What Bastra does

Bastra (legal entity: BASTRA GmbH) is a privately held German manufacturer of industrial cooking and smoking systems for the food industry, founded in 1946 as Bayha & Strackbein GmbH and headquartered in Arnsberg-Hüsten, Germany. The company develops, manufactures, and sells a portfolio of cooking kettles, universal cooking and smoking installations (organized into a Classic Line for craft/butcher trade and an Industrial Line for industrial food producers), the BASTRASmart500 compact unit, wood chip smoke generators, climate aging/maturing installations, and the Profi1000 control system with BASTRA Net documentation software. Its proprietary liquid smoke technology, protected by patents since 1998, is positioned as a core technical differentiator enabling low-emission, healthy smoking processes.

The company serves four primary customer segments: butchery trade/craft, industrial food producers, supermarket/retail chains (via the BastraSmart500 'transparent production' concept), and specialty food processors including fish and cheese. GTM combines direct enterprise field sales (regional managers plus dedicated Asia/SEA representatives), internal back-office sales, and a 40+-country international distribution partner network; marketing relies heavily on trade-fair participation (IFFA, Fish International) and the corporate website. The company earns revenue primarily through one-time capital-equipment sales with quote-based pricing, supplemented by installation/commissioning services and recurring maintenance/service contracts. Bastra is a 100% owner-managed, third-generation family business that underwent an insolvency and restructuring in 2019, re-emerging under new management (Managing Director Matthias Cleffmann) with a continued focus on the German-manufactured, installed-base-driven industrial-equipment model across 80+ countries.

Name

Bastra

Legal name

BASTRA GmbH

Website

https://bastra.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bastra is a third-generation German manufacturer of cooking, smoking, and food-processing equipment, serving butcher trade, industrial food producers, supermarkets, and specialty processors across 80+ countries via direct sales and a 40-country partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Arnsberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Production Systems (Capital Equipment): Manufacturing and selling of technologically sophisticated production systems including cooking kettles, universal cooking and smoking installations (Classic Line and Industrial Line), smoke generators, climate aging equipment, and the BastraSmart 500 compact unit. Revenue is generated through one-time capital equipment sales with prices varying based on configuration and capacity.
2. Installation and Commissioning Services: Professional installation and commissioning services for production systems, with customers bearing installation costs. Services include on-site presence of company installers for setup and start-up support.
3. Maintenance and Service Contracts: Ongoing service and maintenance contracts available for production installations. The company offers 24-hour service hotline, certified service partners throughout Germany, and charges EUR 17.00 plus VAT for operating instructions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bastra develops, manufactures, and sells cooking and smoking systems for the food industry, covering meat, sausage, fish, poultry, and cheese processing. The product range includes BASTRAMAT universal cooking and smoking installations (Classic Line and Industrial Line), the BastraSmart 500 compact multifunctional unit, cooking kettles, wood chip smoke generators, and climate aging/maturing installations, all backed by installation, commissioning, and maintenance services. More than 65,000 production systems have been installed in over 80 countries worldwide.

Product overview

BASTRA is a German manufacturer of intelligent cooking and smoking technology systems, organized into two primary product lines: the CLASSIC LINE for craft/trade operations and the INDUSTRIAL LINE for industrial food producers. The CLASSIC LINE includes BASTRAMAT universal cooking and smoking installations (B850-B2000 models) for manual processing of meat, fish, poultry, and cheese. The INDUSTRIAL LINE features multi-trolley BASTRAMAT installations (B4000-B12000 models), smoke generators (600H/1200H), climate aging systems, and Profi1000 control technology with BASTRA Net documentation. The BastraSmart 500 is a compact unit designed for in-store 'transparent production' with unique smoke condensate technology. The product portfolio also includes cooking kettles (2000 Plus series and KDN series), hygiene technology installations, and proprietary liquid smoke technology (patented since 1998). All products are manufactured in Germany (Made in Germany) with a focus on quality, reliability, and environmental compatibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BASTRAMAT: Universal cooking and smoking installations product line for manual treatment and processing of meat, fish, poultry and cheese.
• BASTRASmart500

