Schalk Mühle

What Schalk Mühle does

Schalk Mühle GmbH & CoKG is a family-owned Austrian organic food manufacturer (Bio Genussmanufaktur) headquartered in Ilz, Styria, operating a cold-pressing and stone-milling facility powered by CO2-neutral hydropower. Founded as a family mill in 1840 and currently run by Franz and Rainer Schalk in the sixth generation, the company produces 100% organically certified edible oils (15 native cold-pressed varieties plus the flagship Steirisches Kürbiskernöl g.g.A., which carries Protected Geographical Indication status), plant-based protein powders and blends (including the premium 'Next Level Bio Vegan Protein Mixes' sub-line), organic seeds and legumes, protein bars, crackers, pestos, nut butters, and snacks. A separate Demeter biodynamic certification covers premium SKUs. Raw materials are sourced from over 200 contracted organic farmers across Austria under a traceability system linking finished products to specific farmer batches via LOT numbers.

The company monetizes through one-time-purchase direct product sales across three channels: (1) a D2C e-commerce storefront at schalk-muehle.at with free shipping over €60 within Austria and Germany; (2) a 24-hour on-site farm shop (Genussladen) at the Ilz facility; and (3) wholesale distribution through 355+ organic retail stores across Austria, including Denn's Biomarkt, Reformstark Martin, and Sonnentor, alongside a dedicated B2B wholesale portal serving food manufacturers and processors. Unit pricing spans from €2.90 (crackers) to €99.50 (bulk pumpkin kernels), with most oils between €7.40–€13.40 and protein mixes between €12.90–€22.90. Adjacent revenue streams include farm-shop voucher/gift certificate sales (€10–€20), Genusstour experiential mill tours (€0–€12 tickets), and an affiliate partner program. Distribution is entirely domestic (Austria), with shipping extending into Germany. A 2025 capacity-expansion project (storage, pressing, sorting, packaging) is co-financed by Austria Wirtschaftsservice (AWS), the Federal Ministry BMLRT, Land Steiermark, and the EU LE-14-20 program, indicating active investment in scaling throughput to support the higher-margin protein and branded-sub-brand product mix.

Name

Schalk Mühle

Legal name

Schalk Mühle GmbH & CoKG

Website

https://schalk-muehle.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1840

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Schalk Mühle is a sixth-generation Austrian family mill in Ilz, Styria, producing 100% organically certified cold-pressed edible oils (including flagship PGI Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil), plant-based protein powders and blends, organic seeds, legumes, and snacks, sold direct-to-consumer online and through a 24-hour farm shop, and distributed via 355+ Austrian organic retail stores.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing (311224), Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Tropical Oils Processing (Avocado, Sesame, Peanut, Rice Bran, Grapeseed) (AFAKAEAE)

Keywords

• Cold-pressed organic oils
• Plant-based protein powders
• Organic food manufacturing
• Styrian pumpkin seed oil
• Vegan protein mixes

Headquarters

HQ city

Ilz

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales (B2C & B2B): Sale of organic food products (oils, seeds, protein powders, snacks, pestos, creams) directly to consumers via e-commerce and to business customers via wholesale B2B channel. Products are sold as one-time purchases with no recurring subscription model.
2. Farm Shop & On-site Sales: 24-hour farm shop on-premises at the Ilz location enabling direct sales to walk-in customers, including farm tours (Genusstour-Tickets).
3. Retail Distribution: Supply of products to over 355 organic stores across Austria (Denn's, Reformstark Martin, Sonnentor) via wholesale distribution relationships.
4. Vouchers / Gift Certificates: Sale of Genuss Gutscheine (enjoyment vouchers/gift certificates) for gifting purposes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Schalk Mühle produces and supplies 100% organic, cold-pressed edible oils (15 native oil varieties including the flagship Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil with protected geographical indication g.g.A./PGI), plant-based protein powders and premium Next Level protein mixes, organic seeds, legumes, snacks, pestos, and nut butters. Production is CO2-neutral via hydropower and raw materials are sourced from over 200 Austrian organic farmers with full batch-level traceability from field to finished product.

Product overview

Schalk Mühle is an Austrian organic food manufacturing company (Bio Genussmanufaktur) specializing in cold-pressed oils, plant-based proteins, seeds, legumes, snacks, and culinary tours. The core product portfolio centers on premium Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil with protected geographical indication (g.g.A.), complemented by a comprehensive range of cold-pressed virgin organic oils (Native Öle). The company offers extensive plant-based protein products including raw and roasted protein powders (hemp, pumpkin seed, flax seed, sunflower), premium Next Level protein blends (AMINO POWER, CHOCO CHARME, STRAWBERRY STAR, TROPICAL TREASURE, GOLDEN GLOW), and standard protein mixes. Supporting product lines include organic legumes, seeds, protein bars, crackers, pestos, nut butters, and snacks. The company also operates a 24-hour farm shop and offers enjoyment tours of their manufacturing facility. All products are 100% organic, vegan, CO2-neutral produced with hydropower, and sourced from over 200 Austrian organic farmers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Next Level Bio Vegan Protein Mixes: Premium plant-based protein blend product line including flavors like Choco Charme, Strawberry Star, Tropical Treasure, Golden Glow, and Amino Power.
• Schalkolade

