What Merat does

Mérat AG is a Swiss B2B food distribution company specializing in meat, poultry, and seafood products for the gastronomy sector. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Bern, the company operates nine regional gastro-butcheries across Switzerland (Basel, Bern, Graubünden/Davos, Luzern, Romandie/Wallis, Zürich/Ostschweiz, Ticino) that deliver fresh and frozen products daily to restaurants, hotels, care homes, and hospitals. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Micarna SA, itself part of the Migros Group, Switzerland's largest retail conglomerate, providing significant supply-chain and ownership backstop. The Liechtenstein market is also served in addition to Switzerland.

The company's product portfolio spans commodity meat, poultry, and seafood, premium offerings including the proprietary Swiss Gourmet Grand Cru dry-aged line (available as whole cuts or in portioned, individually packaged, shock-frozen formats), and sustainable seafood sourced through a 2023 partnership with the Blueyou Group (including the Selva Shrimp brand). Core technology is centered on temperature-controlled fresh and frozen logistics with proprietary portioning and flash-freezing capabilities. Ordering is processed through a B2B e-commerce platform launched in 2022 (shop.merat-tipesca.ch) and supported by regional account managers for consultative sales. Sub-brands include Tipesca Seafood and Tipesca, the latter operating primarily in the Ticino region.

Mérat generates revenue through transaction-based pricing on daily CHF-denominated product sales, with a minimum order value of CHF 350 per delivery (below which a CHF 30 transport surcharge applies) and 30-day net payment terms for invoiced customers. Customers span Swiss restaurants, hotels, care homes, and hospitals, with a secondary premium segment targeting executive chefs and fine-dining establishments. Sustainability credentials (IP-certified pork, Blueyou sustainable seafood) have been built out as a procurement differentiator since 2023, though revenue, headcount growth rates, and financial details are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Merat

Legal name

Mérat AG

Website

https://merat.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Mérat AG is a Swiss B2B food distributor supplying meat, poultry, and seafood to restaurants, hotels, care homes, and hospitals through nine regional gastro-butcheries and a proprietary B2B e-commerce platform. A subsidiary of Migros Group (via Micarna SA), it has served Swiss gastronomy for over 70 years.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Service Distribution

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refrigerated Meat & Charcuterie Wholesale (AFAIAHAI), Charcuterie & Cured Meats Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAE)

Keywords

• Meat poultry distribution
• Seafood wholesale
• Gastronomy supply
• Food service distribution
• Dry-aged beef

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Fresh & Frozen Meat Products: Sale of premium meat, poultry, and seafood products to Swiss gastronomy professionals through direct delivery model. Products include fresh meat, frozen portions, dry-aged specialties, and charcuterie. Revenue is transaction-based with daily pricing (Tagespreise) in CHF.
2. Online Shop Platform: B2B e-commerce platform (shop.merat-tipesca.ch) enabling customers to order products online with delivery to their establishments.
3. Specialty Products: Premium products including Swiss Gourmet Grand Cru line and sustainable seafood brands (Selva Shrimp). Products are vered (portioniert) and available as flash-frozen.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Mérat AG is a Swiss B2B supplier of fresh and frozen meat, poultry, and seafood products to gastronomy professionals including restaurants, hotels, care homes, and hospitals. The company operates nine regional gastro-butcheries across Switzerland that deliver daily fresh products, complemented by a proprietary B2B online ordering platform (shop.merat-tipesca.ch). It offers premium specialty lines such as Swiss Gourmet Grand Cru dry-aged meats, Tipesca Seafood, and sustainable seafood brands including Selva Shrimp.

Product overview

Mérat AG operates as a diversified food distribution company serving Swiss gastronomy professionals, offering a unified portfolio centered on premium meat, poultry, and seafood products. The core offering is accessed through the Mérat Tipesca Online platform, supplemented by nine regional gastro-butcheries providing local delivery and advisory services. The product range spans commodity meats and specialty items — from IP-certified Swiss pork to the premium Swiss Gourmet Grand Cru line — alongside the Tipesca Seafood sub-brand featuring sustainable options like Selva Shrimp from the Blueyou Group partnership. Merat positions itself on Swiss sourcing, regionality, full traceability, and sustainability credentials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tipesca Seafood: Seafood brand offering fish and crustacean specialties for gastronomy professionals.
• Swiss Gourmet Grand Cru
• Tipesca

