Lehnherr

What Lehnherr does

Lehnherr SA is a privately held, family-owned Swiss wholesale distributor of premium specialty foods, founded in 1917 in Marin, Switzerland, and now headquartered in a purpose-built facility in Bevaix, Neuchâtel. The company operates a daily, temperature-controlled delivery network across Switzerland, supplying butchers, restaurants, hotels, caterers, and public institutions with fresh and frozen poultry, game, fish, shellfish, foie gras, caviar, and ready-to-eat catering items. Its core product lines are organized around three proprietary quality tiers: the standard Lehnherr Label (HACCP-compliant cutting, transformation, and cold-chain delivery), the Lehnherr Sélection premium label for butchers, and the Lehnherr Bio organic label certified by Procert. The assortment is augmented by long-standing producer partnerships with French and Swiss specialty houses including Maison Castaing (foie gras), Maison Tarbouriech (oysters), Maison Rougié (lobster and scallops), Huîtres Cadoret, Soulard and Challans poultry, and Perche Löe trout.

The business generates revenue through three channels: B2B wholesale with negotiated pricing communicated by sales representatives; a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront (lehnherr.mycommerce.shop) selling gift baskets (CHF 90–220) and seafood platters; and weekly telephone-order pickup offers at the Bevaix facility. Ancillary revenue includes a partnership with Too Good To Go (since 2019) for surplus inventory and curated gift basket sales through social media contests and events. Customer-facing technology is conventional (Joomla-based website, e-commerce storefront, email newsletter, Facebook/Instagram presence); the principal operational technology stack centers on HACCP food-safety systems, cold-chain logistics, and product traceability from producer to customer.

Lehnherr is currently led by fourth-generation siblings Caroline Lehnherr (Commercial Director) and Frédéric Lehnherr (Administrative and Financial Director) alongside their father Jean-Pierre, supported by a production manager and buyer/sales advisor, totaling approximately 25 employees. The company is entirely family-held with no disclosed institutional investors, operates only in Switzerland, and does not publish financial information. Recent strategic activity has centered on quality-label launches (Bio and Sélection in 2017), selective acquisitions (Label de la Gruyère), and channel diversification (DTC e-commerce, Too Good To Go), rather than geographic or scale expansion.

Name

Lehnherr

Legal name

Lehnherr SA

Website

https://lehnherr.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lehnherr SA is a Swiss family-owned wholesale distributor, founded in 1917 and based in Bevaix, that supplies premium poultry, game, seafood, foie gras, and caviar to butchers, restaurants, hotels, caterers, and public institutions across Switzerland via daily temperature-controlled delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Food Wholesale Distribution

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (42447), Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers (42442), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refrigerated Meat & Charcuterie Wholesale (AFAIAHAI), Ethnic Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Specialty food wholesale
• Premium poultry distribution
• Fresh seafood supplier
• Game meat distributor
• Fine foods importer

Headquarters

HQ city

Bevaix

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Distribution: Bulk distribution of premium poultry, game, fish, and seafood products to professional customers including butchers, restaurants, hotels, and public institutions across Switzerland
2. Direct Retail Sales: Direct sales to consumers through e-commerce platform, telephone orders, and weekly special offers for pickup at the Bevaix facility
3. Premium Gift Baskets: Specialty gift basket packages featuring premium products for holiday seasons, priced at 90-220 CHF
4. Too Good To Go Partnership: Sale of unsold products through the Too Good To Go food waste reduction application

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lehnherr is a Swiss wholesaler and distributor of premium specialty foods, offering fresh and frozen poultry, game, fish, shellfish, foie gras, and caviar to professional customers. The company sources products from exclusive French and Swiss producers, manages a HACCP-certified cold chain, and provides daily Switzerland-wide deliveries to butchers, restaurants, hotels, caterers, and public institutions. They also operate a consumer-facing e-commerce shop for gift baskets, seafood platters, and weekly specialty offers.

