Kupfers Metzgermarkt

What Kupfers Metzgermarkt does

Kupfers Metzgermarkt, legally Hans Kupfer & Sohn GmbH & Co. KG, is a fourth-generation family-owned German meat and sausage producer founded in 1906 in Heilsbronn. The company operates three production sites — Heilsbronn (headquarters), Nuremberg (Gebrüder Kupfer GmbH & Co. KG), and Günthersleben (Ilmenauer Wurstwaren GmbH & Co. KG) — and employs 1,300+ staff. Its product portfolio spans traditional artisan sausages and hams, a Bioland-certified organic range (KUPFERBio with 11 organic sausage specialities), a regional "Unser Bayern" sub-brand sold through ALDI SÜD in Bavaria under the "Darauf ist Verlass" quality promise, and an alternative-protein business through Kupfer Innovative Food GmbH & Co. KG covering vegan and insect-based products (including the acquired Bugfoundation brand).

The business model blends own-brand retail products with B2B contract manufacturing: private-label production, project-based time-limited manufacturing partnerships, and alternative-protein production services for both large brands and smaller creative companies. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with multi-year B2B contracts and a diversified revenue mix across own-brand sales, private label, and service fees. Distribution combines ALDI SÜD retail (regional), direct B2B food-industry supply (regional), and export to multiple countries worldwide. The company holds a dense certification stack — Bioland, Naturland, QS, IFS, ITW, Haltungsform 3, Regionalfenster — and in 2024 expanded via the 51% acquisition of Allgäu Fresh Foods and a partnership with MyriaMeat on cultured-meat prototypes.

Governance rests with Managing Directors Maximilian (Max) and Johannes Kupfer, Walter Hammerbacher, Achim Sicheler, and Martin Jank, with Otto Kupfer as Supervisory Board Chairman. Recent capital projects include a 10,000 kWp on-site photovoltaic system commissioned in June 2023. The company is privately held by the Kupfer family with no disclosed PE/VC ownership.

Name

Kupfers Metzgermarkt

Legal name

Hans Kupfer & Sohn GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://hanskupfer.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hans Kupfer & Sohn GmbH & Co. KG is a fourth-generation, family-owned German meat and sausage producer (1,300+ employees, three production sites) manufacturing traditional, Bioland-certified organic, and alternative-protein products for retail (e.g., ALDI SÜD) and B2B private-label customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Processed Meat and Sausage Manufacturing

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), All Other Food Manufacturing (31199)

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Certified Further Processing (Sausages, Deli, Cured/Smoked) (AFANAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Export & Private-Label Certified Production (Halal/Kosher) (AFANAIAO)

Keywords

• Meat and sausage production
• Private label manufacturing
• Organic certified sausages
• Alternative protein products
• Regional Bavarian sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Heilsbronn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Label Production: Manufacturing products for brands under their own label - supporting both large brands and small creative companies with high-quality food production
2. Project-based Production: Time-limited manufacturing partnerships with modern production plants for commercially viable solutions
3. Alternative Protein Products: Development and sale of innovative alternative protein products through Kupfer Innovative Food GmbH
4. Own Brand Products: Production and sale of KUPFER branded products including organic, regional, and traditional sausage specialities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KUPFER manufactures traditional German meat, sausage, and poultry specialities alongside organic and alternative-protein product lines at three production sites in Germany. In addition to its own consumer brands (KUPFER, KUPFERBio, Unser Bayern), the company provides contract manufacturing services including private label production, project-based manufacturing, and alternative protein product manufacturing for food brands and retailers.

Product overview

Kupfers Metzgermarkt (Hans Kupfer & Sohn GmbH & Co. KG) is a traditional German family food production company founded in 1906, operating as a versatile production and innovation partner. The company operates three production sites in Heilsbronn, Nuremberg, and Günthersleben. Its product portfolio consists of multiple interconnected lines: (1) Traditional sausage specialities including raw sausages, hams, and grilled products; (2) KUPFER Organic (Bio) product range with certified organic-quality products including Bio Traditions Salami, Lyoner, Geflügel Filetroulade, and Leberkäse; (3) Alternative Proteins through Kupfer Innovative Food GmbH offering vegan and insect-based products including the acquired Bugfoundation brand; (4) The regional 'Unser Bayern' sub-brand with products sold exclusively at ALDI SÜD under the 'Darauf ist Verlass' promise; and (5) Contract manufacturing services for private labels and project-based production. The company also offers production of alternative protein products as a service. Beyond its own brands, the company provides private label production, project-based manufacturing, and holds Bioland and Natureland organic certifications at all sites.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KUPFERBio: Organic-certified sausage specialities product line with 11 organic-quality products and Bioland certification.
• Unser Bayern
• Darauf ist Verlass
• Bugfoundation
• Kupfer Innovative Food
• Metzgfrisch Bio Organic

