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Lloydkaffe aus Bremen - Quelle: WFB/Jan Rathke

Food and beverage

Global brands at home in Bremen

When it comes to food and drink, Bremen is a capital of brands. If you look closely while doing your weekly shopping in any German supermarket, you'll often see Bremen listed on the packaging as the place of manufacture. Few other cities in Europe are home to such a large number of household names.

The food and beverage industry employs around 10,000 people in 250 companies in the state of Bremen.

The food industry accounts for around 30 percent of all Bremen's imports and just under ten percent of its exports. Coffee is the most important export and import commodity. In addition to coffee, refreshing beer and of course fresh fish play a major role.

food and beverage industry in Bremen
The food and beverage industry is the second largest in Bremen. World brands such as Beck's and Mondelez have their headquarters in Bremen. © AB InBev, Messe Bremen / Jan Rathke

Facts & figures

10 international food and beverage companies

We have compiled a list of ten nationally and internationally active companies which operate branches or locations in Bremen, either with their own production facilities or as important distribution centres.

read about the 10 companies
Business directory food and beverage industry in Bremen

In our directory you will find companies from various sectors of the food and beverage industry in Bremen. Download the PDF or visit our business directory.

download pdf
Business directory Bremen

In our business directory you will find companies from the wind energy, aerospace, maritime economy & logistics, food & beverage and automotive sectors.

See directory

Bremerhaven and frozen food

Bremerhaven is famous for its location on the North Sea and for its fresh fish. FRoSTA AG set up operations in the port city more than a century ago. The company is now a market leader in frozen food. Frozen Fish International, Nordsee and Deutsche See are three other big names from Bremerhaven in the world of frozen and processed food. It's no surprise then that Bremerhaven is known as Europe's frozen food capital.

An entire industry has been built up around the frozen food business. All kinds of companies – from packaging specialists and logistics firms to food laboratories and research institutes – have set up operations in the region. Bremerhaven is Germany's biggest centre for the fish trade and a major player in the deep-sea fishing industry. In Germany's smallest federal state, a total of 4,000 people are employed in the 'fish economy'.

Every fish finger is the same
Production today at Frosta: Employee Christoph Roes checks the fish fingers, which are always 9 centimetres long, 2.6 centimetres wide and 1.1 centimetres high. © WFB/Focke Strangmann

The NaGeB interest group

The 'Interessenverband NaGeB e. V.' represents the food and beverage industry in Bremen, Bremerhaven and the surrounding area of Lower Saxony. The NaGeB bundles common interests and strengthens the public perception of the industry. Thus the food and luxury food industry is to be emphasized and noticed as proven authority center also far beyond the region.

The NaGeB is in constant dialogue with politics, administration and the public of Bremen. With events on infrastructure, transport, energy, education and training, the association regularly informs its members and all interested companies in the sector and offers a competent network for all those involved.

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