Albrecht & Dill Trading GmbH

What Albrecht & Dill Trading GmbH does

Albrecht & Dill Trading GmbH is a Hamburg-headquartered privately-held cocoa commodity trading company founded in 1806, making it one of the longest continuously operating entities in the global cocoa trade. The company sources, imports, and sells raw cocoa beans and processed cocoa derivatives—cocoa liquor, natural and deodorized cocoa butter, pressed cake, cocoa nibs, and natural or alkalized cocoa powder—drawn from over 40 origins across South America, West and East Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific. Its portfolio is structured across Conventional, Fine Flavour, Specialty (100% traceable, genetics-specific), and Certified (Organic, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ) tiers.

The firm operates a trading-house business model, earning margins on commodity transactions between origin suppliers and global chocolate manufacturers. It coordinates shipments directly from origin or out of strategic cocoa warehouses located in Hamburg, Amsterdam, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and California, enabling on-time delivery to enterprise customers such as Lindt & Sprüngli, Baronie, and Frey as well as small craft chocolate makers. A wholly-owned US subsidiary, Albrecht & Dill USA Inc., was established in 2016 to serve the North American market.

Underlying operations are anchored in long-standing origin relationships and a multi-year sustainability program—including a fully traceable Ecuador project launched in 2011 with GiZ and expanded in 2015 with Lindt & Sprüngli—targeting 100% sustainable and traceable volume and a 50% carbon-footprint reduction by 2030. The company is privately held by CEO Christoph Kröger (sole shareholder since 1996) and Managing Partner Philipp Hoffmann (since 2005), with approximately 15 employees across trade, sustainability, operations, and finance functions.

Name

Albrecht & Dill Trading GmbH

Legal name

Albrecht & Dill Trading GmbH

Website

https://albrecht-dill.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1806

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Albrecht & Dill Trading GmbH is a Hamburg-based cocoa commodity trading house, founded 1806, that sources and sells raw cocoa beans and derivatives (liquor, butter, cake, nibs, powder) from 40+ origins to global chocolate manufacturers and craft makers, supported by warehouses in Europe and the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cocoa Commodity Trading

NAICS

Food and Beverage Retailers (445), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAIAKAD

Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Distribution & Wholesale/Food Ingredients & Commodities Trading/Wholesale

SECONDARYCRAEAEAJ

Cross-Border / Import-Export Cash & Carry (Ethnic & International Trade)

Consumer Products & Retail/Discount, Club & Value Retail/Cash & Carry / Wholesale Clubs (B2B & B2B2C)

Keywords

• Cocoa commodity trading
• Raw cocoa beans
• Cocoa butter supply
• Cocoa powder trading
• Chocolate ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Cocoa Bean Trading: The company buys, sells and imports/exports raw cocoa beans, liquor, butter, cake, and powder. They source from origins including Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia (Java). Their revenue comes from trading margins on commodity transactions with chocolate manufacturers worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Albrecht & Dill Trading GmbH is a cocoa trading house that sources and sells raw cocoa beans plus processed cocoa products—cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa nibs, pressed cake, and cocoa powder—to chocolate manufacturers worldwide. The company draws from over 40 origins across South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, and organizes on-time delivery to customers from strategic warehouse locations in Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States.