Products and services

• Mérat Tipesca Online (B2B Webshop) Proprietary B2B e-commerce platform enabling gastronomy professionals (restaurants, hotels, care homes, hospitals) to order the full Mérat product range online with flexible delivery scheduling to their establishments.
• Swiss Gourmet Grand Cru Premium Swiss meat product line representing the highest level of butcher's craft, featuring proprietary character, complex flavor profiles, and pleasant consistency. Available as whole cuts or in portioned, individually packaged, shock-frozen formats for professional kitchens and in-restaurant dry-aging cabinets.
• Tipesca Seafood Professional seafood sub-brand offering a wide range of fish and shellfish specialties for gastronomy professionals, including sustainable options from the Blueyou Group partnership such as Selva Shrimp, salmon, tuna, and Octopus Flower. Operates primarily in the Ticino region.
• Selva Shrimp Sustainable shrimp brand sourced through the Blueyou Group partnership, promoting 'Blue Food' and environmentally responsible seafood consumption in the gastronomy sector.
• IP Schweinefleisch (IP Pork) IP (Integrated Production) certified pork with strict quality guidelines maintained from farm to point of sale, offering full traceability to the product's origin for sustainability-conscious gastronomy customers.
• Fleisch (Fresh and Frozen Meat) Core range of fresh and frozen meat products including premium steaks, beef, veal, pork, lamb, and charcuterie specialties, sourced from Swiss raw materials where possible and supplied to gastronomy partners through daily fresh delivery.
• Geflügel (Poultry) Swiss poultry product range offered to gastronomy partners, responding to growing customer demand for chicken and other poultry products in restaurants and large-scale kitchens.

Quantifiable outcome

• Flash-freezing preserves quality, unique aroma, and full flavor of premium meat products

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Blueyou GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2023Mérat AG partnered with Blueyou Group to develop sustainable seafood offerings for the Swiss gastronomy market. The partnership includes sustainable brands like Selva Shrimp to promote 'Blue Food'. Blueyou Group acts as a competence center, service, and distribution company for sustainable and socially integrative blue food origins and regenerative food systems. The collaboration aims to offer customers sustainable seafood products including salmon, tuna, and Octopus Flower.
• Swiss Gourmet Grand CrucoreOthersExclusive partnership for Swiss Gourmet Grand Cru dry-aging program offering premium vered (refined) meat products. Products include portioned, individually wrapped, and flash-frozen meat cuts with consistent quality and unique flavor profiles.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bell Food Group: Switzerland's largest meat and convenience food processor, supplying meat, poultry, charcuterie, and seafood to retail and foodservice across Switzerland and Europe. Direct competitor to Mérat in B2B meat/seafood distribution to gastronomy, with deeper vertical integration and broader product range.
• Frutiger AG: Swiss meat, sausage, and seafood supplier serving gastronomy, retail, and the food industry. Comparable to Mérat in product mix (fresh meat, charcuterie, seafood) and B2B Swiss gastro customer base, with a regional-to-national footprint.
• Micarna SA: Sister Migros Group company focused on meat, poultry, and convenience production. Shares the same parent as Mérat, operates a similar B2B foodservice model, and is the most directly comparable Swiss meat processor in terms of customer base and product mix.
• Ernst Sutter AG: Swiss fresh meat and charcuterie producer historically serving the gastronomy and retail market, now part of the Bell Food Group. Direct historical peer to Mérat in B2B Swiss meat distribution and charcuterie supply.
• Bigler AG Fleischwaren: Swiss meat processor and B2B supplier of fresh meat, charcuterie, and convenience meat products to gastronomy and retail. Comparable to Mérat in product portfolio, Swiss regional distribution, and foodservice customer focus.

Broad incumbents

• Transgourmet Schweiz AG: Coop Group's B2B foodservice distribution arm, supplying fresh, frozen, and dry goods including meat and seafood to Swiss gastronomy and care/catering operators. Overlaps with Mérat in protein supply to hotels, restaurants, and institutional kitchens, but operates a far broader assortment.
• Howeg: Swiss B2B gastro cash-and-carry and delivery wholesaler (Migros Group), serving restaurants and caterers with a broad assortment that includes meat and seafood. Overlaps with Mérat in the Swiss gastronomy supply channel and shares Migros Group ownership.
• Pistor AG: Switzerland's leading independent B2B foodservice wholesaler, providing a broad assortment including meat, seafood, and convenience products to restaurants, hotels, and institutional kitchens. Comparable to Mérat in B2B gastro distribution and delivery model, but with a much wider product range beyond protein.
• Hilcona AG: Liechtenstein-based convenience and fresh food manufacturer (part of Coop Group), serving retail and foodservice with prepared meat, fish, and vegetarian products. Adjacent peer to Mérat through shared B2B foodservice channel and overlapping protein categories.

Emerging players

• Metzgerei-Klein AG: Swiss regional meat and charcuterie supplier focused on quality and local sourcing for gastronomy and retail. Niche player comparable to Mérat's premium positioning and gastro customer focus, but with a more limited geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tipesca.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/merat-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merat