Products and services

• BASTRAMAT Classic Line (B850, B1200, B1500, B2000) Universal cooking and smoking installations for manual treatment and processing of meat, fish, poultry, and cheese in craft and trade operations. Available in four capacity models (B850, B1200, B1500, B2000) emphasizing high productivity, reliability, and environmental compatibility for butchers and craft producers.
• BASTRAMAT Industrial Line (B4000, B6000, B8000, B10000-B12000) Multi-trolley cooking and smoking installations designed for industrial meat, sausage, and food producers. Includes large-capacity units (B4000 through B12000), with capacities up to 10 trolleys in cooking/smoking chambers, up to 42 trolleys for climate maturing, and up to 100 trolleys for post-ripening, paired with professional planning, project development, and commissioning services.
• BastraSmart 500 Compact multifunctional smoking, cooking, and roasting unit for in-store 'transparent production'. Supports hot smoking, cold smoking, roasting, reddening, drying, cooking, and steaming of meat, sausage, fish, cheese, and casseroles, featuring BASTRA smoke condensate technology for healthy, low-emission smoking. Targeted at supermarket, butchery, and retail in-store applications.
• BASTRA Cooking Kettles (2000 Plus, KDN 50, KDN 120, KDN 150, KDN 200) Cooking kettle installations with long service life, top quality, and optimum functionality. Includes the 2000 Plus series (self-supporting stainless steel construction with seamless hygienic kettle insert and full insulation achieving efficiency levels over 90%) and the KDN series (KDN 50, 120, 150, 200) for varied capacity needs in butcher trade and industrial operations.
• Wood Chip Smoke Generators (600 H and 1200 H) High-performance wood chip smoke generators available in two versions: standard (HS) with all necessary components for powerful smoke generation, and extended (HE) with additional user-friendly and innovative functions. Available in 600 H and 1200 H capacities for industrial smoking applications.
• Climate Aging and Maturing Installations Climate aging and post-ripening installations for controlled maturation processes. Includes ceiling-mounted climate units (DG 1210, DG 64) and full climate maturing rooms supporting up to 42 trolleys for climate maturing and up to 100 trolleys for post-ripening. Used by industrial food producers for ripening and maturing meat, sausage, and specialty foods.
• Installation and Commissioning Services Professional installation and commissioning services for BASTRA production systems, including on-site presence of company installers for setup and start-up. Customers bear installation costs separately from equipment pricing.
• Maintenance and Service Contracts Ongoing service and maintenance contracts for BASTRA production installations, supported by a 24-hour service hotline, a network of certified service partners throughout Germany, and an online service request form. Charges include EUR 17.00 plus VAT for sending operating instructions upon customer request.

Quantifiable outcome

• Efficiency level over 90 percent for cooking kettles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Red ArrowcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership for low-emission and user-friendly smoking solutions. Joint focus on serving supermarkets, the butchery trade and industry with innovative smoking technology. Collaboration mentioned in Südwestfalen-Manager magazine coverage.
• Die RäuchereiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Collaborative participation in Fish International fair 2012 in Bremen demonstrating liquid smoke technology within 'transparent production' context. Joint walk-in production line operated at fair.
• PronaconminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Joint participant with Die Räucherei and Red Arrow in Fish International fair 2012 walk-in production line demonstrating entire smoking process under real conditions.
• Friedensdorf InternationalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharitable partnership where Bastra financially supported children in Oberhausen following a report by WP/WR about Friedensdorf International's work. Part of company Christmas campaign 2014.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GEA Group: German-headquartered global large-cap manufacturer of processing equipment and plant technology for food (meat, dairy, bakery) and other industries. A diversified incumbent whose meat-processing solutions overlap with Bastra's industrial cooker/smoker portfolio, especially at large-scale industrial customers.
• Provisur Technologies: US-headquartered global supplier of food processing equipment, including cooking, smoking, and forming systems for protein processors. A larger broad-line incumbent competing with Bastra's Industrial Line on multi-trolley installations and larger processor accounts.
• Heat and Control: US-based global manufacturer of food processing and packaging equipment, including thermal processing and smoking systems for protein producers. Overlaps with Bastra in industrial cooking/smoking installations for meat and food manufacturers.
• Marel: Icelandic global full-line supplier of equipment, systems, and services to the food processing industry (meat, poultry, fish). A broad incumbent whose cooking and smoking product categories directly overlap with Bastra's thermal-processing technology.
• John Bean Technologies (JBT): US-listed global food technology and processing solutions provider with cooking, smoking, freezing, and protein-processing equipment. Competes with Bastra at the industrial end of the market with significantly broader geographic and product reach.

Emerging players

• Handtmann Maschinenfabrik: German manufacturer specializing in filling, portioning, and forming technology for meat and sausage production. An adjacent player serving the same German industrial meat-processing customer base as Bastra, with partial overlap in industrial meat-production lines.

Direct peers

• Maurer-Atmos: German manufacturer of industrial smoking and cooking installations for meat and sausage producers, headquartered in Reichenbach/Fils. Direct competitor to Bastra in the same European craft and industrial smoker niche with overlapping product lines for butcher trade and food industry.
• Mauting: Czech manufacturer of industrial smoking, cooking, and maturing installations for meat processors. Closely comparable to Bastra on thermal food processing equipment, serving the same craft-to-industrial customer spectrum across Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bastra

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Bastra