Foodactive is the brain behind the new cluster, which aims to network the numerous stakeholders and to raise Hamburg's visibility as a food centre. The network represents around 160 members in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region and holds a 44 per cent share in the new cluster, Süderelbe AG has a further 5 per cent, while the City of Hamburg is the main shareholder with 51 per cent. "I hope that our new cluster will become one of the top ten food clusters in Europe," said Andreas Rieckhof, State Councillor in the Ministry of Economics and Innovation. Around 4,500 companies and 123,000 employees, as well as Hamburg's tradition indicate the importance of food production in the city. And in the Middle Ages, the city was considered the brewing centre of the Hanseatic League.
Sascha Taube, Managing Director of the new Food Cluster Hamburg, recently outlined six fields of action for the network at a kick-off event in the Hamburger Ding (November 27). The production of sustainable, innovative food, expertise "Made in Hamburg" and the establishment of a food hub in Hamburg are all linked to fridges, cookers and kitchen tables. "From now on, you will think of the new food cluster when you come into your kitchen," Taube laughed.
Top 10 food clusters
Versatile food scene
Nowadays, Hamburg has a lively craft and brewery scene with major brands such as Holsten and Astra and breweries like Wildwuchs Brauwerk, Kehrwieder Kreativbrauerei and Überquell Brauwerkstätten. This diversity is precisely what characterises Hamburg as a food centre, Rieckhof and Taube agreed. The many stakeholders from global players in the food industry to SMEs and innovative start-ups. However, the industry's innovative strength must meet the requirements of the Novel Food Regulation as the production of foods developed by Hamburg-based startups like Bluu Seafood or Infinite Roots, is subject to EU approval.
Hamburg-based food start-ups
Batch V of othe six-month the foodlab accelerator in Hafencity began in September and teaches the basics of business plans, HR and marketing and offers the opportunity to put a newly.developed concept to the test in a one-week pop-up. Success stories from the last batch include the Ceviche Bar, which brings Peruvian cuisine to Hamburg and Supersüß. Their beautiful Asian patisserie tastes like a cross between cakes, ice cream and sweets and is now available in their own café in the Perle Hamburg.
Food dates 2025
The Food Innovation Camp (FIC) is now a firm fixture for startups. More than 1,300 guests attended the camp in the Chamber of Commerce this summer and also announced the next get-together on June 23, 2025. Then, movers and shakers in retail, the hospitality and food sector, investors and politicians will meet up to 90 innovative food startups. The agenda features talks, panels and workshops on financing, patents and marketing. Another Open Mouth Food Festival is also being planned after the first five-day festival attracted no less than 7,500 visitors. Efforts are also being made to prepare regional production in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region for global environmental and social challenges in the food system.
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