Erasco

What Erasco does

Erasco is a German food brand producing canned and preserved ready meals, including stews (Eintöpfe), soups (Suppen), multi-compartment meal trays (Menüschalen), meat dishes (Fleischgerichte), and baked beans, sold to German retail consumers. The brand traces its origin to 1950, with predecessor companies in Lübeck dating to 1873, and has held market leadership in German canned ready meals since 1974. Erasco operates alongside sub-brands Heisse Tasse (instant cup soups) and Lacroix (premium conserves), all housed under GB Foods Deutschland GmbH, a private limited company headquartered at Geniner Strasse 88-100, Lübeck.

The company's production relies on traditional canning and sterilization technology, executed at a large-scale facility in Lübeck modernized in 2014-2016 with investment exceeding €15 million, plus a secondary site in Gerwisch. The product range spans classic German dishes such as Lübecker Hochzeitssuppe, Königsberger Klopse, and Kohlrouladen, alongside international variants introduced from 2017 onward. Recent product evolution includes the chilled ready meals line Erasco Fresh (2016) and a glass-jar natural-ingredient soup range launched in 2026.

Erasco's business model is a B2C retail consumer goods operation, distributing through German supermarket chains, the Amazon.de marketplace, and a direct factory outlet at the Lübeck manufacturing site. The company targets German households seeking convenient, quality meal solutions with traditional recipes. Ownership structure places Erasco under GB Foods Deutschland GmbH, itself a subsidiary of GB Foods Group (formerly Continental Foods Europe), which has been controlled by CVC Capital Partners since its 2013 acquisition from Campbell Soup Company. The Hamburg HafenCity office opened in 2025 as a separate commercial hub adjacent to the group's headquarters.

Name

Erasco

Legal name

GB Foods Deutschland GmbH

Website

https://erasco.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Erasco is a German canned and preserved ready-meals brand producing stews, soups, meal bowls, and meat dishes for German retail consumers. It operates under GB Foods Deutschland GmbH in Lübeck, distributing through German supermarkets, Amazon.de, and a factory outlet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Canned and Preserved Prepared Foods

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing (311991)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Shelf-Stable Ready-to-Eat Meals & Meal Kits (Packaged) (CRADAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refrigerated Prepared Meals (Chilled Ready Meals) (CRADADAM), Shelf-Stable/Retort Prepared Meat & Seafood Meals (AFANAFAE), Shelf-Stable Pantry Staples (Grains, Pasta, Rice, Beans, Canned Foods) (CRADAAAA)

Keywords

• Canned ready meals
• Preserved soups
• Shelf-stable foods
• Instant cup soups
• Prepared meat dishes

Headquarters

HQ city

Lübeck

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail food products sales: Sale of prepared canned foods including stews, soups, meat dishes, and meal trays through retail grocery stores, Amazon marketplace, and factory outlet

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Erasco manufactures and sells shelf-stable canned and jarred prepared foods — primarily Eintöpfe (hearty stews), Suppen (soups), Menüschalen (multi-compartment meal trays), Fleischgerichte (meat dishes) and Baked Beans — for German households seeking convenient ready-to-heat meals. The portfolio is complemented by the Heisse Tasse instant cup soup sub-brand and the Lacroix premium conserves brand, distributed through retail grocery chains, Amazon.de and the company's factory outlet in Lübeck.

Product overview

Erasco is a German food manufacturing company producing canned and preserved foods, primarily soups, stews, and ready meals. The product portfolio centers on Eintöpfe (hearty stews) available in 1-portion, standard family-size, and vegetarian varieties; Suppen (soups) including cream soups, clear soups, and regional specialties; Menüschalen (meal bowls) in multi-compartment microwaveable trays; Fleischgerichte (meat dishes) like Königsberger Klopse; and Baked Beans. The company also operates sub-brands including Heisse Tasse (instant cup soups) and Lacroix (premium conserves). Erasco's products are distributed through retail channels and a factory outlet in Lübeck, with the company motto 'Das Gute daran ist das Gute darin' (The good in it is the good in it) emphasizing quality ingredients and recipes. Recent innovations include natural soups in glass jars with 100% natural ingredients, and the Erasco Fresh chilled product line launched in 2016.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Heisse Tasse: Instant soup brand offering cup soups in various flavors including champignon cream, Chinese vegetable soup, beef consommé, French garlic soup, vegetable cream, chicken, potato cream, cheese cream, leek cream, asparagus cream, Thai curry, tomato mozzarella, tomato cream, and forest mushroom sour cream.
• Lacroix

