Kauffer's

What Kauffer's does

Kauffer's d'Alsace S.A.R.L. is a French frozen food manufacturer founded in 1984 and headquartered in Brumath, Alsace, with a second production facility in Neunhoffen operating under the Gourmet d'Alsace sub-brand. The company produces traditional Alsatian specialty foods — Flammekueches (tarte flambée), Grumbeerekiechle (potato rösti), Mini Feuilletés (puff pastry appetizers), Alsatian-style baguettes, and Viennoiseries (croissants and chocolate croissants) — using recipes passed down through generations and predominantly hand-prepared ingredients at IFS-certified facilities. Annual production capacity totals approximately 4,780 tonnes across 50+ SKUs and 40+ recipes, with over 1,000 in-house taste tests conducted annually to maintain quality consistency.

The company operates a B2B wholesale model, selling exclusively through major French retail grocery chains (Leclerc, Système U, Intermarché, Carrefour, Casino, Simply, Auchan) and, more recently, the German retailer Kaufland. Products are positioned as authentic, regional Alsatian cuisine with French-sourced ingredients and no nitrites in lardons, targeting health-conscious French consumers seeking convenient ready-to-prepare traditional meals without defrosting (8–15 minute oven preparation). Pricing is set by retail partners and varies by channel and region; no direct-to-consumer e-commerce or disclosed subscription model is in operation.

Kauffer's has been a subsidiary of Escal, a family-owned frozen food manufacturer operating since the 1970s, since its 2011 acquisition. The company holds IFS certification (2012), Savourez l'Alsace regional brand membership (2013), and GDPR-compliant data practices. Marketing relies on social media (Facebook, Instagram), recipe content, TV advertising, and annual trade show participation at Anuga and M.A.D.E. The legal entity has share capital of €160,000, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Kauffer's

Legal name

Kauffer's d'Alsace S.A.R.L.

Website

https://kauffers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kauffer's is a French frozen food manufacturer producing traditional Alsatian specialties — Flammekueches, Grumbeerekiechle, puff pastry appetizers, and baguettes — distributed through major French retail chains and, more recently, Kaufland in Germany. The company sells to retail consumers seeking convenient, authentic regional cuisine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brumath

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Frozen food products: Kauffer's generates revenue through the sale of frozen Alsatian specialty foods including flammekueches, potato rösti (Grumbeerekiechle), puff pastry appetizers, baguettes, and pastries through retail grocery channels

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kauffer's manufactures and sells frozen Alsatian specialty foods, including Flammekueches (tarte flambée), Grumbeerekiechle (potato rösti), Mini Feuilletés (puff pastry appetizers), Alsatian-style Baguettes, and Viennoiseries (croissants and chocolate croissants). Products are produced using semi-artisanal methods with hand-placed toppings and traditional regional recipes passed down through generations, and are sold through major French grocery chains and select international retailers.

Product overview

Kauffer's is an Alsatian food company (SARL) founded in 1984, acquired by Escal in 2011, offering a portfolio of over 50 frozen Alsatian specialty products. The product line centers on traditional Flammekueches (tarte flambée) as the flagship offering, complemented by Grumbeerekiechle (potato pancakes/Rösti), Mini Feuilletés (puff pastry appetizers), Baguettes (Alsatian-style baguettes), and Viennoiseries (pastries). Products are manufactured in Alsace using traditional regional recipes with ingredients sourced primarily from French and regional suppliers, with many items prepared by hand. The company emphasizes French ingredients, nitrite-free products, and IFS-certified quality standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gourmet d'Alsace: Sub-brand for pastry products including croissants and chocolate croissants, produced in Neunhoffen in northern Alsace.

