Wechsler Feinfisch

What Wechsler Feinfisch does

Wechsler Feinfisch GmbH is a privately held, family-owned German smoked fish manufacturer founded in 1960 and headquartered in Erftstadt-Friesheim. The company operates a single production facility equipped with 18 traditional Altona stone ovens, where fish are hand-salted, smoked whole over open beech wood fire (cold-smoked salmon 10–14 hours at 15–25°C; hot-smoked trout and eel at 80–100°C), and hand-filleted. The portfolio spans smoked salmon, trout, eel, tilapia/cichlid, and prawns across three proprietary brand tiers — Wechsler No.1 (premium), Wechsler Bio (organic), and BioMare (organic specialty) — with over 30 SKUs including recent sauce line extensions launched in October 2025.

The business operates three distribution channels: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop (DPD Express refrigerated delivery within Germany, Monday–Thursday shipping, free over €75); an on-site factory outlet at Erftstadt; and retail distribution through major German supermarket chains (REWE, EDEKA, Real, Karstadt, Kaufhof) and cash & carry operators (Metro, Selgros, Handelshof). The BioMare brand is exclusively placed through organic specialists (Denns Biomarkt, Alnatura, Temma). Revenue is generated primarily through one-time product sales at premium unit pricing (€2.07–€8.49 per 100g), with no subscription, licensing, or SaaS component.

The company maintains a portfolio of certifications (Naturland organic aquaculture, EU-Öko, IFS Food v6.1, ASC, MSC) that exceed minimum EU regulatory standards, and co-founded the IFEA eel conservation initiative in 2009, contributing €0.50 per kg of eel sold. The company is led by owner Theo Jansen, employs 51–100 people, ships only within Germany, and has no disclosed external investors, parent company, or acquisition activity.

Name

Wechsler Feinfisch

Legal name

Wechsler Feinfisch GmbH

Website

https://wechsler.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wechsler Feinfisch is a German family-owned manufacturer of premium traditionally smoked fish, founded in 1960 and based in Erftstadt. It sells salmon, trout, eel, and prawns under the Wechsler No.1, Wechsler Bio, and BioMare brands via German retail, organic specialists, and direct e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smoked Fish Products

NAICS

Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing (311412)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Smoked Meats & Seafood (Hot/Cold Smoking) (AFANAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Smoked & Cured Seafood (Salmon, Herring, Lox) (AFANALAD), Frozen Meat, Poultry & Seafood Manufacturing (AFAKACAG)

Keywords

• Smoked fish products
• Organic fish processing
• Fish manufacturing
• Seafood production
• Premium smoked salmon

Headquarters

HQ city

Erftstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales - E-commerce: Online shop sales directly to consumers with DPD Express refrigerated delivery within Germany. Orders shipped Monday-Thursday with minimum order value of €35 and free shipping over €75.
2. Retail Distribution: Products sold through German retail chains including REWE, EDEKA, Real, Karstadt, Kaufhof, Metro, Selgros, and Handelshof. BioMare brand exclusively available through organic specialist retailers.
3. Factory Outlet Sales: Direct factory sales from their Erftstadt location, open Monday-Friday 8:00-16:00 with cash and card payment available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wechsler Feinfisch is a German fish processor and manufacturer that traditionally smokes salmon, trout, eel, tilapia/cichlid, and prawns over open beech wood fire in 18 Altona stone ovens. The company distributes its products through three proprietary brands (Wechsler No.1, Wechsler Bio, BioMare) across German supermarket chains, organic specialist retailers, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop, and an on-site factory outlet in Erftstadt-Friesheim.

Product overview

Wechsler Feinfisch is a German family-owned manufacturer and distributor of premium smoked fish products based in Erftstadt-Friesheim, operating since 1960. The company operates three proprietary brands: Wechsler Nr. 1 (premium smoked fish for retail), Wechsler Bio (organic smoked fish certified by Naturland), and BioMare (organic fish specialties for the organic/natural food trade). Product portfolio spans smoked salmon variants (Atlantic, Irish organic, wild Alaskan), gravad/marinated salmon, stremel salmon, smoked trout, smoked eel (the company's original product since 1960), smoked tilapia/cichlid, smoked prawns, and accompaniments including spreads and sauces. The company also operates an e-commerce platform for direct consumer sales with refrigerated DPD Express delivery across Germany. Products are traditionally processed in Altona stone ovens over open beech wood fire, using MAP (Modified Atmosphere) packaging technology for extended shelf life of up to three weeks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wechsler No.1: Premium smoked fish products of the highest quality, including smoked salmon, trout, and eel.
• Wechsler Bio
• BioMare

