Fredy's

What Fredy's does

Fredy's AG is a Swiss premium bakery founded in 2003 by Fredy Hiestand, the inventor of the pre-baked frozen butter croissant in 1988, and is headquartered in Baden, Switzerland. The company produces a portfolio of artisan baked goods including breads, baguettes, croissants, a specialty Lievito Madre (Italian mother yeast) line produced without cultivated yeast, seasonal products such as Augustweggli, a multi-variant Burger Buns line, and sweet pastries made with Swiss premium chocolate. Since December 2019 Fredy's has been the first craft bakery in Switzerland to process exclusively pesticide-free grain, sourced from over 250 IP-SUISSE, Bio, and Demeter certified Swiss farmers through Alb. Lehmann Lindmühle AG, alongside Appenzeller Bergbutter from Appenzeller Milch AG, Schweizer Salinen Sel des Alpes, and Geflügelhof von Euw free-range eggs. The company operates a 24-hour Vorteig (pre-dough) fermentation process and produces over 3,000 tonnes of pesticide-free flour annually with approximately 150 employees.

Name

Fredy's

Legal name

Fredy's AG

Website

https://fredys.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fredy's AG is a Swiss premium bakery producing frozen artisan breads, croissants, Lievito Madre, and seasonal specialties for top-tier gastronomy and specialty retailers across Switzerland, complemented by direct retail ordering and on-site baking courses. It employs ~150 people and processes over 3,000 tonnes of pesticide-free Swiss flour annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Baden

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Gastronomy Supply: B2B sales of premium frozen baked goods (Tiefkühlprodukte) to top-tier gastronomy sector (Spitzengastronomie) and selected trading houses (Handelshäuser) throughout Switzerland. Products include pastries, breads, croissants, and specialty items.
2. Retail Product Sales: Direct retail sales of baked goods through the company's ordering system (Sortiment) to end consumers and businesses.
3. Baking Courses & Events: Baking courses offered under the 'Backen mit Fredy's' brand, including beginner and advanced bread courses, braid dough workshops, and specialty bread courses. Courses accommodate up to 12 participants and run 3-5 hours each.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fredy's AG produces and sells a wide range of premium fresh and frozen baked goods, including breads, baguettes, croissants, burger buns, pastries, and seasonal specialties, made with 100% Swiss pesticide-free flour, Appenzeller Bergbutter, and traditional 24-hour pre-dough fermentation methods without artificial additives. The company supplies these products B2B to top-tier gastronomy and selected trading houses throughout Switzerland, and also offers a consumer baking school (Backen mit Fredy's) led by a certified bread sommelier.

Product overview

Fredy's AG is a Swiss premium bakery founded by Fredy Hiestand (known as the 'Gipfelikönig' or 'croissant king') in 2003. The company operates as a traditional bakery with no software or technology product. Its core offering is a portfolio of premium fresh and frozen baked goods, encompassing daily breads (including a specialty Lievito Madre / Italian mother yeast line and a French-style baguette), burger buns in multiple variants (classic, spelt, and vegan), seasonal specialties such as the Augustweggli, and sweet pastries featuring Swiss premium chocolate from Max Felchlin AG (featured in the Choco Guide 2025). These products are distributed to fine-dining restaurants and select retail outlets throughout Switzerland. Complementing the baked goods, Fredy's offers a 'Backen mit Fredy's' baking course program led by Peter Kasimow, Switzerland's first certified Brot-Sommelier, providing hands-on workshops and tasting events at its Baden facility. The company employs approximately 150 people and processes over 3,000 tonnes of pesticide-free Swiss flour annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Backen mit Fredy's: Baking courses and culinary events brand launched in 2024, offering beginner and advanced bread courses, workshops on braided dough, and specialty bread workshops led by certified bread sommelier Peter Kasimow.

Products and services

• Fredy's Backwaren (Baked Goods Range) Premium fresh and frozen baked goods including breads, loaves, baguettes, croissants, pastries, seasonal items, and specialty products. Made with 100% Swiss flour from pesticide-free sources, Appenzeller Bergbutter, and natural ingredients without artificial additives. Sold B2B to top gastronomy and trading houses, and direct to consumers via the website ordering system.
• Lievito Madre Brot (Italian Mother Yeast Bread) Specialty bread produced with Lievito Madre (Italian mother yeast / firm sourdough) without cultivated yeast. Features medium-large crumb structure, fluffy interior, crispy crust, and a malty-fruity aroma. Available in light (wheat) and dark (with seeds) variants. Suitable for consumers with yeast sensitivities.
• Baguette French-style baguette made with IP-SUISSE quality flour, fermented over 10 hours before baking, hand-slit, and packaged in 22-piece cartons at 350g per piece. Distributed B2B and via retail ordering.
• Burger Buns A burger bun product line with three variants: classic 'Deluxe' with Appenzeller Bergbutter, a rectangular spelt (Dinkel) bun, and a vegan bun made with homemade almond milk. Launched as a seasonal summer offering.
• Augustweggli Seasonal Swiss National Day (1 August) specialty bun made with butter braid dough and Appenzeller Bergbutter. Pre-order only with limited availability.
• Choco Guide Chocolate-Bread Pairing Products Sweet baked goods made with Swiss premium chocolate (Couverture from Max Felchlin AG, Ibach SZ), featuring chocolate-bread pairing products and indulgences. Featured in the Choco Guide 2025.
• Backkurse — Backen mit Fredy's (Baking Courses) Hands-on baking courses and tasting events under the 'Backen mit Fredy's' brand, offered at the Baden headquarters. Four formats: beginner bread course, advanced bread course, braid dough workshop, and specialty bread course. Led by Switzerland's first certified Brot-Sommelier Peter Kasimow. Up to 12 participants, 3-5 hours per session; participants take home baked goods and a branded apron. Optional add-ons include bakery tours and apéros.

