Bell Food Group
Swiss food group specializing in meat processing, poultry, charcuterie, seafood, convenience foods and food-service products.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Bell Food Group is a Swiss food-processing group headquartered in Basel. It is best known for meat, poultry and charcuterie, but its activities also extend to seafood, fresh-cut produce, soups, sauces, prepared meals and other convenience products. The group operates through a portfolio of businesses and brands that includes Bell, Abraham, ZIMBO, Môssieur Polette, Hilcona, Eisberg and Hügli. Its business model combines branded consumer products, retail supply, food-service distribution and manufacturing for European markets. The company traces its origins to 29 March 1869, when Samuel Bell-Roth opened the Ochsenmetzg butcher shop in Basel. The family business expanded during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Samuel Bell Söhne was established in 1899 by members of the Bell family and became a stock corporation in 1907. In the same year, the company acquired the Basel site on Elsässerstrasse that later developed into a major headquarters and production location. By 1912, Bell had become Switzerland's largest meat producer. In 1913, it entered an alliance with the Association of Swiss Consumers, the predecessor of Coop, establishing a commercial relationship that ultimately became central to the group's ownership structure. Bell reorganized as a holding company in 1999 and subsequently expanded its activities through acquisitions and partnerships. It acquired Coop's butcher-shop headquarters in 2001, added poultry operations in Switzerland in 2002 and 2003, and separated its own butcher shops through a management buyout in 2004. In 2005, most of its retail and wholesale food-service activities were transferred to Transgourmet, a joint venture between Coop and Rewe, while catering activities were later sold to SV Group. International expansion began in the 2000s. Bell entered Luxembourg through meat exports and acquired French and German charcuterie businesses, including Polette, Abraham and ZIMBO. It later enlarged its poultry, fresh-produce, food-service and convenience-food platforms through acquisitions such as Hubers Landhendl, Eisberg, Cher-Mignon, Geiser and Hügli. The Hilcona relationship was particularly important: Bell incorporated its convenience division into Hilcona in 2011 in exchange for a minority holding and increased that holding to a majority in 2015. In 2018, Bell also acquired control of Hügli and invested in Mosa Meat, a Dutch company developing cultivated meat technology. The group is organized around Swiss meat activities, international meat businesses, and convenience and services operations. Its products are sold through retail and food-service channels across Switzerland and other European countries. Bell Food Group is majority controlled by Coop, while the remainder of its shares are held by other investors and free-float shareholders. The company remains active as a diversified European food manufacturer, with its historic meat-processing business complemented by prepared foods, fresh produce and other convenience categories.
History
Bell Food Group began in Basel on 29 March 1869, when Samuel Bell-Roth opened the Ochsenmetzg butcher shop on Streitgasse. The business developed from a family butcher operation into an industrial meat producer. In 1899, Samuel Bell-Roth, Eduard Bell, Samuel Bell-Vollenweider and Rudolf Bell established Samuel Bell Söhne. The company became a stock corporation in 1907 and acquired land on Elsässerstrasse in Basel, a site that remains associated with the group. Bell had become Switzerland's largest meat producer by 1912. Its 1913 alliance with the Association of Swiss Consumers, later Coop, created a long-running commercial connection. The group later broadened its distribution and processing network. In 1999, it was reorganized as a holding company. It acquired Coop's butcher-shop headquarters in 2001 and added Swiss poultry operations in 2002 and 2003. The company's own butcher shops were separated through a management buyout in 2004. In 2005, most retail and food-service activities were placed in Transgourmet, the Coop-Rewe joint venture, while Bell's remaining catering business was sold to SV Group in 2009. The company began internationalizing in the 2000s, initially exporting meat to Luxembourg and then acquiring European charcuterie businesses. French producer Polette and German businesses including Abraham and ZIMBO became part of the international portfolio. Bell acquired a controlling interest in ZIMBO in 2008 and a substantial interest in Abraham in the same period. In 2011, Bell transferred its convenience division into Hilcona and received a 49 percent stake. It exercised an option in 2015 to increase its holding to 51 percent, making Hilcona a majority-owned business. Bell expanded further in 2016 through acquisitions in poultry, fresh produce, charcuterie and food service. These included Austria's Hubers Landhendl, the Eisberg Group, Cher-Mignon and Geiser. In 2018, Bell obtained control of Hügli through its investment in Dr. A. Stoffel Holding and continued Hügli as an independent business unit. It also invested in Mosa Meat, a Dutch cultivated-meat company. Bell has therefore combined its historic meat-processing base with businesses in prepared foods, fresh produce, soups, sauces and emerging food technologies. The group has remained closely connected to Coop, which is its majority shareholder. Bell is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. Its operating structure has included Bell Switzerland, Bell International, and Convenience and Services, with international meat businesses and convenience subsidiaries grouped under those divisions. The company has also faced public scrutiny concerning competition-law proceedings, environmental and transport planning around its Oensingen facilities, and animal-rights activism. Its continuing strategy has been to maintain a strong Swiss meat business while using acquisitions and subsidiaries to serve broader European demand for convenient and prepared food.
