Accelerating its aggressive consolidation strategy across Europe’s premium natural pet care sector, The Nutriment Company (TNC) has officially finalized the acquisition of German raw pet food and fresh-frozen nutrition specialist Frostfutter Perleberg.
The deal establishes a major operational and logistics footprint in Germany’s rapidly growing Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) market. Backed by the Nordic private equity firm Axcel, Stockholm-headquartered TNC will absorb the German platform to expand its cross-border direct-to-consumer (D2C) capabilities and optimize cold-chain distribution channels across mainland Europe.
Platform Profile: Sourcing and Infrastructure
Founded in 2004 as K&K Petfood GmbH before rolling out its highly successful commercial brand in 2012, Frostfutter Perleberg has built a dominant regional reputation for species-appropriate dog and cat nutrition.
The acquired entity stands out in the fragmented raw pet food sector due to its highly integrated production model:
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Traceable Sourcing: The company sources human-grade meat exclusively from certified regional farms in northern Germany, producing fresh batches daily
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Vertical Integration: Its manufacturing campus includes a rare, fully integrated on-site slaughterhouse and processing hub, ensuring complete control over biological safety, freshness, and strict EU processing standards
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Commercial Reach: Operating with over 100 employees, the company manages an expansive portfolio of frozen raw meals, steamed wet foods, dehydrated snacks, and nutritional supplements. It drives sales through specialized retail partnerships and a high-volume direct-to-consumer online store anchored by its eBarf brand
Strategic Alignment and Operational Synergies
For The Nutriment Company, this acquisition marks another calculated step in its multi-year European roll-up strategy. Frostfutter Perleberg joins an extensive portfolio of premium natural pet brands—including Nutriment, DIBO, Barfgold, BAF Petfood, PETMAN, and Natural Instinct—bringing TNC’s total manufacturing footprint to nine high-spec production sites across the continent.
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Logistical Scaling: TNC will combine the acquisition’s infrastructure with its existing network to set up an advanced, central frozen logistics hub. This hub is engineered to drive down the high shipping overheads typically associated with sub-zero pet food distribution across Western Europe
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One-Stop-Shop Capabilities: By integrating the specialized processing lines of the Perleberg facility, TNC strengthens its ability to supply European mega-retailers (such as Fressnapf / Maxi Zoo) with a comprehensive, one-stop-shop portfolio of fresh-frozen raw options
The acquisition highlights a strong shift in consumer demand, as health-conscious pet owners increasingly look past heavily processed kibble in favor of raw, minimally processed whole foods.
Anders Kristiansen, CEO of The Nutriment Company: “With the acquisition of Frostfutter Perleberg, we are gaining a business with a clear quality positioning and high customer loyalty. For over 15 years, they have championed natural, species-appropriate nutrition that meets the highest standards. This mission perfectly aligns with our own commitment to providing healthy, premium pet food that contributes to the long-term health and happiness of dogs and cats.”
Julius Adrian, Managing Director for Western Europe at TNC: “The combination of in-house production, regional sourcing, and a strong direct customer base makes Frostfutter Perleberg and eBarf an ideal addition to our portfolio. Integrating them into our existing structure will allow us to realize operational synergies and enable further growth.”
