Manufacturer of frozen convenience products made from meat, vegetables and plant-based ingredients for foodservice, retail grocery and the food industry.
European Convenience Food GmbH
49681 Garrel, GermanyNew on Amplifa
About European Convenience Food GmbH
European Convenience Food GmbH (ECF), based in Garrel (Lower Saxony), produces frozen convenience products for the out-of-home market, the grocery retail sector and the further-processing food industry. The ECF Group was formed in 2014 from the merger of Karl Kemper Convenience GmbH and Eichkamp GmbH & Co KG; its origins date back to 1975. On around 22,000 m² of production space, approximately 260 employees produce around 60 tonnes per day with modern equipment and flexible line configurations — including meat preparations and scalded sausages, breaded vegetable and cauliflower preparations, meat-analogue casseroles, and egg pancakes, raw, pre-fried or fully cooked. Production also includes organic products under the EU Organic Regulation. In addition to the Vegeta, Karl Kemper and new leaf brands, ECF develops custom frozen product solutions and private-label items. Since the end of 2024, the company has belonged to the French LDC Group (Lambert Dodard Chancereul). Products are distributed in Germany and Western Europe.
- Site
- Garrel
- Processes
- Manufacture of frozen convenience products, Production of raw, pre-fried and fully cooked convenience products, Production of meat preparations and scalded sausages (e.g. frying sausages, sausage spirals,, Production of vegetable convenience products (e.g. vegetable, cauliflower and, Production of meat-analogue casseroles (e.g. moussaka, cream potato gratin), Production of egg pancakes with and without filling, Packaging of frozen products (film/film bags, plastic/aluminium trays, C-PET trays,, Production of organic frozen products (organic production)
- Materials
- Pork, Beef, Poultry meat, Vegetables, Cauliflower, Celery, Peppers, Eggs
- Certificates
- IFS Broker Version 3.2, Organic certification (EU 2018/848), Halal certification, IFS Food Version 8 (Eichkamp GmbH & Co. KG), Organic certification (Eichkamp GmbH & Co. KG), ISO 50001:2018 (Eichkamp GmbH & Co. KG), Organic certification (EU 2018/848, DE-ÖKO-006)
- Founded
- 1975
- Employees
- 260
- Industries
- Out-of-home market / foodservice, Grocery retail, Food industry
- 01
Raw material purchasing (predominantly regional)
- 02
Product development
- 03
Production (raw, pre-fried, fully cooked)
- 04
Packaging (film bags, trays, vacuum, cartons)
- 05
Frozen storage
- 06
Distribution to foodservice, grocery retail, food industry
Raw materials and ingredients
Pork
Base for meat preparations, scalded sausages and meat products in the Karl Kemper tradition.
Beef
Used in national and international meat specialities.
Poultry meat
Base for burger patties, chicken wings and filled products.
Vegetables (including cauliflower, celery, peppers)
Foundation of breaded vegetable convenience and vegetarian products of the Vegeta brand.
Eggs
Raw material for egg pancakes with and without filling.
Plant-based ingredients
For meat-analogue, vegetarian and vegan products such as analogue sausages, falafel and casseroles.
Organically produced raw materials
Used in certified organic production under Regulation (EU) 2018/848.
Site
Garrel
DEProduction and administration
- Part weight / size
- ca. 60 t/day
- Materials
- Meat, poultry, vegetables, plant-based ingredients, eggs
- Production facilities for frozen convenience with flexible line configurations
Product groups
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacture of frozen convenience productsFood production | – | – | around 60 tonnes per day | – | Meat (pork, beef, poultry), Vegetables, plant-based ingredients (vegetarian/vegan), Eggs |
| Production of raw, pre-fried and fully cooked convenience productsFood production | – | – | – | – | Meat, Poultry, meat-analogue products on a plant basis, Vegetables |
| Production of meat preparations and scalded sausages (e.g. frying sausages, sausage spirals,Food production | – | – | – | – | Meat, Poultry meat |
| Production of vegetable convenience products (e.g. vegetable, cauliflower andFood production | – | – | – | – | Vegetables, Cauliflower, Celery, Chickpeas (falafel) |
| Production of meat-analogue casseroles (e.g. moussaka, cream potato gratin)Food production | – | – | – | – | plant-based ingredients, Potatoes |
| Production of egg pancakes with and without fillingFood production | – | – | – | – | Eggs |
| Packaging of frozen products (film/film bags, plastic/aluminium trays, C-PET trays,Packaging | – | – | – | – | – |
| Production of organic frozen products (organic production)Food production | – | – | – | – | organically produced raw materials |
| Trading/distribution of frozen foods (IFS Broker)Trading/distribution | – | – | – | – | – |
| Custom frozen product solutions / private-label productionFood production | – | – | – | – | – |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production facilities (frozen convenience, flexible line configurations) | – | – | Production area approx. 22,000 square metres | – | Garrel |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and certification
Procurement, manufacturing and distribution are regularly audited and certified by official bodies according to IFS Food and IFS Broker, organic and Halal standards. An energy management system according to ISO 50001:2018 covers all consumed energy quantities.
| Evidence | Garrel |
|---|---|
| IFS Food Version 8 (Eichkamp GmbH & Co. KG) | |
| IFS Broker Version 3.2 | |
| Organic certification (EU 2018/848, DE-ÖKO-006) | |
| Halal certification | |
| ISO 50001:2018 (Eichkamp GmbH & Co. KG) |
History
- 1975
Start of the success story with the stuffed cabbage roll, the Karl Kemper classic.
- 2014
Formation of the ECF Group through the merger of Karl Kemper Convenience GmbH and Eichkamp GmbH & Co KG at the Garrel site.
- 2024
Development of a product to the standards of the European Broiler Chicken Initiative as the first interim milestone.
- 2024
Acquisition by the French LDC Group (Lambert Dodard Chancereul) at the end of 2024.