What Gutfried does

Gutfried GmbH is a privately held German packaged-meat producer founded in 1971 and headquartered in Böklund, Schleswig-Holstein. The company specializes in poultry-based (Geflügel) deli meats and sausages — a lighter-protein positioning versus traditional pork-heavy Wurst — and operates under the leadership of Managing Directors Axel Knau and Ole Seidel. Its core product portfolio spans sliced deli meats (Gutes in Scheiben), whole-piece products, fresh sausages including bratwurst and cocktail sausages, organic certified poultry products (Gutes in Bio), refrigerated, service-deli, and frozen formats, plus a dedicated children's sub-brand (Gutfried Junior) with a snack-box SKU. Gutfried also markets a plant-based meat-alternative line under the 'Wie' brand (WieMortadella, WieHähnchenbrust, WieLachsschinken, WieLeberwurst) produced from rapeseed, peas, and wheat proteins, targeting flexitarian consumers.

The business model is consumer goods retail distribution: Gutfried manufactures branded poultry products and sells them through German grocery channels across three retail formats — chilled aisle, service deli counter, and frozen cabinet — at standard consumer price points. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Marketing is anchored by a long-running TV advertising campaign that has run continuously since 1972, supported by a consumer recipe hub, nutrition tips, and promotional mechanics such as the 'Einlaufkinder' Schalke 04 program. The operating geography is the DACH region, with no disclosed international expansion, no external investors or parent company, and no public revenue reporting. The company has no disclosed AI, software, app, or technology integrations; its digital footprint is brand and content oriented rather than technology-product oriented.

Name

Gutfried

Legal name

Gutfried GmbH

Website

https://gutfried.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gutfried GmbH is a German poultry-based deli-meat and sausage producer, founded in 1971, selling branded sliced meats, sausages, organic, frozen, and plant-based 'Wie' products to general German consumers and families through supermarket chilled, deli-counter, and frozen formats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Processed Poultry Meat (Sausages and Deli Meats)

NAICS

Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116), Poultry Processing (311615)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Poultry Cured/Smoked & Deli Products (Turkey Ham, Deli Slices, Bacon-Style) (AFANACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refrigerated Meat & Seafood (Processed/Packaged) (CRADACAK), Canned Meat, Poultry & Seafood Manufacturing (AFAKACAD), Offal & Variety Meats Processing (Liver, Kidney, Heart, Tongue, Tripe) (AFANAJAA)

Keywords

• Poultry sausage products
• Processed poultry meat
• Deli meat manufacturer
• Plant-based meat alternatives
• Organic poultry products

Headquarters

HQ city

Boklund

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Gutfried GmbH manufactures and sells a broad range of poultry-based sausages, sliced deli meats, whole-piece products, organic certified items, frozen items, and plant-based meat alternatives (the "Wie" line) under its own Gutfried brand, plus child-focused snacks under the Gutfried Junior sub-brand. Products are primarily distributed through German retail grocery channels across refrigerated, fresh deli, and frozen formats, supported by long-running TV advertising and a recipe-driven consumer website.

Product overview

Gutfried is a German poultry meat company offering a diversified portfolio of poultry-based and meat-free products. The product lineup centers around poultry sausages and sliced meats under the main Gutfried brand, with a specialized sub-brand called Gutfried Junior targeting children. The core offerings are organized into eight product categories: Gutes in Scheiben (sliced products for sandwiches), Gutes als ganzes Stück (whole piece products), Gute Würstchen (sausages), Gutes in Bio (organic products), Gutes aus dem Kühlregal (refrigerated products), Gutes von der Frischetheke (fresh counter products), Gutes ohne Fleisch (meat-free plant-based alternatives under the Wie line), and Gutes aus der Tiefkühltruhe (frozen products). The company also offers meat-free alternatives branded as 'Wie' products (WieMortadella, WieHähnchenbrust, WieLachsschinken, WieLeberwurst, WieTeewurst) made from plant proteins including rapeseed, peas, and wheat. Products are primarily sold in German supermarkets with a focus on quality-controlled poultry products enjoyed by German consumers for over 40 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gutfried Junior: A sub-brand targeting children with snack products like the Gutfried Junior SNACK-BOX, operated through the website https://www.gutfried-junior.de/