Products and services

• Wechsler No.1 Premium smoked fish sub-brand featuring traditional hand-crafted smoked salmon, trout, eel, and other fish specialties processed in Altona ovens over open beech wood fire. Targeted at quality-conscious consumers via retail and direct channels.
• Wechsler Bio Premium organic smoked fish line using Naturland-certified raw materials with hand-salting and traditional smoking. Targeted at consumers seeking certified organic smoked fish meeting standards stricter than EU Bio regulations.
• BioMare Organic fish specialty sub-brand exclusively available through organic specialist retailers (Denns Biomarkt, Alnatura, Temma). Includes organic salmon, trout, and shrimp products under Naturland and EU organic certifications.
• Wechsler Premium Atlantic Salmon Cold-smoked Norwegian Atlantic salmon traditionally processed 10-14 hours over beech wood fire, hand-salted, and MAP-packaged for up to three weeks of shelf life.
• Wechsler Irish Organic Salmon Hand-salted and stone oven smoked Irish organic salmon, certified by Naturland. Targeted at organic consumers seeking sustainably produced smoked salmon.
• Wechsler Salmon Rolls with Cream Cheese Herb cream cheese wrapped in hearty smoked salmon. Awarded the iTQi Premium Taste Award 2010 with three stars. Targeted at gourmet and entertaining consumers.
• Wechsler Eel Fillets (Aalfilets) European eel smoked in stone oven over open beech wood fire; the company's founding product from 1960. €0.50 per kilogram of eel sold is donated to the Aal-Initiative/ESF for European eel conservation.
• Wechsler Trout Fillets (incl. Organic)
• Wechsler Cichlid (Tilapia) Tilapia raised in the world's largest volcanic lake, smoked in Erftstadt with traditional craftsmanship. Won Seafood Star 2024 for best fish product. Variants include Nature and Italian herb (Siziliano) styles.
• Wechsler Prawns (incl. Organic) Prawns refined with herb-garlic marinade and traditionally smoked in stone oven over beech wood fire. Organic variant (Wechsler Bio Garnelen) sourced from Ecuador under Naturland guidelines.
• Wechsler Sahne-Meerrettich (Cream Horseradish) Cream horseradish sauce designed as accompaniment to trout, eel, and salmon, with 90-day shelf life. New addition to the sauces line.
• Bio Senf-Dill Sauce (Bio Mustard-Dill Sauce) Organic mustard-dill sauce (80ml) designed as accompaniment to salmon products. New addition to the BioMare sauces line.
• Wechsler Online Shop Direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform for all Wechsler, Wechsler Bio, and BioMare products; delivers Tuesday to Thursday via DPD Express in refrigerated packaging across Germany. Free shipping over €75, minimum order €35.
• Factory Outlet Sales (Werksverkauf) On-site factory outlet at the Erftstadt-Friesheim production facility, open Monday-Friday 08:00-16:00, accepting cash and card payment. Direct consumer purchase of all Wechsler products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Shelf life extended to 3 weeks with MAP packaging
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IFEA (Initiative zur Förderung des Europäischen Aals)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Founded in 2009 with fishermen, traders, and other eel processors to rebuild European eel populations. Wechsler contributes €0.50 per kg of eel sold to conservation efforts through the Eel Stewardship Fund (ESF).
• Eel Stewardship Fund (ESF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization receiving funds from Wechsler's eel sales to finance measures for eel protection and conservation. Part of the IFEA initiative.
• NaturlandcoreOthersOrganic certification body. Wechsler has been using Naturland certified organic raw materials since 1996 (before EU organic aquaculture standards existed). All Bio and BioMare products are Naturland certified with stricter standards than EU Bio regulations.
• MSC (Marine Stewardship Council)minorOthersMSC certified sustainable fishing standard. Applied to wild salmon products including Kodiak Wildlachs and Sockeye Alaska Wildlachs from Alaska.
• ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council)minorOthersASC certified aquaculture standards. Referenced in company logos for responsible aquaculture sourcing.
• IFS Food (International Featured Standards)minorOthersIFS Food certification - international standard for auditing food manufacturers regarding product safety, authenticity, and quality according to legal and customer specifications.
• EU Organic (EG-Öko-Verordnung)minorOthersEU organic regulation certification for organic products. Displayed in company logos.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Deutsche See: Germany's largest seafood company, offering smoked salmon, fish specialties, and seafood across retail and foodservice. Most direct comparable for Wechsler's smoked fish portfolio within the German market.
• F.W. Weber GmbH: German fish processing and smoked fish manufacturer based in Bremerhaven. Comparable as a competitor in the German smoked salmon and fish specialties segment with retail distribution.
• FrischeParadies: German premium fresh foods retailer/distributor specializing in fish, meat, and gourmet specialties. Comparable as a premium-positioned fish product player in the German market.
• Ocean Sea GmbH: German fish smoking and processing specialist offering smoked salmon and specialty fish products. Direct comparable in artisanal German smoked fish manufacturing.

Broad incumbents

• Thai Union Group: Global seafood conglomerate (Chicken of the Sea, John West) with significant value-added seafood manufacturing including smoked fish. Comparable as a broad incumbent in processed seafood.
• Mowi ASA: World's largest Atlantic salmon producer with value-added smoked and processed products. Comparable as a broad incumbent supplying premium smoked salmon to European retail.
• Lerøy Seafood Group: Norwegian vertically integrated seafood giant with significant smoked salmon and value-added seafood operations. Comparable as a broad incumbent supplying retail smoked fish across Europe.

Regional players

• John Ross Jr: Scottish traditional smoked salmon producer operating since 1857. Comparable in traditional/craftsmanship-led smoked salmon positioning but primarily serves the UK market.
• Pinneys of Scotland: Orkney-based traditional smoked salmon producer. Comparable as a craft smoked salmon peer with similar traditional smoking heritage but geographically concentrated in Scotland.

Others

• Bio Company GmbH: German organic supermarket chain. Comparable as a distribution and channel partner for BioMare-style organic fish products in the German organic retail channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=3gkhWgN_Z6Y
• Facebookfacebook.com/Wechsler.Fisch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wechsler-feinfisch

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Wechsler Feinfisch