What Gartenfrisch does

GARTENFRISCH Jung GmbH is a family-owned German producer of ultra-fresh convenience food products, headquartered in Jagsthausen, Baden-Württemberg, and operating as part of the JUNG Unternehmensgruppe (Jung Group). The company cultivates approximately 500 hectares of farmland within a 15km radius of its headquarters and processes products within 30 minutes of harvest, producing ready-to-eat salad bowls, meal-sized bowls, XXL family salads, vegetable cups, bagged salads, grill trays, fruit products, and pre-cooked sugar corn. The company self-describes as a market leader in the German ultra-fresh convenience segment and is credited with pioneering fresh-cut salads in Germany. Underlying production technology emphasizes sustainability and resource efficiency: GPS-controlled field cultivation, Strip-Till, Mulchsaat, and Direktsaat farming methods, a two-stage counterflow washing system that minimizes water usage, and energy generation from biological production waste. Packaging uses 80% recycled PET with approximately 20% plastic reduction versus prior packaging.

The business model is B2B with quote-based pricing (not publicly disclosed) and operates through a vertically integrated distribution structure. Sister company Premium Fresh Network GmbH handles sales and customer relationship management, while GFT Logistic GmbH (100+ trucks, ~400 employees, 8,000+ sqm cold storage) provides daily nationwide cold-chain delivery across Germany, including individual-item fulfillment. Customer segments are concentrated in food retail and grocery (primary) and food service (secondary), with no end-consumer direct sales channel. The company is in its third generation of family ownership as of 2020 and the Jung family occupies the majority of senior management roles across the group's operating entities.

Name

Gartenfrisch

Legal name

GARTENFRISCH Jung GmbH

Website

https://gartenfrisch.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1795

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Gartenfrisch Jung GmbH is a family-owned German producer of ultra-fresh convenience products, including ready-to-eat salads, bowls, vegetables, and pre-cooked sugar corn. The company serves food retailers and food service clients nationwide via its own cold-chain logistics network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ultra-Fresh Convenience Foods

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Cold Prepared Foods & Meal Components (Sides, Proteins, Family Meals) (CRAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Fresh-cut produce
• Convenience salads
• Ready-to-eat vegetables
• Ultra-fresh convenience
• Cold-chain logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Jagsthausen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Convenience Products: Sale of fresh-cut salads, ready-to-cook vegetables, fruits, and ultra-fresh convenience products. Products include salad bowls, bowls, XXL salads, vegetable cups, salad bags, grill trays, vegetable trays, sugar corn, and fruit products. The company produces from its own or contract farming operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

GARTENFRISCH Jung GmbH produces and distributes ultra-fresh convenience food products — ready-to-eat salad bowls, meal bowls, family-sized salads, bagged salads, vegetable cups, grill trays, fruit products, vegetable containers, and pre-cooked sugar corn — sourced from its own or contract farming operations. The company controls the entire value chain from cultivation (around 500 hectares near Jagsthausen) through processing to nationwide cold-chain delivery, selling primarily to German food retailers and food service operators through sister company Premium Fresh Network GmbH.

