Sales increase by more than 250 percent | New product range for meat substitutes | New “DeKoepers” brand

Tönnies continues to invest in expansion of activities in the veggie sector.

Rheda-Wiedenbrück, 06. August 2021 – About six months ago, the Tönnies Group bundled its activities in the vegetarian and vegan segment under its own business unit Vevia 4 You GmbH & Co. KG. Now the Rheda-Wiedenbrück-based food manufacturer is making an initial evaluation. And that turns out to be more than positive. For in addition to a broad listing of the products under the brands “Gutfried”, “Veviva” and “Es schmeckt” in the food retail trade, consumers also confirm the path taken in this area. For the group of companies, this area is an integral part of its sustainability agenda.

“It has paid off that we have focused on quality rather than speed in product development,” says Maximilian Tönnies. Accordingly, the company’s goal is to score points with products that are convincing in terms of taste. To achieve this, the decision-makers at Tönnies have conducted extensive taste tests together with the product developers. “In the area of product development, we have made a big leap in a short time. Consumer panels show the acceptance of the products by consumers. This is where we now want to establish ourselves.” But the group of companies is already seeing a sharp jump in sales: while revenue in 2019 was still at 8.3 million euros, Tönnies is planning for sales of 30 million euros by the end of this year – an increase of more than 250 percent.

The driver for this is expected to be the market for meat substitutes following the successful start in the sausage substitute segment. Tönnies’ range in this segment is aimed not only at vegetarians and vegans, but also at flexitarians, i.e. those who want to do without meat from time to time. “For this target group, taste and sensory perception are quite important. Our goal is for both to come very close to the meat product,” explains Maximilian Tönnies. And that’s exactly what they’ve achieved with the new products in the “Wie” series, he says. “The chicken nuggets, chicken schnitzel or fish sticks taste like the original. Our product developers have done a great job. Even my father tastes that now.” The company spent two years tinkering with these products before they were ready for the market.

The “Wie” series is nearing completion, with only the finishing touches missing. But there are already broad listing commitments for the products. “We were able to convince the food retail primarily with the taste,” says Maximilian Tönnies. With a multi-channel campaign (including TV commercials), the company is also launching a corresponding marketing offensive in September.

The vegetarian and vegan articles are produced in the company’s own plant in Böklund. Capacities there are to be further expanded and extended. Tönnies plans to invest a double-digit million sum here in the coming years. This will also involve expanding the product range and further optimizing the products. There is a clear business plan for this: For example, the company is planning sales of around 24 million euros in sausage substitutes by the end of this year, and around 6 million euros in meat substitutes. By 2025, total sales in both areas together are expected to rise to over 120 million euros.

Even though meat and sausage production will continue to make up the group’s main business, Maximilian Tönnies says, “We have long since ceased to be a pure slaughterhouse, but a food manufacturer.” Among other things, he points to activities in the convenience sector – for example, with cheese products under the new “DeKoepers” brand, which can be prepared in the microwave or on the grill in a short time. Likewise, the company has snacks, sauces or even grill items on its radar. “We still have some good ideas up our sleeve there that consumers can look forward to.” Incidentally, the company does not use rainforest soy in any of its meat substitute products, relying instead on European soy. “This is part of our t30 sustainability strategy, which we continue to drive forward unwaveringly. We want to produce enjoyable, healthy food that is as sustainable as possible.”