Product overview

Albrecht & Dill Trading GmbH operates as a cocoa trading company offering a diverse portfolio of over 40 different cocoa origins. The company specializes in sourcing and selling raw cocoa beans (conventional and fine flavour varieties) as well as processed cocoa products including cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa nibs, pressed cake, and cocoa powder. Products are sourced globally from origins including Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia (Java). The company organizes on-time delivery worldwide to chocolate manufacturers and offers storage facilities in Hamburg (Germany), Amsterdam (Netherlands), and multiple US locations (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cocoa Beans Raw cocoa beans sourced from origins including Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia (Java), ranging from conventional to fine flavour varieties and supplied to chocolate manufacturers worldwide.
• Cocoa Butter Natural and edible fat extracted from cocoa beans, offered as blocked natural and deodorized cocoa butter, available in melted and deodorized forms tolled in Europe, for use in chocolate, food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications.
• Cocoa Nibs Crunchy cocoa bean pieces supplied as an ingredient for chocolate products and culinary applications.
• Pressed Cake Cocoa press cake, a byproduct of cocoa butter extraction, supplied for use in food manufacturing.
• Cocoa Liquor Pure cocoa mass (cocoa solids and cocoa butter combined) supplied to chocolate manufacturers for use in chocolate production.
• Cocoa Powder Natural or alkalized cocoa powder derived from cocoa beans, supplied for use in food and beverage applications.
• Conventional Cocoa Standard cocoa beans sourced from West African origins including Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
• Fine Flavour Cocoa Premium cocoa beans from specialized origins such as Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Indonesia (Java), Papua New Guinea, Madagascar, and Grenada.
• Specialty Cocoa High-value cocoa featuring 100% traceability, specific genetics, regional farm origins, uniqueness, and distinct flavour profiles, marketed to craft and premium chocolate customers.
• Certified Cocoa Sustainably sourced cocoa with certifications including Organic, Fairtrade, UTZ and Rainforest Alliance, from origins such as Ecuador, Peru, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Madagascar.

Quantifiable outcome

• By 2030: 100% sustainable and traceable volume sourcing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lindt und SprünglicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Expanded the Ecuador sustainability project in 2015 with partner Lindt und Sprüngli, a major chocolate manufacturer.
• GiZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011GiZ (Germany's main agency for international cooperation and development) partnered with Albrecht & Dill to implement a pioneering sustainability project with full traceability in Ecuador starting in 2011.
• A&D SanchezcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner in Ecuador that has been instrumental in making the sustainability project successful through immense support.
• BaronieminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCustomer that has benefited from the sustainability program in Ecuador.
• FreyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCustomer that has benefited from the sustainability program in Ecuador.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Novel Commodities: Specialist cocoa and chocolate trading house sourcing from a range of origins including fine flavour. Closest comparable by scale, business model, and customer base to Albrecht & Dill.
• ECOM Trading: One of the world's largest cocoa traders, sourcing from origins globally and selling to chocolate manufacturers. Direct competitor in cocoa commodity trading with comparable origin diversity and global reach.
• Meridian Cacao: Specialty trader focused on fine flavour and single-origin cocoa, similar in scale and craft-segment orientation to A&D's specialty portfolio. Direct competitor for craft chocolate makers.
• Touton: French-headquartered commodity trader specializing in cocoa and coffee, with strong sustainability programs. Closely comparable business model, origin sourcing, and sustainability focus to A&D.
• Sucres & Denrées (Sucres & Denrées SA): Paris-based commodity trading group with a long-established cocoa and sugar trading arm. Competes with A&D in international cocoa trade, especially for industrial and European chocolate manufacturers.
• Nordic Cocoa (NTG Cocoa): European-based cocoa trading company focused on conventional and certified beans serving industrial chocolate makers. Comparable scale, model, and customer base to A&D.

Broad incumbents

• Barry Callebaut: World's largest chocolate and cocoa manufacturer with integrated sourcing-to-grinding operations. Much larger and vertically integrated, but overlaps directly with A&D in supplying industrial chocolate manufacturers with cocoa ingredients.
• ofi (Olam Food Ingredients): Major agri-trader with a dedicated cocoa business unit (ofi Cocoa) operating across origins and serving industrial chocolate makers. Competes broadly with A&D but at much greater scale and with integrated processing.
• Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate: Division of global agri-trader Cargill, one of the largest cocoa processors and origin traders. Competes with A&D in supplying chocolate manufacturers but at vastly greater scale and with vertical integration into processing.

Emerging players

• Uncommon Cacao: Specialty cacao sourcing company focused on transparency, direct trade, and fine flavour beans. Smaller and more emerging than A&D but overlaps in the craft/specialty segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/albrecht-dill-trading-gmbh

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Albrecht & Dill Trading GmbH