Zertus acquires Hamburg-based meat importer Kruse

What's the deal? Germany's Zertus Group has acquired a majority stake in Gebr. Kruse, a long-established Hamburg-based meat importer. Kruse specialises in sourcing meat from South America and New Zealand — including New Zealand lamb — for the German market.

The acquisition fits squarely into Zertus's strategy of expanding its portfolio through its investment holding structure.

Why now? Zertus has been on a buying spree, recently acquiring protein products firm Well Plus Trade and bringing in high-profile leadership like former Real chief Müller-Sarmiento. The Kruse deal signals continued appetite for growth in the food sector, particularly around protein and international sourcing.

The signal: Zertus's acquisition streak — spanning protein products, specialist importers, and senior leadership hires — reflects a broader pattern of German investment holdings rolling up fragmented, niche food businesses into scaled platforms. For established importers like Kruse, with deep sourcing ties to South America and New Zealand, the consolidation wave offers succession paths while giving acquirers diversified, supply-chain-rich portfolios that are hard to replicate from scratch.

Read more: lebensmittelzeitung.net