What Grell Naturkost does

Grell Naturkost is a regional organic food wholesaler headquartered in Kaltenkirchen, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, operating under the legal entity C.F. Grell Nachf. Naturkost GmbH & Co. KG. Founded in 1984 and tracing its lineage to the C.F. Grell business family (~200 years), the company distributes a bio-full-range assortment of more than 10,000 immediately orderable organic articles to independent health food retailers, market vendors, farm shops, organic-oriented food retail chains (LEH), gastronomy, and canteens across northern Germany — covering Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Bremen, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The company holds DE-ÖKO-001 organic certification and maintains association partnerships with Bioland, Demeter, bioverita, BNN, and Regionalwert.

The business operates a sales-led B2B go-to-market via regional field account managers, an inside sales team, a dedicated B2B webshop (webshop.grell.de) for registered customers, and its own delivery fleet with self-pickup available at the Kaltenkirchen warehouse. Pricing is wholesale unit-based with net prices plus VAT; minimum order values range from €25 (bread/baked goods) to €700 (beverages), with free delivery above €450 net. Beyond pure distribution, Grell provides expert advisory services across produce, frozen goods, cheese, retail/food service, and category management, plus training, store development support, and an exclusive new-product showcase ("Bio Neu Entdeckt"). Recent additions include own-brand product lines (e.g., Bio-Hirse awarded at BioFach 2025).

Grell Naturkost is privately held and majority owned by the Gerd Godt-Grell Stiftung, a nonprofit foundation that channels the majority of company profits into regional charitable projects under the motto "Gewinn für Land und Leute" (Profit for Country and People). Since 2001, approximately €1.5 million has been distributed to regional projects, including €169,000 in 2024. The company is led by Managing Director Matthias Sagner, with heads of sales, inside sales, marketing, fresh and dry purchasing, and customer service teams managing operations. Strategic moves in 2023–2024 include the Regionalwert AG Hamburg license partnership, the Ökofrost bio-frozen-logistics partnership (Nov 2024), and a comprehensive brand relaunch presented at BioNord in October 2024.

Name

Grell Naturkost

Legal name

C.F. Grell Nachf. Naturkost GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://grell.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Grell Naturkost is a foundation-owned regional organic food wholesaler based in Kaltenkirchen, Germany, distributing more than 10,000 organic products to independent health food retailers, gastronomy, farm shops, and bio-oriented food retail across northern Germany via its own delivery fleet and B2B webshop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Food Wholesale Distribution

NAICS

Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers (4244), Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers (42442)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural, Organic & Health Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Temperature-Controlled Specialty Wholesale (Plant-Based, Gluten-Free, Organic/Natural) (AFAIAHAJ), Organic & Natural Foodservice & Restaurant Supply Wholesale (AFAIAJAJ)

Keywords

• Organic wholesale distribution
• Bio food supply
• Natural foods wholesale
• Gastronomy supply services
• Regional grocery distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Kaltenkirchen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale organic food distribution: B2B wholesale distribution of organic food products to retailers, gastronomy, and canteens. Revenue generated through product margins on sales of over 10,000 immediately orderable organic articles. Company operates as a foundation enterprise with majority of profits flowing to the Gerd Godt-Grell Stiftung for regional charitable projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grell Naturkost is a regional B2B bio-wholesaler (Bio-Großhändler) distributing a full assortment of over 10,000 immediately orderable organic articles to independent natural food retailers, market vendors, farm shops, delivery services, organic-oriented food retail chains, gastronomy, and canteens across Northern Germany. The company supplements product distribution with services including expert consulting, training, store development support, and an exclusive new products showcase ("Bio Neu Entdeckt").

