Querfeld
Querfeld is a Berlin-based B2B distributor that rescues aesthetically imperfect organic fruits and vegetables from partner farms and supplies them weekly to roughly 100 commercial kitchens across Germany.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Querfeld does
Querfeld is a Berlin-based food manufacturing and distribution company that sources aesthetically imperfect ("ugly") organic fruits and vegetables from partner farms in Germany, Spain, and France and supplies them to professional commercial kitchens (Großküchen) across Germany. Its core product is a weekly rotating assortment of Bio-quality produce, distributed via a B2B online ordering portal that requires account activation, with a €100 minimum order for free delivery and weekly logistics routes to Berlin, Munich, and North Rhine-Westphalia. Complementary offerings include Food Safe Reports (sustainability impact reporting), free marketing materials for customer ESG communication, and a partner-farm network page that catalogs supply sources. The business model is direct B2B produce sales priced per kilogram, with producer-side sample prices of €1.00–1.80/kg and customer-specific pricing determined post-registration.
The company was founded in 2016, originating from a 2011 Bauhaus-Weimar student campaign ("Ugly Fruits") that won a 2013 ADC Silver Nail. It scaled initially via subscription boxes (Feldbotschaften) for private customers between 2021 and 2023, then discontinued that B2C line in November 2023 to focus exclusively on commercial kitchens. In 2024, Querfeld GmbH was acquired by Gladrow GmbH & Co. KG, which operates the brand from its Mittenwalde headquarters and holds the relevant organic certification (DE-ÖKO-044). Operationally, Querfeld rescues roughly 6 tonnes of produce per week and supplies approximately 100 commercial kitchens, having rescued over 2.4 million kg cumulatively since founding.
The go-to-market combines sales-led direct outreach, inside sales through the online portal, and event-driven brand activation at festivals; customer segments span corporate catering (Deutsche Bank, HERMES Group, L'Oréal), healthcare (IsarKlinikum), hospitality (HAPPA, Stadt Land Fluss, Roots Radicals), and event caterers. The technology stack is conventional e-commerce infrastructure (MongoDB, AWS S3, HubSpot, Customer.io), there are no disclosed AI capabilities, no venture funding rounds, and leadership consists of the founding team along with the managing director of the new Gladrow parent entity.
Querfeld firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Querfeld
- Legal name
- Querfeld GmbH
- Website
- https://querfeld.bio
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Querfeld is a Berlin-based B2B distributor that rescues aesthetically imperfect organic fruits and vegetables from partner farms and supplies them weekly to roughly 100 commercial kitchens across Germany.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Querfeld industry classification
Industry- Product category
- B2B Foodservice Distribution
- NAICS
- Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Health, Organic & Natural Grocery Wholesale (AFAIABAI)
Keywords
Where Querfeld is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Querfeld business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Product Sales - Commercial: Querfeld generates revenue through the sale of 'ugly' organic fruits and vegetables to commercial kitchens, caterers, and restaurants. Customers place weekly orders through the online shop and pay on invoice or via SEPA direct debit. The pricing is volume-based per kilogram with tiered pricing based on product type.
- Former Subscription Model (Discontinued): Between 2021-2023, Querfeld operated subscription boxes ('Feldbotschaften') for private customers. This model was discontinued in November 2023 to focus exclusively on B2B commercial kitchen customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Commercial customer pricing varies by product type and volume |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Querfeld product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Querfeld sources aesthetically imperfect but otherwise fine organic fruits and vegetables from a network of partner farms and sells them to commercial kitchens — including restaurants, canteens, hospitals, schools, and catering companies — across Germany. Orders are placed through a dedicated B2B online portal and produce is delivered directly to customers, reducing food waste at the farm level and lowering food costs for foodservice operators.
Product overview
Querfeld is a B2B food waste prevention company operating as a platform connecting organic farms with commercial kitchens. The core offering consists of rescued 'ugly' organic produce (Bio Obst & Gemüse) delivered weekly through an online ordering shop. Complementary services include Food Safe Reports for sustainability tracking and marketing materials for customer communication. The company serves the gastronomy sector with a focus on Berlin, Munich, and North Rhine-Westphalia regions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Rescued Organic Produce (Bio Obst und Gemüse) Weekly assortment of certified organic fruits and vegetables that fail retailer cosmetic standards but meet full food-safety and quality criteria. Sold per kilogram to professional kitchens via the B2B shop.
- Querfeld B2B Online Shop Web-based ordering platform (shop.querfeld.app) where registered foodservice customers select weekly produce assortments, manage delivery slots, and receive Food Safe / marketing materials accompanying deliveries.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 30% of each harvest is sorted out because it doesn't meet visual standards of conventional retail
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Querfeld
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Querfeld technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Querfeld partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Gladrow GmbH & Co. KGcoreGladrow GmbH & Co. KG has taken over the brand and team of Querfeld GmbH. Gladrow operates Querfeld as the parent company, managing operations from their headquarters in Mittenwalde. The Querfeld brand continues to operate as a sustainable alternative to conventional wholesale for organic produce.