Product overview

Lehnherr is a Swiss B2B food distributor (Bevaix, Neuchâtel) founded in 1917, serving professional clients including butchers, restaurants, hotels, caterers, and public institutions across Switzerland. The company operates as a specialist poultry, game, fish, and shellfish merchant offering three distinct product lines: the core Lehnherr Label (quality guarantee), Lehnherr Bio (certified organic poultry), and Lehnherr Sélection (premium curated products for butchers). Core product categories span fresh and frozen poultry (including Bresse AOC and Label Rouge), fresh fish and shellfish (sea bass, turbot, oysters, lobsters, scallops), game (feathered and fur game in season), foie gras and duck products, caviar, and ready-to-eat catering items. The company also distributes specialty imported products including Iberian pork secreto, canned fish (La Brujula), and rabbit products under the Relax Rabbit label. Products are delivered daily via temperature-controlled trucks, and an e-commerce shop (lehnherr.mycommerce.shop) serves direct orders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lehnherr Bio: Organic poultry label featuring healthy natural feeding, transparent manufacturing process, and sustainable production with Procert certification.
• Lehnherr Sélection

Products and services

• Volailles (Poultry)

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 years in business, celebrating centenary in 2017
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CASIC (Coopérative d'Achat de la Société Suisse des Importateurs et Marchands de Comestibles)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1950Long-standing partnership since 1950 with the Swiss Society of Importers and Dealers in Comestibles. CASIC was founded in the 1930s to address difficult economic conditions and supply the national market with first-rate food products reliably. Lehnherr collaborates with CASIC for purchasing and networking with industry peers.
• Maison CastaingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-owned foie gras producer from Les Landes, France, founded in 1925, now in 4th generation with Jean-Daniel Castaing. Produces Label Rouge certified foie gras and specialty products. Lehnherr has collaborated with Castaing for many years as a key supplier of premium foie gras products.
• Les Volailles de ChallanscoreOthersPremium poultry producer from Vendée, France, part of the Les Volailles Elie Freslon group. Chickens raised in small bands with access to pine forests and meadow pastures, fed certified organic cereals without antibiotics or growth accelerators.
• Ernest Soulard (Mère Soulard)coreOthersTraditional poultry producer from Vendée, France. Known for Yellow Chicken raised 9-10 weeks with certified 100% vegetable, mineral, and vitamin feed. Highly valued by rotisseries for cooking quality and excellent value.
• Maison TarbouriechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMediterranean oyster producer from Lagune de Thau, France, founded in 1990s. Leader in French Mediterranean oyster farming with exclusive 'solar tide' cultivation method (patented 2006) recreating controlled tides using solar energy. Also develops ostherapy skincare products.
• Huîtres CadoretcoreOthersFifth-generation oyster producer from Riec-sur-Belon, Brittany, France. Jacques Cadoret and son Jean-Jacques farm 200 hectares of oyster parks. Specializing in 'Perle Noire' oysters from Carantec, refined in Belon river for 6-12 months.
• Les Salines DuclosminorOthersFamily mussel farming enterprise since 1963, located 20km north of Mont-Saint-Michel in Baie de Granville. Produces Bouchot mussels with unique taste and texture from oak and chestnut post cultivation method.
• Roman Kaviroff CaviarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium caviar producer using Iranian method, traveling to Swiss market for luxury dining experiences. Offers non-pasteurized caviar with natural maturation and short expiry dates for exceptional taste. Partner for Snow Golf Trophy event in Gstaad.
• Maison RougiécoreOthersFrench premium seafood producer specializing in blue lobster and scallops. Blue lobster is wild-caught in Breton and British Atlantic waters, processed using HPP (high pressure) decortication and cryogenic flash freezing within 45 minutes of catch.
• Roberto (Pasta Producer)minorOthersGeneva-based artisan pasta maker producing traditional Italian-style pastas including agnolotti, cannelloni, fagottini, and lasagna. Uses superior semolina quality and free-range eggs, working with local vegetable farmers.
• La BrujulaminorOthersGalician artisan cannery since 1910 producing premium seafood conserves ideal for Spanish-style tapas and appetizers. Products include sardines and squid caught fresh from Galician and Cantabrian seas.
• Too Good To GominorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood waste reduction app partnership launched in 2019. Lehnherr offers unsold products through the platform, contributing to environmental sustainability while providing value to consumers.
• Perche LöecoreOthersOnly farm in Valais producing locally controlled origin trout from egg to fillet. Raised without antibiotics or medication in pure spring water with 100% Swiss traceability.
• WildgourmetminorOthersSpecialty game supplier for hunting products including venison, wild boar, and hare with robust flavors for autumn cuisine.
• Escargot Mont d'OrminorOthersSwiss snail producer supplying premium escargots for fine dining preparations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Maison Castaing: French 4th-generation producer of Label Rouge foie gras and specialty duck products. Both a Lehnherr supplier and a comparable competitor in the premium French foie gras category that Lehnherr resells; comparable on craft heritage and AOC/Label Rouge positioning.
• Maison Rougié: French premium seafood specialist in blue lobster, scallops, and foie gras (Euralis group). Comparable on premium seafood and foie gras categories that Lehnherr resells, and a Lehnherr supplier as well as a competing brand in fine-dining channels.

