Family-owned company producing biscuits, soft cake, cookies and long shelf-life baked goods at three German locations
Griesson - de Beukelaer GmbH & Co. KG
Polch · Kahla · WurzenNew on Amplifa
About Griesson - de Beukelaer
Griesson - de Beukelaer is a German family-owned company in the sweet and long shelf-life baked goods sector, headquartered in Polch (Rhineland-Palatinate). The company produces soft cake, sandwich biscuits (Prinzen Rolle), cookies, butter biscuits, biscuit sticks, crispbread, refreshing sticks and wafer products – as well as private labels for food retail. Production takes place at the Polch site (since 1969, headquarters and production plant), Kahla (plant built in 1993 for Prinzen Rolle, cookies and biscuit mixes) and Wurzen (refreshing sticks and wafer products; part of the company since 2008 as Wurzener Dauerbackwaren GmbH). In 2025, a site expansion began in Wurzen with an investment of more than 100 million euros: by 2027, a new production and logistics hall with an automated high-bay warehouse as well as production capacity for GRIESSON soft cake will be built there. Recipe development is carried out in-house, increasingly also with vegan products. Raw materials used include certified cocoa, RSPO-certified palm oil, KAT-certified eggs, hazelnuts and grain sourced predominantly regionally.
- Site
- Polch
- Processes
- Baking/production of soft cake (chocolate pastry), Production of butter biscuits, Production of sandwich biscuits (Prinzen Rolle), Production of cookies, Production of biscuit sticks, Production of crispbread, Production of refreshing sticks, Production of wafer products
- Materials
- Cocoa, Chocolate, Hazelnuts, Palm oil, Palm kernel fat, Eggs, Grain, Cocoa and Chocolate
- Certificates
- RSPO Supply Chain Certification (SCC), ISO 50001, SMETA, Rainforest Alliance (raw material purchase certification), Fairtrade, KAT (eggs from laying operations), Rainforest Alliance (raw material certification), KAT
- Founded
- 1969 (Werk
- Industries
- Food industry / Sweet and long shelf-life baked goods, Private label production for food retail
- 01
Raw material procurement (certified, partly regional)
- 02
Recipe development in the company's own innovation center
- 03
Dough and mass production
- 04
Baking of the products
- 05
Coating/filling (e.g. chocolate, creams)
- 06
Packaging
- 07
Logistics and distribution
Raw Materials and Processes
Cocoa and Chocolate
Cocoa for branded products is sourced 100 percent from Rainforest Alliance- or Fairtrade-certified farms.
Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Fat
Since 2015 exclusively RSPO-certified palm oil, predominantly via the Segregation supply chain model.
Grain
Grain is grown mainly in Germany and neighbouring countries.
Eggs
Exclusively eggs from KAT-certified laying operations with barn or free-range keeping.
Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts for branded products come from Rainforest Alliance-certified farms.
Vegan Recipes
Since 2024, vegan sandwich biscuits and cookies are also produced.
Locations
Polch
DEHeadquarters, production plant, administration, innovation center, logistics, De Beukelaer Factory Outlet
- Materials
- Grain
- Innovation Center
- Logistics
Kahla
DEProduction plant for Prinzen Rolle, cookies and biscuit mixes
- Materials
- Grain, cocoa, hazelnuts, palm oil
Wurzen
DEProduction plant for refreshing sticks and wafer products; from 2027 also GRIESSON soft cake
- Materials
- Grain, eggs
- Automated high-bay warehouse (planned for 2027)
- Soft cake production facilities (planned for 2027)
Product Groups
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baking/production of soft cake (chocolate pastry)Food production | – | – | – | – | Cocoa, Chocolate, Grain, Palm oil, Eggs |
| Production of butter biscuitsFood production | – | – | – | – | Grain, Palm oil |
| Production of sandwich biscuits (Prinzen Rolle)Food production | – | – | – | – | Grain, Cocoa, Palm oil |
| Production of cookiesFood production | – | – | – | – | Grain, Cocoa, Hazelnuts |
| Production of biscuit sticksFood production | – | – | – | – | Grain |
| Production of crispbreadFood production | – | – | – | – | Grain |
| Production of refreshing sticksFood production | – | – | – | – | Grain |
| Production of wafer productsFood production | – | – | – | – | Grain, Eggs |
| Cocoa processing (chocolate processing/coating)Food production | – | – | – | – | Cocoa, Chocolate |
| Packaging of foodFood production | – | – | – | – | – |
| Storage studies/product testing (quality inspection)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sensory product tests with a trained panelTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automated high-bay warehouse | – | – | – | 2027 (gepl | Wurzen |
| Soft cake production facilities (modern production hall) | – | – | – | 2027 (gepl | Wurzen |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
Bakers, confectioners, food technologists and nutrition scientists regularly inspect raw materials, processes and products. All products are tested by a standardised, sensory-trained panel; storage studies are conducted to determine the best-before date.
| Evidence | Polch | Kahla | Wurzen |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSPO Supply Chain Certification (SCC) | |||
| ISO 50001 | |||
| SMETA | |||
| Rainforest Alliance (raw material certification) | |||
| Fairtrade | |||
| KAT |
History
- 1886
Foundation of Wurzener Kunstmühlen und Bisquitfabriken AG by Ernst and Fritz Krietsch
- 1946
The Wurzen operation becomes a people-owned enterprise (VEB, "die Krietsche")
- 1969
Heinz Gries opens the plant in Polch – birthplace of the soft cake
- 1977
GRIESSON soft cake launches on the market
- 1979
Relocation of the corporate headquarters from Kobern to Polch
- 1980er
Wurzen becomes the leading operation for long shelf-life baked goods in the GDR and exports to the West
- 1993
Construction of the Kahla plant
- 2007
Switch to controlled and alternative forms of animal husbandry for eggs; awarded "Das Goldene Ei" (The Golden Egg)
- 2008
Wurzener Dauerbackwaren GmbH becomes part of Griesson - de Beukelaer
- 2010
Member of the RSPO
- 2012
First food manufacturer in the German sweet biscuit market to purchase 100 % certified cocoa for branded products
- 2014
Membership in the Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao (Forum for Sustainable Cocoa)
- 2015
Exclusively RSPO-certified palm oil; joins Forum Nachhaltiges Palmöl e.V. (FONAP)
- 2024
Introduction of vegan sandwich biscuits and cookies
- 2025
Groundbreaking ceremony for the Wurzen site expansion (>100 Mio. € investment)
- 2026
Expansion into the USA; 36 apprentices start in Polch, Kahla and Wurzen
- 2027
Planned production start of GRIESSON soft cake in Wurzen with up to 100 new jobs