Product overview

Grell Naturkost operates as a regional bio/organic food wholesaler offering a comprehensive product range of over 10,000 immediately orderable bio articles. The core product offering consists of the B2B Webshop platform for online ordering, complemented by specialized advisory services and an exclusive new products showcase called 'Bio Neu Entdeckt'. The company delivers to customers across Northern Germany including independent organic retailers, market vendors, farm shops, delivery services, organic-focused retail chains, gastronomy, and canteens. Services include expert consultation in produce, frozen foods, retail, cheese categories, and category management, along with training and store development support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grell Naturkost B2B Webshop B2B online ordering platform enabling registered customers to browse and order from over 10,000 bio products. Requires customer registration and account approval for access.
• Bio Vollsortiment (Organic Full Product Range) Wholesale range of over 10,000 immediately orderable organic articles including fresh produce, frozen/unpackaged goods, dry goods, cheese, beverages, and specialty items, supplied to organic retailers and food service operators in Northern Germany.
• Fachberatung (Expert Advisory Services) Expert consultation services across product categories including Produce, Frozen/Unpackaged, Retail & Food Service, Cheese, and Category Management for organic retail customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 169,000€ distributed to charitable projects in 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ÖkofrostcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Partnership for Bio-Tiefkühl-Logistik (organic frozen food logistics) starting November 2024. Both companies create synergies to improve efficiency, service quality, and sustainability in the frozen delivery chain.
• Regionalwert AG HamburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023License partnership with Regionalwert AG Hamburg, a regional network of 1,700 shareholders, farms, food businesses, retailers, restaurants, and service providers committed to social and ecological criteria.
• BiolandminorOthersOrganic farming association partnership - one of the partner logos displayed on website
• DemeterminorOthersBiodynamic farming association partnership - one of the partner logos displayed on website
• bioveritaminorOthersOrganic breeding certification association - one of the partner logos displayed on website
• BNN (Bundesverband Naturkost Naturwaren)minorOthersGerman industry association for organic and natural products - one of the partner logos displayed on website
• RegionalwertminorOthersRegional network organization - one of the partner logos displayed on website
• saat:gut e.V.minorOthersSeed breeding association supported by Gerd Godt-Grell Stiftung, focused on preserving seed diversity
• apfel:gut e.V.minorOthersApple breeding association supported by Gerd Godt-Grell Stiftung for organic fruit varieties
• Gerd Godt-Grell StiftungcoreOthersThe Gerd Godt-Grell Stiftung is the majority shareholder of Grell Naturkost. Most profits are distributed through the foundation to regional charitable projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Biokreuz / Biogroßhandel Elkershausen: Independent German organic wholesaler focused on specialist organic retailers with comparable full-range assortment and regional delivery model. Similar mid-market positioning to Grell.
• Weiling GmbH: One of Germany's largest regional organic food wholesalers, serving independent organic retailers and gastronomy in a multi-region footprint. Closely comparable to Grell in product range depth (10,000+ organic SKUs) and the regional account-management sales model.
• Naturkost West: Organic food wholesaler for the western German market, serving independent health food stores and organic-oriented food service with a similar breadth of organic assortment and field sales coverage.
• Terra Naturkost: Regional German organic wholesaler operating in North Rhine-Westphalia and surrounding areas with a comparable B2B model targeting Naturkostfachhändler and bio-oriented gastronomy.
• Bodan Großhandel für Naturkost GmbH: Organic food wholesaler serving southern Germany (Lake Constance region) with a similar full-range bio assortment and B2B focus on Naturkostfachhändler and gastronomy. Directly comparable regional organic wholesaler model with strong cooperative/values-oriented ownership DNA.
• Ökoring Handelsgesellschaft mbH: Regional organic food wholesaler in northern and central Germany serving independent organic retailers, gastronomy, and farm shops. Highly comparable go-to-market, customer segmentation, and product breadth as Grell.

Broad incumbents

• Alnatura Produktions- und Handels GmbH: Major German organic retailer and brand under the dm group, competing in many of the same product categories Grell distributes but selling directly to consumers and reselling through partner retailers. Broad incumbent in the organic food space with national reach.
• dennree GmbH: Germany's largest specialized organic food company, operating both wholesale distribution to organic retailers and the denn's Biomarkt retail chain. Overlaps with Grell's wholesale function but at much larger national scale, with broader portfolio including own-brand manufacturing.

Others

• Regionalwert AG Hamburg: Regional network of shareholders, farms, and food businesses that Grell has a license partnership with. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but central to Grell's regional organic supplier network and values-aligned branding.
• Ökofrost GmbH: Partner of Grell since November 2024 for bio-frozen logistics. Adjacent infrastructure partner rather than direct competitor; comparable in scope as both operate in the organic frozen supply chain.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@grellnaturkost807
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Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Grell Naturkost