Norddeutsche Kaffeewerke GmbH

What Norddeutsche Kaffeewerke GmbH does

Norddeutsche Kaffeewerke GmbH (NDKW) is a German private limited company that operates a single production facility in Upahl, northern Germany, focused on contract manufacturing of freeze-dried instant coffee for international coffee brands and private-label customers. Its core technology is freeze-drying, which the company describes as the gentlest instant-coffee production process, preserving bean quality and flavour better than spray-drying or agglomeration. Beyond standard freeze-dried instant coffee, NDKW produces Microgrind (micro-fine ground freeze-dried coffee), dry and liquid coffee concentrates via advanced extraction processes, and accepts custom blend development. The company also processes coffee at each production stage - roasting, extraction, and freeze-drying - as separate contracted services for clients requiring specific capability or European-standard quality.

NDKW runs a pure B2B enterprise field-sales model, with assigned experts consulting directly with clients on specifications, blend development, and packaging (25-kg bulks or individually branded portions). It holds IFS Food, BRCGS, SGS, European Kosher, Organic, Fairtrade, and Rainforest Alliance certifications, qualifying it for ESG-screened and kosher private-label buyers across European and global markets. Pricing is quote-based, determined by volume, blend complexity, and packaging, with no publicly disclosed price list.

Since 2012, NDKW has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Strauss Group, an Israeli-headquartered global coffee company. The parent provides centralized green-coffee sourcing via a Swiss purchasing office and R&D support through the Strauss Coffee Technology Center in Israel. NDKW's Upahl facility sits near Hamburg - described as the world's largest transshipment point for green coffee and Europe's third-largest container port - enabling multimodal export logistics supporting more than 4,500 tonnes of annual instant coffee deliveries to international clients.

Name

Norddeutsche Kaffeewerke GmbH

Legal name

Norddeutsche Kaffeewerke GmbH

Website

https://ndkw.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Norddeutsche Kaffeewerke GmbH operates a freeze-dried instant coffee contract-manufacturing facility in Upahl, Germany, serving international coffee brands and private-label customers under Strauss Group ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freeze-Dried Instant Coffee Manufacturing

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Instant Coffee & Coffee Extract Manufacturing (AFAFADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Coffee & Tea Beverage Co-Packing (RTD Coffee/Tea, Cold Brew) (AFAFAIAD)

Keywords

• Freeze-dried instant coffee
• Coffee contract manufacturing
• Private label coffee
• Custom coffee blends
• Instant coffee production

Headquarters

HQ city

Upahl

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Manufacturing - Standard Products: Production and supply of standard freeze-dried instant coffee products to international clients. Volume-based production of standard blends.
2. Customized Blend Development: Development of unique blends with characteristic aromas for clients and their customers, including roasting, extraction and freeze-drying as separate services.
3. Contract Processing Services: Processing coffee at each stage of production as a separate service including roasting, extraction and freeze-drying.
4. Packaging Solutions: Delivery in 25-kg bulks or individually branded and portioned products for clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Norddeutsche Kaffeewerke GmbH is a contract manufacturer of freeze-dried instant coffee, producing standard products and customized blends for international coffee brands and private label companies. The company uses a gentle freeze-drying process that preserves bean quality and flavor, offering microgrind instant coffee, dry and liquid coffee concentrates, and contract processing services (roasting, extraction, freeze-drying) with flexible packaging in 25-kg bulks or branded portions.

Product overview

Norddeutsche Kaffeewerke GmbH (NDKW) operates as a single unified offering: a premium freeze-dried instant coffee production facility. The core product is freeze-dried instant coffee, which forms the foundation of the portfolio. This is supplemented by three primary product variants: Microgrind (micro-fine ground freeze-dried instant coffee) and Coffee Concentrates (dry and liquid extracts). Raw material variants include Arabica and Robusta single-origin coffees, which are blended into Customized Blends. The company also offers two service modules: Contract Manufacturing Services (roasting, extraction, and freeze-drying as separate contracted services) and Packaging Solutions (bulk delivery in 25-kg packaging or branded/portioned formats). Production capacity exceeds 4,500 tonnes annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Freeze-Dried Instant Coffee

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Strauss Coffee Technology Center (Israel)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Strauss Coffee Technology Center in Israel for coffee expertise and technology advancement. Specialists from both entities work together on coffee production innovation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• BMR Coffee & Beverages: European contract manufacturer specializing in instant coffee, coffee extracts, and private-label beverages. Comparable to NDKW as a smaller, specialized B2B instant coffee co-packer serving brand customers in the same category.

Direct peers

• AGF Instantina (Albertengo): Italian private-label instant coffee manufacturer serving European retailers with freeze-dried and spray-dried products. Closely comparable to NDKW as a focused contract instant-coffee producer operating in the same European private-label market.
• CCL Products (India): India's largest instant coffee exporter and a major private-label instant coffee contract manufacturer. Directly comparable to NDKW as a B2B instant coffee producer serving global brands and private labels with similar spray-dried and freeze-dried capabilities.
• Tata Coffee: Vertically integrated Indian coffee company producing instant coffee for B2B and private-label customers. Comparable to NDKW as an instant coffee manufacturer with plantation-to-extract integration targeting export and brand-supply customers.
• Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group: Global coffee group operating Boncafé and large private-label roasting/instant operations. Comparable to NDKW as a B2B private-label coffee manufacturer serving retail and foodservice customers across multiple geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Strauss Group: Parent company and one of the world's largest coffee groups, operating instant coffee brands (e.g., Elite, Tasters Choice) globally. It is comparable to NDKW as the strategic parent and operator of broader instant coffee production and brand portfolios that source freeze-dried instant coffee at scale.
• JDE Peet's: Global coffee and tea group behind brands such as Douwe Egberts, Jacobs, and L'OR. Comparable to NDKW as a large-scale instant coffee producer and brand owner that both competes for and supplies private-label volumes across Europe.
• Luigi Lavazza: Italian coffee major producing roasted, ground, and instant coffee under its own brand and for private-label customers. Comparable as a European-headquartered incumbent with overlapping instant coffee and private-label activities competing for similar European accounts.
• Nestlé (Nescafé): World leader in instant coffee via Nescafé, operating large freeze-dried and spray-dried plants globally. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in the same instant coffee category NDKW serves, often competing for the same private-label and brand-supply contracts.

Regional players

• Tchibo: German coffee retailer and roaster with single-serve and instant coffee lines. Comparable as a Germany-based coffee company that buys instant coffee for its branded portfolio and could be a customer or competitor for similar private-label supply contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/norddeutsche-kaffeewerke-gmbh-upahl

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Norddeutsche Kaffeewerke GmbH