Quantifiable outcome

• First craft bakery in Switzerland to use exclusively pesticide-free grain
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Appenzeller Milch AGcoreOthers · 1 September 2021Supplier of exclusive Appenzeller mountain butter for all Fredy's products since September 2021. Inner- and Outer-Rhodes mountain farmers deliver milk year-round. Over 20 alpine farmers summer their cows in the Alpstein area. Butter produced according to high standards of manufacturer's brand regulations.
• Paul von Euw (Geflügelhof von Euw)coreOthers · 1 December 2019Supplier of Swiss free-range eggs from Oberglatt, Canton Zurich. Also supplies IP-SUISSE grain from pesticide-free farming since 2019. Over 3,000 happy Swiss hens produce more than 1,000,000 free-range eggs annually for Fredy's bakery. Hens are fed with home-grown or regional grain.
• Alb. Lehmann Lindmühle AGcoreOthersFlour supplier from Birmenstorf AG, providing flour and exclusive specialty mixtures from best Swiss grain from pesticide-free farming with IP-SUISSE certification (ladybug logo), or from organic or Demeter farming.
• Max Felchlin AGminorOthersPremium Swiss chocolate supplier from Ibach, Canton Schwyz. Produces finest Swiss chocolate for Fredy's sweet baked goods. Partnership of over 20 years with focus on quality, transparency, fairness, sustainability, and intense flavor.
• Schweizer SalinenminorOthersSwiss salt supplier from Bex VD. Produces Sel des Alpes (Alpine salt) from Swiss salt mines, extracted by hand and produced ecologically using centuries-old experience and innovation. Used since early 2020 after laboratory testing revealed microplastics in previous sea salt supply.
• Milchzentrale RubminorOthersDairy supplier from Wettingen AG supplying natural yogurt and other milk products used in Fredy's products such as fruit yogurt rolls. Products largely filled in ecologically sensible milk cans. Described as loyal, reliable, and flexible partner.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aryzta AG: Swiss-headquartered frozen baked goods group supplying B2B food service and retail with artisan and industrial bread/pastry products. Directly comparable to Fredy's as a Swiss-rooted frozen bakery serving HoReCa and retail channels, albeit at much larger scale and with broader geographic reach.
• Bridor (Le Duff Group): French premium frozen bakery producer (part of Groupe Le Duff) supplying artisan breads, Viennoiserie, and pastries to hotels, restaurants, and bakeries worldwide. Directly comparable to Fredy's on premium frozen artisan B2B positioning, with broader international footprint.
• Vandemoortele: Belgian frozen bakery and pastry producer (which acquired the original Hiestand brand) serving European food service and retail with par-baked breads, croissants, and Viennoiserie. Closest pan-European functional peer to Fredy's frozen B2B bakery model and product mix.
• Resch&Frisch: Austrian premium frozen par-baked bakery products supplier to food service and retail across DACH. Comparable to Fredy's on frozen artisan B2B supply, premium positioning, and central European market focus.
• Jüngst GmbH & Co. KG: German frozen bakery producer supplying premium par-baked breads and pastries to retail and food service. Comparable to Fredy's on frozen artisan B2B model, with overlap in DACH customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Harry-Brot GmbH: One of Germany's largest industrial bakeries producing bread and bakery products for retail and food service. Broader incumbent in the same category, competing on volume and price rather than Fredy's craft premium niche.
• La Maison du Pain (Jowa AG): Swiss industrial bakery (part of Migros Industry) producing breads, pastries, and baked goods for retail and food service. Comparable as a domestic Swiss bakery supplier, but competes primarily on scale and price rather than Fredy's premium clean-label niche.

Regional players

• HUG AG: Established Swiss confectionery and biscuits manufacturer with similar premium Swiss-made heritage and retail presence. Comparable to Fredy's on Swiss premium CPG positioning and domestic distribution, though focused on sweet biscuits rather than bread/pastry.
• Bäckerei Bühler: Swiss regional bakery chain producing breads and pastries with artisan positioning. Comparable to Fredy's on Swiss premium artisan bakery positioning; overlaps in retail bakery category but does not directly compete in frozen B2B supply.

Others

• Café Royal / Max Felchlin AG: Swiss premium chocolate couverture supplier and existing partner of Fredy's. Adjacent ecosystem participant in Swiss premium confectionery/bakery ingredients, relevant as a supplier and as a comparable Swiss premium food brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FredysAG

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Fredy's