- 2022
Poultry-sector vertical integration
[1]Bell acquired the hatchery Stöckli AG in Ohmstal.
- 2021
Change in board chair
[1]Hansueli Loosli left the board after twelve years as chair. Joos Sutter, previously vice chair, succeeded him, while Doris Leuthard became vice chair.
- 2018
Hügli acquisition and cultivated-meat investment
[1]Bell acquired control of Hügli and invested in Mosa Meat, linking its convenience-food portfolio with an emerging cultivated-meat technology company.
- 2016
Expansion in poultry, fresh produce and food service
[1]Bell acquired Hubers Landhendl, Eisberg, Cher-Mignon and Geiser, broadening its European operating base.
- 2015
Bell becomes Hilcona's majority shareholder
[1]Bell exercised an option that increased its Hilcona holding to 51 percent.
- 2011
Convenience operations transferred to Hilcona
[1]Bell incorporated its convenience division into Hilcona and received a minority stake in the company.
- 2008
Expansion into German charcuterie
[1]Bell acquired a controlling interest in ZIMBO and a substantial interest in Abraham, strengthening its German meat-products platform.
- 1999
Reorganization as a holding company
[1]The Bell group was reorganized into a holding-company structure.
- 1913
Bell Alliance with the Swiss consumer cooperative movement
[1]Bell entered an alliance with the Association of Swiss Consumers, the predecessor of Coop.
- 1907
Conversion into a stock corporation
[1]The company became a stock corporation and acquired the Basel property on Elsässerstrasse that became a major production and headquarters site.
Products and positioning
A large Swiss food-processing group built around meat and poultry, with an expanded European portfolio in charcuterie, convenience foods, fresh produce and food service.
Meat and poultry
Bell
The core Bell brand covers meat and poultry products sold through Swiss retail and food-service channels. Its portfolio reflects the group's historical strengths in slaughtering, cutting, processing and prepared meat products.
Charcuterie
Abraham
Abraham is a German charcuterie business and brand associated particularly with cured ham and other processed meat products. It became part of Bell's international meat portfolio during the group's expansion in Germany.
Sausages and meat products
ZIMBO
ZIMBO is a German meat-products brand offering sausages and related prepared meat products. Bell acquired a controlling stake in the business in 2008, adding a recognized German platform to its international operations.
Convenience foods
Hilcona
Hilcona is Bell's major convenience-food business. Its activities include prepared and convenient foods, complementing Bell's traditional meat operations and serving retail and food-service customers.
Fresh-cut produce
Eisberg
Eisberg produces fresh-cut salads and vegetables for customers in Switzerland and parts of Eastern Europe. Bell acquired the group in 2016 as part of its move into fresh convenience products.
Soups, sauces and convenience foods
Hügli
Hügli is a food manufacturer specializing in products such as soups, sauces and other convenient prepared-food formats. Bell acquired control in 2018 and retained Hügli as an independent business unit.
Charcuterie
Môssieur Polette
Môssieur Polette is a French charcuterie brand acquired during Bell's initial expansion into foreign markets.
Controversies
2018
Occupation of the Oensingen slaughterhouse
Animal-rights activists from 269 Libération Animale occupied Bell's Oensingen slaughterhouse. Police cleared the site, and more than one hundred penal orders were issued; some activists appealed and faced court proceedings.
2014
German sausage-cartel proceedings
Bell Deutschland was among the companies connected with proceedings concerning alleged coordination of sausage prices. The German Federal Cartel Office later dropped the proceedings against Bell Deutschland in 2017.
Brand decisions
2018
Acquisition of control of HügliM&ABackground
Bell expanded its convenience-food portfolio beyond meat and fresh produce.
Action taken
Bell acquired 50.2 percent of Dr. A. Stoffel Holding, giving it 65 percent of the voting rights in Hügli Holding.
Aftermath
Hügli continued as an independent business unit within Bell.
2018
Investment in cultivated meatStrategyBackground
Bell explored emerging alternatives and technologies related to meat production.
Action taken
Bell invested in Dutch cultivated-meat company Mosa Meat.
Aftermath
The investment complemented Bell's conventional meat and convenience-food activities with exposure to an emerging production model.
2015
Increase of Hilcona ownershipM&ABackground
Bell held an agreed option to increase its investment in Hilcona.
Action taken
Bell exercised the option and raised its holding to 51 percent.
Aftermath
Hilcona became a majority-owned convenience-food business within the Bell group.
2011
Move the convenience division into HilconaStrategyBackground
Bell sought to organize its convenience-food activities through Hilcona.
Action taken
Bell transferred its convenience division into Hilcona and took a 49 percent stake.
Aftermath
Bell increased its stake to 51 percent in 2015 and became Hilcona's majority shareholder.
Recent events
Kivits takes over Bell Logistics’ Belgian logistics business[2]
Reported:
Kivits-Drunen BV took over Bell Logistics NV in Belgium through an asset and liability transaction with Bell Food Group. The acquired business included its buildings, and Kivits was to absorb Bell’s employees.
Sources2 sources
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