Products and services

• KUPFER Sausage Specialities Traditional artisan meat and sausage specialities including raw sausages, hams, and grilled sausages made with high-quality craftsmanship and locally sourced ingredients, sold to retail partners and consumers.
• KUPFER Organic (Bio) Range Certified organic-quality sausage specialities including Bio Traditions Salami, Lyoner, Geflügel Filetroulade, and Leberkäse, produced across KUPFER sites since 2016.
• KUPFER Alternative Proteins (Kupfer Innovative Food) Alternative protein product line including vegan and insect-based products developed by Kupfer Innovative Food GmbH, the subsidiary founded in 2020 to commercialise innovative meat substitutes.
• Bugfoundation Insect Burgers Buffalo insect-burger brand acquired by Kupfer Innovative Food representing sustainable protein alternatives with low CO2 footprint.
• Unser Bayern Regional Sausage Products Regional Bavarian sausage specialities including Nürnberger Stadtwurst, Rostbratwurst, Wiener Würstchen, Krustenschinken, Schweinebraten and Kasseler, sold exclusively through ALDI SÜD in Bavaria under the 'Darauf ist Verlass' promise.
• KUPFERBio Organic sausage product line certified by Bioland and Naturland, exceeding EC organic regulations, anchored by eleven organic-quality sausage specialities.
• Private Label Production Contract manufacturing service for brands producing sausage, ham, vegan alternatives and convenience products under the customer's own brand label.
• Project-based Production Time-limited manufacturing partnership using KUPFER's modern production plants with state-of-the-art technology to deliver commercially viable, project-based food production solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products available in Bavarian ALDI SÜD branches since August 2021
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ALDI SÜDcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2021Partnership for distribution of 'Unser Bayern' regional sausage specialities with the 'Darauf ist Verlass' promise. Products are 100% locally grown with animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in Bavaria. Long-term supply contracts with guaranteed premiums for farmers.
• BiolandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Bioland partnership since 2019, the leading association for organic farming in Germany. KUPFER is certified at all sites with Bioland, offering five sausage specialities under the Bioland stamp including Original Nuremberg grilled sausages.
• NaturlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Naturland e.V., the world's largest international organic association, for organic certification and sustainable agriculture practices.
• BugfoundationcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKupfer Innovative Food GmbH & Co. KG acquired brand rights to Bugfoundation, known for buffalo insect burgers. Previously an investor, the company now holds all brand rights following Bugfoundation's operational cessation in August 2021.
• MyriaMeatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MyriaMeat to develop prototypes for hybrid bratwursts with cultured meat and real muscle tissue, combining traditional meat production with innovative food technology.
• Regional Family Farms (Various)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFair and long-term cooperation with regional family farms through the 'Darauf ist Verlass' program. Farmers receive long-term supply contracts, guaranteed premiums, and planning security.
• QS (Quality Scheme)coreTechnology or IntegrationCertification of farms according to QS standard from QAL GmbH. Abattoirs certified according to IFS standard and QS standard, verified according to QAL's 'Geprüfter Qualität Bayern' standard.
• ITW (Initiative Tierwohl)coreTechnology or IntegrationTurkey farms certified according to QS and ITW standards. Cattle farms also participating in ITW program for animal welfare standards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Bell Food Group: Swiss-listed meat and convenience food producer with comparable product breadth across sausage, ham, and ready meals. Geographically distinct from Kupfer (DACH overlap without direct retail competition), but highly comparable in scale, certification focus, and product portfolio diversity.

Broad incumbents

• Vion Food Group: Large Dutch-headquartered European meat processor with broad geographic and product footprint. A broad incumbent competitor in European sausage and processed meat, though with pork and beef focus rather than the artisanal regional positioning of Kupfer.
• Tönnies Group: One of Germany's largest meat processors, focused primarily on pork and beef slaughtering and processing. Operates at substantially greater scale than Kupfer across the value chain, but overlaps in branded and private label sausage production.
• PHW Group (Wiesenhof): German family-owned meat group best known for the Wiesenhof poultry brand, with broader activities in sausage and convenience. Comparable in family ownership and scale, though primarily protein-category adjacent rather than directly competing in pork sausage.
• Westfleisch SCE: German farmer-owned meat cooperative covering slaughtering, processing, and sausage production. A broad incumbent in the same value chain, but with materially larger scale and cooperative ownership structure versus Kupfer's family-owned model.

Direct peers

• Stockmeyer Group: Mid-sized German producer of sausage, ham, and convenience meat products with significant private label exposure. Directly comparable in product range, customer mix, and mid-market scale within the German meat processing sector.
• Rügenwalder Mühle: German family-owned sausage producer of comparable size (~1,000 employees) that has executed a widely watched pivot into plant-based and vegetarian alternatives. Most directly comparable to Kupfer on traditional sausage manufacturing, private label capabilities, and alt-protein strategy.
• Zur Mühlen Gruppe: German sausage and meat products group with strong private label and co-manufacturing focus. Closely comparable to Kupfer in serving retail and B2B customers with branded and own-label products across multiple German production sites.
• H. Kemper GmbH & Co. KG: Family-owned German sausage and ham producer headquartered in Northern Germany. Comparable in mid-sized scale, traditional sausage specialization, and family governance structure, though with less alt-protein exposure than Kupfer.
• Edeka Fleischwerke: Meat processing arm of Edeka Group, Germany's largest grocery retailer. Operates in-store meat programs and private label manufacturing for Edeka stores, with a comparable retail-private-label model that overlaps with Kupfer's ALDI SÜD partnership and B2B private label business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hans-kupfer-sohn-gmbh-co-kg

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Kupfers Metzgermarkt