- LAUTHALScoreLAUTHALS is a creative agency founded by the original design students who created the 'Ugly Fruits' campaign (Frederic and Isabelle). They designed the Querfeld concept as a communication campaign to make 'ugly' produce socially acceptable, and continue to provide branding and communication materials for Querfeld.
- CF GastrominorCF Gastro is listed as a partner, potentially in the distribution or reseller channel for commercial kitchen supplies.
- Too Good To GominorToo Good To Go is a partner in the food waste reduction ecosystem, sharing similar sustainability goals of rescuing surplus food from being wasted.
- Bündnis LebensmittelrettungminorQuerfeld is part of the 'Bündnis Lebensmittelrettung' (Food Rescue Alliance), a coalition working to reduce food waste through policy advocacy and collective action.
- SIRPLUSminorSIRPLUS is a partner in festival collaborations, providing rescued snacks, sweets, and ready meals alongside Querfeld's produce at various music and cultural festivals.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Querfeld competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- foodsharing.de: Germany-wide non-profit platform for sharing surplus food between individuals and businesses. An adjacent food-waste ecosystem player; not a commercial competitor but shapes public expectations and policy around food rescue.
- Too Good To Go: Europe's largest food-waste app, connecting consumers with surplus meals and produce from restaurants and retailers. Listed as a Querfeld partner; operates in the same food-waste prevention ecosystem via a different B2C model.
Emerging players
- Marktschwärmer: Online platform connecting local farmers directly with consumers and food-service operators in Germany. Comparable emerging player in shortening the farm-to-kitchen supply chain that Querfeld also targets.
- Ökofrost: German producer of organic frozen fruits and vegetables. Adjacent emerging player in value-added organic produce with overlapping sourcing concerns (surplus produce) and a comparable sustainability narrative.
Broad incumbents
- Dennree: Germany's largest organic wholesaler, supplying organic food to over 1,300 Naturkost retailers. Represents the scaled organic-wholesale incumbent against which Querfeld's niche rescued-produce offering must compete for commercial-kitchen contracts.
- Alnatura: Major German organic food retailer and producer with nationwide supermarket presence and B2B activities. Represents a broad incumbent in organic produce that competes for the same sustainability-conscious commercial-kitchen customers.
- Weiling: Family-owned organic wholesaler serving over 600 specialist organic retailers across Germany. Comparable to Querfeld as an organic B2B distributor with a broad assortment and significantly larger scale.
- Bode Naturkost: Northern German organic wholesaler supplying Naturkost stores and food service operators. Comparable as a regional B2B organic distributor that could expand sustainability-rescued produce lines into Querfeld's customer base.
Direct peers
- Etepetete: German B2C company selling weekly boxes of 'ugly' organic fruits and vegetables rescued from farm surpluses. Operates in the same rescued-produce niche as Querfeld but targets private consumers via subscription rather than commercial kitchens.
- SIRPLUS: Berlin-based food-waste prevention retailer selling rescued surplus food (snacks, sweets, ready meals, and produce) online and via festival pop-ups. Direct peer in the German food-waste prevention space; explicitly partnered with Querfeld for festival events.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Querfeld social profiles
Digital presenceQuerfeld compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Querfeld financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Querfeld leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Querfeld funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Querfeld 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 Querfeld
What does Querfeld do?
Querfeld sources aesthetically imperfect but otherwise fine organic fruits and vegetables from a network of partner farms and sells them to commercial kitchens — including restaurants, canteens, hospitals, schools, and catering companies — across Germany. Orders are placed through a dedicated B2B online portal and produce is delivered directly to customers, reducing food waste at the farm level and lowering food costs for foodservice operators.
Is Querfeld a public or private company?
Querfeld is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Querfeld founded?
Querfeld was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Querfeld based?
Querfeld is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Querfeld make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Product Sales - Commercial is the primary driver. The others are former Subscription Model (Discontinued).
Who are Querfeld's main competitors?
Others on record are foodsharing.de and Too Good To Go. Emerging players are Marktschwärmer and Ökofrost. Broad incumbents are Dennree, Alnatura, Weiling and Bode Naturkost. Direct peers are Etepetete and SIRPLUS.
Does Querfeld have an API?
No public API is recorded for Querfeld.
What industry is Querfeld in?
Querfeld's product category is B2B Foodservice Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIABAI, Health, Organic & Natural Grocery Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 424480 and its SIC code is 5141.