Apetito

apetito
Privately held company
Founded 1958
Founder Karl Düsterberg
Headquarters Rheine, Germany
Products food
Number of employees
8,902 (2012)
Website http://www.apetito.com
Rheine

apetito is a European frozen food company which was founded in post-war Germany. The company operate in Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Canada and employ over 8,902 people.[1] They are the main providers of "meals on wheels" for local authorities in the UK,[2] and were given a Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2005.

History

The company was founded by Karl Düsterberg in 1958 in Rheine, Germany as "apetito Ready Meals" producing frozen ready meals for retail and business canteens, schools, nurseries and the German Meals on Wheels service. The company began to expand to neighbouring countries in 1989 when "apetito B.V" was founded in the Netherlands. In 1991, the company set up "apetito (UK) Limited" in Sevenoaks, UK, and by 2001 had acquired "Nord Restauration S.H." and "Orlysienne du Nord" in France. Business outside of Germany now accounts for approx 25% of apetito’s total turnover,[3] though the company's headquarters are still in Rheine, Germany.

Meals on wheels

The meals on wheels schemes organised by local councils in UK deliver 40 million or 77,000 meals every week to 200,000 people.[4] Of these, apetito produces 900,000 meals and puddings a week or 47 million a year.[5]

Wiltshire Farm Foods

Main article: Wiltshire Farm Foods

apetito operates a private frozen meal delivery service — Wiltshire Farm Foods. The company, originally named "The Waldens Wiltshire Foods Limited" and based in Trowbridge, was purchased by apetito in 1995. Wiltshire Farm Foods specialise in delivering frozen ready meals to private customers throughout the United Kingdom.[6]

The company offers over 200 different ready to reheat frozen meals, including vegetarian, gluten-free, and diabetic. The service is intended mainly for elderly or disabled people, but can be used by anybody who prefers to have meals delivered to their home.[7]

Wiltshire Farm Foods deliveries are largely carried out by franchisees.[8]

Heart To Home Meals

On April 13th 2015, Heart To Home Meals launched as the new company name for apetito's Copper County Foods Division.[9] Heart To Home Meals is the same great team, offering the same great service, with a great new name.

Copper County Foods

Copper County Foods is the Canadian franchise of Wiltshire Farm Foods. It incorporated on June 25, 2008, and commenced selling franchises in June 2009. The Copper County Foods franchise network is in its infancy in Canada with the Ontario market currently under development.[10] On April 13th 2015 Copper County Foods rebranded to Heart To Home Meals.[11]

Copper County Foods delivers meals, soups and desserts directly to the home. Their products are developed to cater to special dietary needs and can be ordered online, by phone, or with the delivery driver. Product listings are colour-coded and tagged with symbols indicating if a meal is diabetic friendly, low in sodium, fat or calories. They also have meals for diets free of gluten and lactose, as well as pureed and minced meals.[12]

Advertising

apetito's first TV marketing campaign started on 6 November 2006, showing commercials on every private television station in Germany. Advertisements in England have also been aired.

Awards and nominations

The company were given a Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2005 for outstanding achievements in innovation in regard to provision of food to the elderly.[13]

They were nominated for two awards in 2008, one for corporate responsibility from ICAEW, the other for business innovation from IMechE.[14]

apetito Canada was awarded the Brampton Outstanding Business Achievement Award in 2010 in the Food & Beverage category.[15]

References

  1. http://www.apetito.de/ueber-apetito/presse/Documents/Geschaeftsbericht.pdf
  2. "Meals on wheels changes hard to swallow". Richmond and Twickenham Times. 18 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
  3. Our History, apetito Group. Retrieved on 3 September 2008.
  4. Marrissa-Catherine Carrarini (28 March 2008). "Meals on wheels for the more well-heeled". London: Timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
  5. "Meals on wheels in Paris and Peterborough". CatererSearch. 2003-09-01. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  6. "Wiltshire Farm Foods - (SEO) Case Study". Coastdigital.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
  7. Guide-information Gloucestershire, 31 May 2007. Retrieved on 3 September 2008.
  8. "Wiltshire Farm Foods Franchise Opportunities". Archived from the original on August 21, 2008. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
  9. Copper County Foods.
  10. Copper County Foods.
  11. Queens Award Winners 2005 Archived April 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine., queensawards.org.uk
  12. Becky Paskin, Hotels to score big at National Business Awards, 1 Sep 2008, bighospitality.co.uk. Retrieved on 3 September 2008.
  13. Brampton Business Achievement Awards, brampton.ca

External links

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