Products and services

• Eintöpfe (Stews) Canned and preserved stews in meat-based (chicken, beef, pork), legume-based (pea, lentil, bean) and vegetarian variants, offered in 1-portion, family-size standard and vegetarian formats, for German households seeking ready-to-heat meals.
• Suppen (Soups) Canned and jarred soups including cream soups, clear soups and regional specialties, available in 1-portion cans, family-size cans and a new glass-jar format made with 100% natural ingredients, for German households.
• Menüschalen (Meal Bowls) Multi-compartment microwaveable meal trays with separated meat, vegetables and side dishes, providing quick complete meals; variants include Hacksteaks, Königsberger Klopse, Kohlroulade, Rindergulasch and Rinderroulade.
• Fleischgerichte (Meat Dishes) Ready-made canned meat dishes such as Königsberger Klopse in caper sauce, Jäger-Hackbällchen (hunter meatballs), and Kohlrouladen (stuffed cabbage rolls) for German consumers.
• Baked Beans Baked beans in tomato sauce, a versatile product positioned for breakfast or light meals, sold in cans.
• Heisse Tasse Instant cup soups and instant meals sub-brand offering cream soups, clear soups and curry variants in cup format for quick preparation, including champignon cream, Chinese vegetable, beef consommé, French garlic, vegetable cream, chicken, potato cream, cheese cream, leek cream, asparagus cream, Thai curry, tomato mozzarella, tomato cream and forest mushroom sour cream variants.
• Lacroix Premium fine-food conserves brand offered alongside Erasco and Heisse Tasse, sold via the factory outlet and retail channels.
• Erasco Fresh Chilled soups and stews line with 7 variants, extending the Erasco range into the refrigerated ready-meal segment.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GB Foods Deutschland GmbHcoreOthersErasco is a brand owned and operated by GB Foods Deutschland GmbH, headquartered in Lübeck, Germany. The company also operates GB Foods Production Deutschland GmbH from the same location.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Frosta: Frosta is a leading German frozen ready-meal brand competing for the same convenience-meal occasions as Erasco. Comparable target consumer, retail channel, and convenience positioning, though frozen rather than shelf-stable.
• Campbell Soup Company: Campbell was Erasco's former parent (1996–2013) and remains a global benchmark for canned soup and ready meals. While it exited Germany, it remains a category reference point and comparable multinational canned-soup operator.
• Rügenwalder Mühle: Rügenwalder Mühle is a German prepared-food manufacturer with strong heritage brands in meat products and a growing plant-based range. Comparable retail-groceries presence and convenience-meal positioning, including the chilled segment.
• Kühne: Kühne is one of Germany's largest producers of preserved vegetables, condiments, and shelf-stable meal components. Overlaps with Erasco on retail grocery shelf-space competition and shelf-stable meal ingredients.
• Iglo (Nomad Foods): Iglo is a leading German frozen fish and ready-meal brand under Nomad Foods, competing for the same convenience-meal occasions and household meal occasions as Erasco.

Direct peers

• Stockmeyer: Stockmeyer is a German producer of canned meat products, soups, and ready meals with strong retail presence. Comparable product categories (canned sausages, meat-based ready meals, soups) and German retail positioning.
• Hengstenberg: Hengstenberg is a German manufacturer of shelf-stable preserved foods including sauerkraut, pickles, and ready meals. Directly comparable in shelf-stable canned/preserved food manufacturing and German grocery distribution.
• Maggi (Nestlé): Maggi is Nestlé's heritage German soup and seasoning brand, competing head-to-head with Erasco in canned soups, instant cup formats, and bouillons. Comparable product format, retail channel, and consumer targeting.
• Knorr (Unilever): Knorr is Unilever's flagship soup, stock, and meal-solution brand with deep German market presence across canned soups, broths, and ready meals. It is the most direct competitor to Erasco in the German shelf-stable soup and ready-meal category.

Regional players

• Wolf (Wolf Würdinger): Wolf Würdinger is a German specialist in canned meat products including sausages, luncheon meats, and ready meals. Comparable product format and German retail channel, primarily in southern Germany and Austria.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ErascoDeutschland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gb-foods-production-deutschland-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Erasco