Vegan food sales in Germany were worth €1.9 billion in 2022.
Swedish vegan seafood maker Hooked Foods has expanded into the German market, launching its products in 400 Rewe West stores.
Hooked Foods’ vegan seafood analogues, including Salmoonish and Toonish, are part of this introduction.
The REWE Group is the second largest supermarket chain in Germany behind EDEKA, recording total sales of €84.4 billion for 2022.
This expansion follows a successful funding year for Hooked Foods, where it raised over $1.3 million, including from a crowdfunding campaign.
Germany, Europe’s largest market for plant-based foods, presents a significant opportunity for Hooked Foods. The country has seen a substantial growth in vegan food sales, reaching €1.9 billion from 2020 to 2022.
Hooked’s co-founder and CEO Tom Johansson emphasized the potential in catering to Germany’s flexitarian population, which is among the world’s largest.
The German seafood market itself is expected to grow annually, reaching $9.59 billion by 2028.
Hooked’s expansion aligns with the rapid growth of the alternative seafood sector in Europe, where vegan seafood purchases increased significantly in the past two years. Despite being a small fraction of the overall plant-based market, this category is the fastest-growing and one of the few witnessing a drop in average unit prices.
In addition to retail, Hooked is also considering partnerships with restaurants in Germany. Johansson stated that the initial focus will be on establishing a successful case in the western region before expanding throughout the country by the end of 2024. This expansion is supported by Germany’s plant-forward nutrition strategy, which aims to promote sustainable food system changes.
The move by Hooked Foods comes amidst other developments in the plant-based seafood industry in Germany, including launches by Nestlé and Esencia Foods, and the introduction of Europe’s first 3D-printed meat alternative salmon fillet by Revo Foods.
