Albers Food

What Albers Food does

Albers GmbH, trading as Albers Food, is a Düsseldorf-based family-owned gourmet meat importer and distributor founded in 1962 and now led by the second generation (Frank and Udo Albers) with third-generation family member Natalie Schmidt active in business development. The company sources premium beef, pork, lamb, and poultry directly from a curated set of international producers — including Jack's Creek (Australia), Greater Omaha Packers (USA), John Stone (Ireland), Ojo de Agua (Argentina), and licensed Kobe beef from Japan — under a stated Farm-to-Table principle with no intermediaries, processing more than 2,500 tons of meat annually including 15,000+ head of cattle from the USA. Its core technology is operational rather than digital: temperature-controlled cold-chain logistics, personal quality inspection of every imported beef half, and proprietary ultra-hygienic cold storage, with no disclosed AI/ML or software platform.

Albers serves two distinct customer segments. The primary B2B channel supplies top-tier HoReCa customers across Europe — restaurants and hotels including Michelin-starred accounts such as Vendôme (3 stars), Ciel Bleu (2 stars), Opus V, Nagaya, and Le Moissonnier — alongside premium retailers such as Zurheide Feine Kost. The secondary channel is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop (albersfoodshop.de), launched in 2007, offering nationwide Germany delivery via temperature-controlled next-day courier service, complemented by an on-site warehouse sale at the Düsseldorf headquarters. Revenue is generated through negotiated B2B wholesale transactions and unit-priced D2C e-commerce sales, with all pricing held confidential. The company has won World's Best Steak at the World Steak Challenge in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2023, and remains entirely independently owned with no external investors or parent company.

Name

Albers Food

Legal name

Albers GmbH

Website

https://albersfood.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Albers Food is a Düsseldorf-based family-owned importer and distributor, founded in 1962, that supplies premium gourmet beef, pork, and poultry sourced directly from international producers to European HoReCa customers, premium retailers, and German consumers via its online shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Meat Distribution

NAICS

Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (42447), Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (424470), Poultry and Poultry Product Merchant Wholesalers (42444), Meat Retailers (44524)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ethnic Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIAIAC), Bulk Meat & Seafood Wholesale-to-Consumer (CRAHAMAI), Game & Specialty Meats Wholesale (Venison, Bison, etc.) (AFAIADAG)

Keywords

• Premium meat distribution
• Gourmet meat import
• Beef wholesale
• Wagyu beef supplier
• Specialty meat trading

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale meat and poultry sales: B2B wholesale of premium meat and poultry products to restaurants, hotels, catering, and retailers across Europe. Direct farm-to-table sourcing model without intermediaries.
2. E-commerce retail sales: Direct online sales to end-consumers in Germany via albersfoodshop.de, offering the same premium products available to professional customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Albers GmbH imports and distributes premium gourmet meat and poultry—including Australian Wagyu, Japanese Kobe, US Nebraska Beef, Irish Dry Aged, Argentine Ojo de Agua, Spanish Iberico pork, and French Label Rouge poultry—to HoReCa customers, specialty retailers, and end consumers. The company operates a direct farm-to-table sourcing model with hand-selected producers and a strictly temperature-controlled cold chain. Sales occur via direct B2B sales across Europe, a nationwide consumer online shop, and on-site warehouse sales at the Düsseldorf headquarters.

Product overview

Albers Food operates as a specialty meat importer and distributor offering a curated portfolio of premium beef, pork, and poultry products. The core offering centers on premium beef varieties including Australian Wagyu (Jack's Creek), Japanese Kobe, US Nebraska Beef, Irish Dry Aged (John Stone), and Argentine Ojo de Agua. Pork offerings include Spanish Iberico and Duroc. Poultry includes French Label Rouge, German Kikok, and sustainable ProEthika. The company serves both B2B customers (restaurants, hotels, retailers) across Europe and direct consumers via its online shop (albersfoodshop.de). Products are sourced directly from producers following the 'Farm to Table' principle without intermediaries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• F1 Wagyu-Angus: Premium beef product line featuring 50/50 crossbreed of Japanese Wagyu and Black Angus cattle from Jack's Creek Farm, Australia
• Jack's Creek Wagyu
• Jack's Creek Black Angus

