Tradition / Philosophy
More than 100 years ago Gottfried Friedrichs started a small smokery in Hamburg, Germany. The first “Hanseatic finefish manufactur” was born. With more than 100 years of experience we are able to combine experience, tradition, expertise and craftsmanship to create unique products. From the beginning on, we have focused on quality, innovation and sustainability to match the demand of modern consumers.
Even though Friedrichs developed into one of Europe’s major smokeries and a reliable partner for European and international retailers and wholesalers we have never forgotten where we came from. To this very day, quality, responsibility and consumption continue to drive us to deliver the best product possible. From the sourcing of our raw material, to salting, the smokery and packaging the finished product, we are committed to fine handcraftsmanship wherever it improves the quality of our products.
Today we are proud to run our own IFS-certified smokeries in Germany and Poland. Including our headquarters and our own distribution centre, we have around 400 employees. Thanks to their passion and dedication to creating premium products, Friedrichs has become the leading brand in Germany and one of the major smokeries in Europe.
Objectives and premium standards
Friedrichs’ objective is to create products of extraordinary standards for the most precious moments in life. In keeping with this, we have developed our very own methods for achieving premium-quality products. We smoke the fish for 12 hours in a specially developed smoking oven, leave it to marinate for five whole days, debone it by hand to make sure we preserve the structure of the filet and allow it to rest for several hours. All this forms the basis of a high-quality product. Knowledge and even more time and close contact through the whole manufacturing process ensure a premium and totally distinctive product. To create a premium product meeting high standards, you need to use best raw material possible. Therefore we value water as an element and natural resource fish. For this reason, we have been supporting sustainability programs such as MSC since 2002, ASC since 2014 and Naturland (organic) since 2007.
From being the first company which introduced MSC-certified wild salmon in Germany to becoming a strong supporter of responsibly farmed salmon, we do everything possible to gain access to fish as a healthy and valuable product. But Friedrichs is not just at the fore when it comes to innovation for the raw material. In a constantly changing market with varying requirements in different areas, we always seek to enhance our products. This is demonstrated by several successful product innovations.