Broad incumbents

• Bell Food Group AG: Switzerland's largest integrated meat, poultry, seafood, and convenience producer and distributor. Overlaps with Lehnherr in poultry, charcuterie, and seafood distribution to Swiss retailers and HoReCa, but at industrial scale and with own-brand manufacturing rather than specialist curation.
• Labeyrie Fine Foods: France-based premium category leader in foie gras, smoked salmon, and festive gourmet products sold across European retail and foodservice. Comparable on the foie gras and premium smoked/seafood SKUs that Lehnherr distributes in Switzerland, but at substantially larger scale and as a brand owner rather than a Swiss distributor.

Direct peers

• Bianchi Gruppe: Long-established Swiss foodservice distributor (meat, charcuterie, seafood, convenience) supplying hotels, restaurants, and caterers. Comparable in customer overlap (HoReCa) and product breadth, though operating at substantially larger scale than Lehnherr.
• Transgourmet Schweiz AG: One of Switzerland's largest foodservice wholesalers, supplying fresh, frozen, and dry goods to restaurants, hotels, and caterers. Direct comparable to Lehnherr's professional B2B delivery model in the same Swiss market, though at much greater scale and with a much broader general-line assortment.
• Savisa AG: Swiss specialist meat and poultry wholesaler serving butchers, restaurateurs, and the food industry with nationwide refrigerated distribution. Closely mirrors Lehnherr's core poultry/meat B2B proposition and Swiss-wide cold-chain delivery footprint.
• Möfag AG: Swiss foodservice wholesaler distributing fresh, frozen, and convenience products to gastronomy, hotels, and care institutions across Switzerland. Comparable GTM (B2B daily delivery to professional kitchens) and overlapping customer base with Lehnherr.
• Frischeparadies Schweiz: Premium specialty food distributor serving top restaurants and hotels in Switzerland with a curated assortment of fish, seafood, meat, cheese, and gourmet products. Most directly comparable to Lehnherr on premium-positioning, specialty seafood/offerings, and HoReCa customer mix.

Regional players

• Maître Coq: Major French poultry processor specialising in Label Rouge and certified poultry. Comparable on premium poultry sourcing and Label Rouge positioning to Lehnherr's Lehnherr Sélection/Bresse AOC poultry assortment, though primarily a French-market producer with regional rather than Swiss-direct competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lehnherrcomestibles
• Instagraminstagram.com/lehnherr.comestibles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Lehnherr