Production of direct juices, mother juices and dietary supplements under the Rabenhorst, Rotbäckchen and Dr. Steinberger brands

Haus Rabenhorst O. Lauffs GmbH & Co. KG

Unkel (main plant) · Anhausen (logistics centre)New on Amplifa

1805Founded

approx. 180Employees

over 16 million litresDirect juice/year

up to 7.5 million litresTank capacity

2Sites

About Haus Rabenhorst

Haus Rabenhorst O. Lauffs GmbH & Co. KG is a family business founded in 1805 as a winery, headquartered in Unkel (Rhineland-Palatinate) and today, by its own account, a highly specialised manufacturer of premium-quality fruit and vegetable juices. Its core competence lies in the production of pure first-pressing direct juices (mother juices) as well as fruit juices and dietary supplements under the Rabenhorst, Rotbäckchen and Dr. Steinberger brands. Processing is gentle and natural; the juices are not clarified with gelatine, fish bladder or egg white, and turbidity removal, if any, is carried out by mechanical separation. More than 16 million litres of direct juice are produced and sold each year; storage tank capacity is up to 7.5 million litres. The raw materials (including up to 4,300 t of apples, up to 2,300 t of berries and up to 200 t of cherries) come in part from organically controlled contract cultivation dating back to 1969. The company employs around 180 staff, is 100 % owned by the founding family Lauffs and, in addition to its main plant in Unkel, has operated a logistics centre in Anhausen since 2018.

Site: Unkel
Processes: Production of direct juices/mother juices, Dietary supplements, Organically controlled contract cultivation (since 1969), Factory outlet, Plant tours, Logistics (high-bay warehouse, Anhausen logistics centre)
Materials: Apples (including orchard fruit), Berries, Cherries, Direct juice/mother juice (first pressing)
Certificates: Annual audit to international standard (food safety), Organic control body DE-ÖKO-005, HACCP risk analyses
Founded: 1805
Employees: approx. 180
Industries: Food/beverage industry (fruit and vegetable juices), Dietary supplements

01
Procurement of raw materials (including apple intake, berries, cherries from
02
Musting/pressing
03
Processing into direct juices or fruit juice blends
04
Manufacture of dietary supplements (since 2015)
05
Bottling
06
Storage (high-bay warehouse)
07
Logistics and dispatch

Raw Materials & Processing

APFEL

Apples (including orchard fruit)

Up to 4,300 tonnes are delivered and processed by growers annually.

BEERE

Berries

Cranberries, lingonberries, blueberries, blackberries, aronia berries, blackcurrants and elderberries (up to 2,300 t/year) are pressed.

KIRSCHE

Cherries

Up to 200 tonnes annually, mainly from Rhineland fruit growers, are gently pressed.

DIREKTSAFT

Direct juice/mother juice (first pressing)

Contains exclusively natural fruit constituents; clarification without gelatine, fish bladder or egg white, mechanical separation if necessary.

Sites

Unkel

Main plant with production, administration and factory outlet

Materials: Apples, berries, cherries; direct juices and mother juices

High-bay warehouse
Juice tanks (up to 7.5 million litres)

Anhausen

Logistics centre (since 2018)

High-bay warehouse

Products

**Rotbäckchen children's juices (since 1952)**Direct juice processing · Child nutrition

**Berry direct juices (Rabenhorst brands)**Pressing · Food/Beverages

**Dr. Steinberger juices and nectars**Fruit juice/nectar production · Food retail

Inside the production

Factory outlet on the Rabenhorst premises

Industries

Food/beverage industry (fruit and vegetable juices)Dietary supplements

Additional services

Production of direct juices/mother juicesDietary supplementsOrganically controlled contract cultivation (since 1969)Factory outletPlant toursLogistics (high-bay warehouse, Anhausen logistics centre)

Quality

From the receipt of raw materials through pressing to bottling and dispatch, continuous strict controls are carried out; production is subject to stringent hygiene requirements. The company is audited annually to an internationally recognised standard by an independent certification body and conducts HACCP risk analyses.

Evidence	Unkel
Annual audit to international standard (food safety)
Organic control body DE-ÖKO-005
HACCP risk analyses

History

1805
Pastor Johann-Heinrich Lauffs buys a winery in Oberwinter.
1885
Oskar Lauffs relocates the company to Unkel; name Haus Rabenhorst O. Lauffs.
1898
Alexander Lauffs begins producing 'non-alcoholic medicinal natural wine' (red grape juice).
1920
Günther and Walther Lauffs join the business; cooperation with the reform house movement.
1952
First bottling of Rotbäckchen; launch of the first TV commercial.
1969
Start of organically controlled contract cultivation; cooperation with the University of Kassel.
2000
Acquisition of the 'Flemming Naturkorn' brand rights.
2005
200th company anniversary.
2008
Awarded 'Selected Landmark' in the 'Germany – Land of Ideas' campaign.
2009
Rabenhorst becomes an official supplier of the Berlinale.
2010
Environmental Prize of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate; first Federal Honour Prize for fruit beverages.
2012
Brand Award for Rotbäckchen; Rotbäckchen becomes Organic Brand of the Year.
2015
Introduction of the first Rotbäckchen dietary supplements.
2018
Expansion with the Anhausen logistics site.
2019
Over €20 million invested in the Unkel site over the last 10 years; ninth Federal Honour Prize.
2020
Introduction of 60-ml shots; German Brand Award for Rotbäckchen; sustainability prize Stern/YouGov.
2021
Brand Award for Rotbäckchen Kraftpakete; German Brand Award Gold for Rabenhorst.
2022
Eleventh Federal Honour Prize, twice in Gold.