Products and services

• Flammekueches Traditional Alsatian Flammekueche (tarte flambée) with extra-thin crispy pastry topped with cream and fromage blanc mixture, garnished with lardons, onions, cheese, and other ingredients. Varieties include Alsace-style, Munster cheese, forestière, individual sizes, and seasonal editions. Sold through French retail grocery chains to consumers seeking quick preparation (8-15 minutes, no defrosting).
• Grumbeerekiechle (Kartoffel-Rösti) Alsatian potato pancakes (Grumbeerekiechle) made from 100% Alsatian potatoes using a traditional recipe. Not pre-fried, with no fat added during manufacturing; pan-fried after without defrosting. Available in natural, bacon, vegetable, farm animal shapes, stars, and mini sizes. Targeted at consumers seeking authentic regional potato specialties.
• Mini Feuilletés Mini puff pastry appetizers including canapés, toasts, tartelettes, mini Flammekueches, and festive varieties. Dough is made on-site from carefully selected ingredients. Ready in minutes without defrosting, targeted at consumers hosting aperitifs and entertaining.
• Baguettes Alsatian-style baguettes featuring Flammekueche flavors in baguette form. Made with crispy half-baguettes topped with cream, quark, lardons, and onions. Ready in 10-15 minutes without defrosting, sold through French retail chains.
• Viennoiseries (Pastries) Frozen pastries including croissants and chocolate croissants prepared using artisanal methods at the Gourmet d'Alsace production facility in Neunhoffen, northern Alsace. Requires overnight rising before baking. Sold under the Gourmet d'Alsace sub-brand through retail channels.

Named customers7 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• EscalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Kauffer's was acquired by Escal, a family company that has been a frozen food manufacturer since the 1970s. Escal brought fresh ideas and inspired Kauffer's in creating new recipes such as flammekueche with gambas, flammekueche with Maroilles cheese, and potato rösti with bacon. Escal also provides access to their stand at trade shows like Anuga and M.A.D.E.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vandemoortele: Belgian-headquartered frozen bakery group producing puff pastry, viennoiseries, and savory pastry products across Europe. Direct overlap in frozen puff pastry and savory appetizer categories where Kauffer's Mini Feuilletés compete.
• Bridor: Bridor is a leading French manufacturer of frozen viennoiseries, breads and puff pastries serving foodservice and retail across Europe. Directly comparable to Kauffer's in frozen bakery production, B2B retail channel mix, and French heritage positioning.
• Délifrance: Délifrance produces frozen viennoiseries, pastries and breads for retail and foodservice, with strong French and pan-European presence. Closely comparable product mix (frozen bakery/pastry), channel strategy, and French heritage.
• Brioche Pasquier: Brioche Pasquier is a major French family-owned bakery manufacturer with frozen and ambient viennoiseries/breads in French and European grocery. Comparable in family-company DNA, French heritage, frozen/ambient bakery portfolio, and retail channel exposure.
• La Rose Noire: La Rose Noire manufactures frozen pastry and bakery products (tarts, viennoiseries, puff pastry) for retail and foodservice across Europe. Comparable in product mix and channel mix to Kauffer's bakery/apéritif range.
• Escal: Escal is Kauffer's parent company and a family-owned French frozen-food manufacturer established in the 1970s. As the strategic owner of Kauffer's since 2011, Escal shares production know-how, trade-show presence, and product innovation.

Broad incumbents

• Bonduelle: Bonduelle is a large French-headquartered frozen and canned vegetable/specialty food group with strong French retail presence. Comparable as a French frozen-food incumbent in grocery channels, though its category focus is more vegetable-centric.
• McCain Foods: McCain is the global leader in frozen potato products (including rösti-style offerings) with broad frozen-food portfolio across Europe. Competes most directly with Kauffer's Grumbeerekiechle (rösti) but operates at significantly larger scale and wider geographic footprint.
• Iglo (Nomad Foods): Iglo is a leading European frozen-food brand owned by Nomad Foods covering fish, vegetables, and prepared meals across major grocery channels. Broad incumbent in European frozen retail, with overlap in frozen ready-meal/heat-up categories where Flammekueche competes.

Others

• Picard: Picard is France's leading specialist frozen-food retailer, with a curated own-brand assortment that includes flammekueche-style products. Not a manufacturer peer but a key channel competitor for consumer frozen-specialty spending in France.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kauffers
• Instagraminstagram.com/kauffers_alsace

Compliance2 records

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 Kauffer's