmongers, with a secondary code of CRADADAG, Frozen Seafood Meals & Value-Added Seafood. Its NAICS code is 44525 and its SIC code is 5400.