Products and services

• Jack's Creek Wagyu

Quantifiable outcome

• World's Best Steak 2023 at World Steak Challenge for F1 Wagyu-Angus Roastbeef (4x winner: World’s Best Sirloin Steak, World’s Best Grain Fed Steak, Oceania's Best Steak, World’s Best Steak)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Jack's Creek (Warmoll Family)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1991Australian Wagyu and Black Angus producer. Long-term partnership since 1991 when the Warmoll family began crossbreeding Wagyu with Black Angus. Jack's Creek supplies premium Wagyu beef that has won multiple World Steak Challenge titles. Albers has daily personal contact with the producers.
• Greater Omaha Packers (GOP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium US beef producer from Nebraska. Supplies Nebraska Beef including Prime grade and Gold Label products. Albers works directly with GOP for selection of best cattle from the Midwest.
• John StonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish premium beef producer supplying Dry Aged Beef from Ballymahon, Ireland. Known for exceptional quality and traditional aging methods.
• Ojo de Agua (Dieter Meier)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArgentinian ranch and brand managed by Swiss entrepreneur and artist Dieter Meier. Located in the Pampa Húmeda with over 70,000 hectares of pastureland. Cattle raised year-round on pasture with balanced grain feeding, free of antibiotics and growth promoters.
• Junge WildeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner brand for grilling solutions and accessories.
• Big Green EggminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium kamado grill manufacturer partnership for cooking demonstrations and events.
• Otto Wilde GrillersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman premium grill manufacturer partner.
• Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution AssociationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese association controlling Kobe beef standards. Albers is one of few EU importers licensed to sell authentic Kobe beef. Requires 400,000 Yen membership fee and signing the Kobe contract.
• Joachim Wissler - Restaurant VendômeflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerThree Michelin star chef and Albers customer for many years. Describes Albers as 'a very serious partner and family-run.' Long-term relationship built on trust, reliability, and shared quality standards.
• Dieter Meier (Ojo de Agua)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss entrepreneur and artist who founded Ojo de Agua ranch in Argentina. Partnership began after Udo Albers visited the farm, seeking exceptional meat quality combined with sustainability values.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Direct peers

• Otto Gourmet: German premium meat specialist offering curated beef, dry-aged, and Wagyu cuts both direct-to-consumer and to top restaurants. Operates a very similar HoReCa + high-end DTC model in Germany with award-winning positioning.
• Maverick Wagyu: Australian premium Wagyu distributor selling fullblood and crossbred Wagyu to chefs, retailers, and consumers globally. Comparable in curating premium Wagyu for elite HoReCa and specialty channels, and overlaps as both a producer-side and direct-distribution competitor in the EU/DE market.
• Gourmondo: German online gourmet food retailer offering premium meats and accompaniments with nationwide chilled delivery. Directly comparable to Albers' albersfoodshop.de for high-end DTC food gifting, though broader assortment reduces meat-specialist depth.
• Lobster & Beef: Germany-based DTC and gift brand specializing in premium meat and seafood with nationwide cold-chain delivery. Closely comparable to Albers' albersfoodshop.de channel in terms of consumer target, product mix, and per-courier fulfillment.

Regional players

• Snake River Farms: American producer-distributor of American Wagyu and Kurobuta pork with national DTC and chef programs. Comparable product portfolio, award strategy, and DTC-plus-foodservice model – primarily serving the US rather than competing in Albers' European footprint.
• Chicago Steak Company: US mail-order and foodservice premium steak company working directly with Midwest packers. Overlaps with Albers on curated premium-beef assortment, gift-grade DTC packaging, and chef-grade supply; geographic focus keeps them out of direct Europe competition.

Broad incumbents

• METRO AG: Europe's largest cash & carry and foodservice distributor covering HoReCa in DE and across the EU. Overlaps with Albers' HoReCa distribution but operates as a broad-line incumbent across many categories rather than a premium-specialist.
• Bidfood: Major UK and European foodservice distributor supplying restaurants, hotels, and caterers. Comparable B2B HoReCa channel but as a broad multi-category incumbent rather than a premium-specialized competitor.
• Sysco Corporation: Global foodservice distribution leader serving restaurants, hotels, and institutions worldwide. Functions as a massive incumbent in the same broad HoReCa supply chain as Albers, though at scale and across all food categories rather than premium specialization.

Others

• Block House Group: German steak-specialist restaurant chain with central meat purchasing and in-house butchery requirements. Not a competitor but a downstream customer comparable in its premium-beat positioning, useful as a demand-side reference for Albers' HoReCa volume.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/highendmeat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/albers-gmbh

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 Albers Food