Rügenwalder Mühle, the German family company which famously began as an animal-based sausage producer and went on to become the German market leader for plant-based meat products, has sold a majority stake to the holding company Pfeifer & Langen IHKG, which also owns stakes in vegan companies Vbites and endori.
Based in Cologne, Pfeifer & Langen IHKG is an in-family-owned food company whose historical core is the sugar manufacturer Pfeifer & Langen. Its subsidiaries include Intersnack, a manufacturer of snacks that owns the British household name KP Snacks. Pfeifer & Langen acquired a 25.1% minority stake in Heather Mills’ Vbites in 2021, allowing the company to significantly expand capacity at its factory in Peterlee, England. The multi-million pound investment was said to have created hundreds of new jobs at VBites in the North East of England.
“With this investment, we want to take the opportunity to further develop this portfolio, especially beyond the German market”
No job losses are planned as a result of the investment. In terms of organisation, Rügenwalder Mühle will be linked to the New Food business unit ‘The Nature’s Richness Group’, as established by Pfeifer & Langen IHKG to further develop the market for plant-based nutrition for example with pea protein specialist endori, in which Pfeifer & Langen took a 60% stake in 2019. Both brands — Rügenwalder Mühle and endori — will be continued moving forward.
Bringing plant-based meat from niche to mainstream
Christian Rauffus, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Rügenwalder Mühle Carl Müller GmbH & Co. KG, states, “Our company has developed from what was once a regional sausage factory into one of a leading company for plant-based foods in Germany. In less than ten years, we have brought vegetarian and vegan meat alternatives out of their niche and into the centre of society. With this investment, we want to take the opportunity to further develop this portfolio, especially beyond the German market. We are therefore delighted to have found a strong partner in Pfeifer & Langen Familienholding, with whom we want to continue the success story of Rügenwalder Mühle. This majority shareholding is an actively sought-after partnership for us.”
Dr Guido Colsman, Managing Partner of Pfeifer & Langen IHKG, says: “Pfeifer & Langen Industrie- und Handels KG sees itself as a family-run group of individual companies with their own character. We are therefore the ‘right harbour’ for Rügenwalder Mühle, in which our new holding can and should continue its special culture of corporate management. At the same time, it will utilise the Group’s expertise – just as we will benefit from Rügenwalder Mühle’s expertise and entrepreneurial strength.”
Shared strategy to develop plant-based meat category
Uwe Schöneberg, Managing Partner of Pfeifer & Langen IHKG, comments: “By joining forces, we can complement our mutual strengths in areas such as raw material procurement, the manufacture of innovative products and market development. Our shared thinking and actions will allow us to further develop the still-young category of plant-based meat alternatives. The needs and expectations of customers, a market that is still at an early stage, the challenges of future nutrition and, last but not least, the protection of our climate demand this of us.”
Dr Gunnar Rauffus, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Rügenwalder Mühle Carl Müller GmbH & Co. KG, adds: “We are aware of the major step this decision represents in the development of Rügenwalder Mühle in terms of employees, brand and company. We see this as a great opportunity for our company and believe it puts us in an excellent position for the future. In our search for the right partner, the common understanding and values in the production of good food that people want were essential for us. In the new, forward-looking social constellation, Rügenwalder Mühle can remain true to its philosophy and at the same time continue to develop as a company.”
The agreement is subject to subject to the approval of the relevant competition authorities.