Products and services

• Gutfried Junior SNACK-BOX A four-compartment snack box product line for children and adults, part of the Gutfried Junior sub-brand. Designed as a portion-controlled, ready-to-eat poultry snack offering.
• Gutfried Junior Sub-brand of Gutfried targeting younger consumers with snack products, including the SNACK-BOX. Operated through a dedicated website at gutfried-junior.de.
• Geflügel-Bratwurst Poultry bratwurst in natural casing, classic style, suitable for grilling.
• Hähnchen-Würstchen Hot Dog American-style chicken hot dog sausage for everyday meals and grilling.
• Bio Hähnchenbrust Organic chicken breast made from tender chicken breast fillets, cured and cooked. Sold under the Gutfried Bio line.
• Bio Geflügel-Salami Organic poultry salami, hearty smoked, made from 100% poultry meat. Sold under the Gutfried Bio line.
• WieHähnchenbrust Vegan sliced meat alternative in the style of chicken breast, fried, based on rapeseed, peas and wheat. Part of the Gutfried "Wie" meat-free line.
• WieLachsschinken Klassik Smoked plant-based salmon ham alternative, part of the meat-free "Wie" product line.
• WieMortadella Plant-based mortadella-style sliced product, finely spicy, made from rapeseed oil and egg white powder. Part of the meat-free "Wie" product line.
• WieMortadella Paprika Plant-based mortadella-style sliced product with fresh paprika, made from rapeseed oil and chicken egg white powder. Part of the meat-free "Wie" product line.
• Putenbrust Natur Aromatic-fine turkey breast with a delicate smoky note, made with 85% turkey breast meat. Sliced deli product for sandwiches and cold cuts.
• Putenbraten Roast Turkey Hearty roasted turkey from tender turkey medallions, finely cooked and pan-fried for extra savory flavor. Sliced deli product.
• Puten-Lachsschinken Tender turkey salmon ham, finely sliced, made from 113g turkey meat per 100g product. Sliced deli product.
• Puten-Salami Savory turkey salami with delicate smoky note, suitable for pizza or sandwiches. Made from 121g turkey meat and 13g vegetable fat per 100g. Sliced deli product.
• Puten Krakauer Hearty turkey Krakauer with green pepper, representing conscious and modern nutrition. Sliced deli product.
• Puten Grillbrust Gently cooked turkey grill breast with a delicate grill flavor for everyday meals. Sliced deli product.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rügenwalder Mühle: German processed meat and sausage brand with a parallel plant-based strategy (Rügenwalder Veggie); competes head-to-head with Gutfried in chilled deli, sliced meats, and meat-free alternatives across German retail.
• Meica: German sausage brand (Tönnies Group) producing poultry and meat sausages, hot dogs, and deli products with overlapping SKU mix in German retail grocery.
• Böklunder: German poultry sausage specialist (part of PHW Group) directly competing with Gutfried in the Geflügelwurst category across German supermarket refrigerated and fresh deli shelves.
• Reinert: German family-owned meat processor producing sausages and convenience meat products including poultry lines; comparable Mittelstand brand competing in the same German retail sausage category.
• Zur Mühlen Gruppe: German sausage and convenience meat producer supplying branded and private-label deli products; directly comparable in poultry/cooked sausage manufacturing and retail grocery supply.

Regional players

• Salomon Hitburger: Austrian/German-adjacent sausage and processed meat brand with comparable product formats; competes with Gutfried in DACH grocery channels but primarily Austria-focused.

Broad incumbents

• Herta: Long-established German processed meat brand (owned by Nestlé) covering sliced meats, cold cuts, and sausages; competes with Gutfried across mainstream chilled deli categories in German retail.
• Wiesenhof: Germany's leading poultry brand (PHW Group), broader than Gutfried as it covers fresh whole birds, parts, and processed poultry; overlaps directly with Gutfried's poultry deli and sausage lines.

Emerging players

• Garden Gourmet (Nestlé): Nestlé's German plant-based brand providing meat alternatives in chilled and frozen aisles; competes with Gutfried's 'Wie' plant-based line and increasingly with the chilled deli shelf overall.

Others

• Rote Wand / Private Label deli producers: German private-label and co-manufacturing deli meat producers supplying retailer-owned poultry sausage brands; structurally squeeze Gutfried's shelf economics even though not direct brand competitors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gutfried

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Gutfried