Product overview

Gartenfrisch is a family-owned food production company specializing in ultra-fresh convenience products, operating as a market leader in the Frische-Convenience segment. Founded in 1795 and incorporated as GARTENFRISCH Jung GmbH in 1984, the company controls the entire production chain from own cultivation to finished products. The product portfolio consists of ready-to-eat fresh produce including Salatschalen (salad bowls in multiple varieties), Bowls (meal-sized preparations), XXL Salate (family-sized salads), Salate/Gemüse im Becher (cups with salads/vegetables), Salatbeutel (bagged salads), Obst (fruit products), Grillschalen (grilling trays), Foodtainer (vegetable containers), and Zuckermais (pre-cooked sugar corn). The company farms approximately 500 hectares in the Jagsthausen region and processes produce within 30 minutes of harvest. As part of the JUNG Unternehmensgruppe, the company operates alongside sister companies Premium Fresh Network (distribution) and GFT Logistic (cold-chain logistics with over 100 trucks).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Salatschalen (Salad Bowls) Ready-to-eat salad bowls available in varieties including Kebab Art, Käse-Schinken, Griechisch mit Weichkäse, Hähnchen-Hartkäse, Quinoa-Schinken-Ziegenkäse, and Tomate-Mozzarella, produced for German food retail and food service customers.
• Bowls Meal-sized bowl products such as Falafel with Edamame, offering complete ready-to-eat meal combinations for retail and food service customers.
• XXL Salate (Family-sized Salads) Family-sized salad dishes such as Familienschüssel Feldsalat, designed for multiple servings for retail and food service customers.
• Salate/Gemüse im Becher (Salad/Vegetable Cups) Pre-packaged salads and vegetables in cup format, including vegetable spaghetti (Karotte, Zucchini) and Snackbox Pute, marketed as convenient fresh snacks.
• Salatbeutel (Bagged Salads) Pre-packaged salad bags including Baby Leaf Mischung, Feiner Kopfsalat mit Kräutern, and Bunte Salatmischung, for retail fresh-produce shelves.
• Obst (Fresh-cut Fruit) Fresh-cut and packaged fruit products such as Obst Mix, supplied as convenient fruit servings for retail and food service.
• Grillschalen (Grilling Trays) Pre-prepared vegetable mixes in grilling trays for outdoor cooking convenience, sold to retail customers.
• Foodtainer / Gemüseschalen (Vegetable Containers) Convenience food containers featuring vegetable dishes such as Pilzpfanne (mushroom pan) and Rohkost Platte (raw vegetable platter), supplied to retail and food service.
• Zuckermais (Pre-cooked Sugar Corn) Pre-cooked sugar corn sold in packs of 2 cobs, in which Gartenfrisch positions itself as a market leader in cultivation, harvesting, and processing of fresh and pre-cooked sugar corn in Germany.
• Salatschalen mit Sättigungsbeilage (Salad Bowls with Starch Side) Salad bowls combined with a starch or filling component such as Quinoa-Schinken-Ziegenkäse, providing more substantial ready-to-eat meal options.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products delivered within 30 minutes from harvest to processing facility
• +5 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Premium Fresh Network GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSister company that handles sales and distribution of manufactured products. Customers are at the absolute center of daily operations. Activities and prioritization of tasks are aligned to customer needs. The ultra-fresh convenience products market is proactively shaped according to customer needs while maintaining sustainability in harmony with economics and ecology.
• GFT Logistic GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogistics specialist for ultra-fresh and refrigeration sector. Operates fleet of over 100 trucks, approximately 400 employees, and more than 8,000 sqm cold storage capacity. Provides time and cost advantages to customers across all parts of Germany using state-of-the-art technology.
• Jung Unternehmensgruppe (Jung Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company group that Gartenfrisch Jung GmbH is part of since 2015. With approximately 1,000 employees and around 125 million EUR annual revenue, the group is a market leader for innovative products and services in the ultra-fresh convenience sector.
• Reuss KG (Degmarn)minorOthersFarming partner located in Degmarn where colorful salads such as Lollo or Romana are planted. Part of regional cultivation network.
• Willenbacher Hof (Oedheim)minorOthersFarming partner location in Oedheim where endive and frisée are planted as part of seasonal operations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hilcona: Swiss-based convenience food producer of fresh salads, ready meals, and vegetable dishes serving European retail and food service. Comparable in fresh convenience product range, B2B sales model, and focus on regional sourcing and sustainability.
• Bonduelle: French global leader in fresh and processed vegetables, including fresh-cut salads and prepared vegetable products sold to European retailers and food service. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated fresh-vegetable processor with a similar B2B retail customer profile.
• Florette: European fresh-cut salad and ready-to-eat vegetable brand (subsidiary of Agrial cooperative) operating across France, UK, Spain, and other European markets. Highly comparable product range (bagged salads, salad bowls, vegetable trays) and retail go-to-market model.
• SVZ International: European fruit and vegetable processor producing fruit purées, concentrates, and fresh convenience ingredients for food and beverage manufacturers. Comparable in fresh produce processing for B2B customers in Europe.
• D'Arta: Belgian fresh-cut fruit, salad, and vegetable processor supplying European retailers with bagged salads, fresh-cut fruit, and convenience produce. Directly comparable in product mix and retail customer base.

Others

• Eckes-Granini: European beverage and fruit-processing company. Adjacent rather than directly competitive; relevant as a comparable German-headquartered family-influenced food producer with strong retailer relationships across Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Taylor Farms: North American leader in fresh-cut salads, vegetables, and fresh prepared foods serving grocery, food service, and convenience channels. Comparable product portfolio and integrated supply chain; serves as an industry benchmark at larger scale.
• McCain Foods: Global frozen potato and prepared vegetable producer with European operations. Comparable in supplying processed vegetable products to European food service and retail, though primarily frozen rather than fresh-cut.
• Iglo Group: European frozen and chilled food brand group (owned by Nomad Foods) with categories including frozen vegetables and ready meals. Adjacent incumbent offering overlapping convenience fresh/frozen produce categories to European retailers.
• Fresh Express: US-based major packaged salad and fresh vegetable brand owned by Chiquita Holdings. Comparable in fresh-cut bagged salads and value-added vegetable products sold through retail.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GartenfrischJung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Gartenfrisch