Products and services

• Steirisches Kürbiskernöl g.g.A. (Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil PGI) Premium cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil from Styria with protected geographical indication (g.g.A./PGI), known as the 'black gold' of Styria. Available in organic and Demeter certified variants for health-conscious consumers and culinary professionals.
• Native Öle (Virgin Cold-Pressed Oils) A range of 13 pure cold-pressed organic virgin oils including pumpkin seed, safflower, golden flax seed, hempseed, camelina, flax, poppy, rape seed, black cumin, mustard, sunflower, walnut, and milk thistle oils for culinary and nutritional use.
• Bio Hülsenfrüchte (Organic Legumes) Organic legumes including Beluga lentils, mountain lentils, brown lentils, Pardina lentils, plate lentils, scarlet runner beans, chickpeas, red beans, black beans, and white beans for plant-based cooking and nutrition.
• Bio Saaten (Organic Seeds) Organic seeds including popcorn maize, buckwheat, hemp seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds sold by volume.
• Bio Protein Pulver (Organic Protein Powder) Plant-based protein powders in raw and roasted varieties made from hemp, pumpkin seed, flax seed, and sunflower seeds. Also includes grass and fruit powders such as barley grass, wheatgrass, and aronia. Raw pumpkin seed protein contains 65% protein.
• Next Level Bio Protein Mixes Premium plant-based protein blends combining multiple protein sources (sunflower, pumpkin seed, and field bean) with functional ingredients like cacao, coconut, and acerola. Flavors include AMINO POWER, CHOCO CHARME, STRAWBERRY STAR, TROPICAL TREASURE, and GOLDEN GLOW.
• Bio Protein Mixes Standard protein blend mixes including Essential Amino Mix, Schalkolade Mix, Fruit Mix Aronia & Strawberry, Vanilla Mix, Multi Berry Mix, Cocoa-Banana Mix, Matcha Protein Mix, Apple & Quince Mix, and Green Grass Mix.
• Bio Protein Riegel (Organic Protein Bars) Organic protein bars in varieties including hemp, pumpkin seed, flax seed, sunflower kernel with ginger, fruit mix, Schalkolade, chocolate-coated fruit mix, and chocolate-coated hemp.
• Bio Snacks Organic snacks including chocolate-covered pumpkin seeds, roasted & salted pumpkin seeds, and Austrian popcorn.
• Bio Cracker

Quantifiable outcome

• 65% Protein Content in raw pumpkin seed protein powder, rich in Magnesium, Zinc & Iron

Named customers5 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 200+ Austrian Organic FarmerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 200 organic farmers from across Austria supply raw seeds, kernels, and legumes to Schalk Mühle, forming the backbone of the company's supply chain. The company maintains personal relationships with farmers and ensures fair, long-term collaboration. Products are traceable back to specific farms via LOT batch numbers.
• Denn's BiomarktcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Austrian organic supermarket chain distributing Schalk Mühle products across its store network throughout Austria.
• Reformstark MartincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustrian organic health food retailer chain distributing Schalk Mühle organic products.
• SonnentorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustrian organic food retailer and brand distributing Schalk Mühle products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Dr. Oetker: Major German food conglomerate with growing organic sub-brands and broad retail distribution in DACH. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for organic shelf space, though most of its portfolio sits outside Schalk Mühle's specialty oils and plant-protein niche.
• Hipp: Large German organic baby and family food company with a deep organic/biodynamic supply chain across Europe. Comparable as a broad DACH organic food incumbent using strict organic sourcing and certifications, though its core category (baby food) does not overlap directly with Schalk Mühle.
• Müller's Mühle: German milling and pasta/legume manufacturer with multi-generation heritage producing grains, legumes, and milled products. Comparable in milling heritage and B2B/retail distribution of plant-based staples, though operating at significantly larger scale and broader category.
• Alnatura: Large German organic food brand and retail chain with deep own-brand organic portfolio spanning oils, grains, snacks, and dairy alternatives. Comparable as a DACH organic incumbent operating in the same shelf space, though at materially greater scale and product breadth than Schalk Mühle.

Direct peers

• Davert: German organic food brand offering grains, legumes, seeds, and plant-based proteins under organic certification. Comparable to Schalk Mühle's broader portfolio (organic legumes, seeds, plant-based proteins) and presence in natural/organic retail in the DACH region.
• Sonnentor: Austrian organic food brand specializing in organic herbs, spices, and teas, also distributing through 355+ organic retail doors across Austria. Comparable as a fellow Austrian organic specialty manufacturer with strong regional brand and similar retail distribution footprint.
• Byodo Naturkost: German organic manufacturer specializing in premium cold-pressed oils, vinegars, and condiments. Directly comparable to Schalk Mühle's core oil business and organic/premium price positioning, with similar placement in organic retail channels across Germany and Austria.
• Rapunzel Naturkost: German organic food pioneer producing cold-pressed oils, legumes, nut butters, and snacks under strong organic/fair-trade credentials. Highly comparable to Schalk Mühle in product mix (specialty oils + organic snacks), premium positioning, and DACH-centric distribution through organic retail and DTC.
• Kern Tec: Austrian specialty seed processor turning apricot kernels into oils and ingredients with a focus on upcycling and regional sourcing. Comparable as an Austrian cold-pressed specialty oil/seed processor with a similar premium, sustainability-led brand story.

Emerging players

• Form Nutrition: UK-based premium plant-based protein nutrition brand targeting health-conscious consumers with vegan protein blends. Comparable to Schalk Mühle's Next Level Bio Vegan Protein Mix line in target customer (vegan/plant-based health consumer) and positioning, though operating predominantly online and with a different go-to-market model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/schalkmuehle
• Facebookfacebook.com/schalkmuehle
• Instagraminstagram.com/schalkmuehle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schalkmuehle

Compliance3 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 Schalk Mühle