Pfanni
German food brand specializing in ready-to-cook and convenience potato products.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Pfanni is a German food brand and food manufacturer associated primarily with prepared potato products. Its range has included potato dumplings, dumpling dough, mashed potatoes, gnocchi, bread dumplings and other convenience foods designed to reduce preparation time in the kitchen. The brand is operated within the Unilever group and is principally associated with the German market. The business was founded in Munich on September 2, 1949, by Werner Eckart. It grew out of a family food-preservation enterprise whose history reached back to 1868, when Werner Eckart's father, John Eckart, had begun producing preserves. Pfanni developed during the post-war expansion of packaged foods, building its identity around processed potato products that could be prepared more conveniently and consistently than fresh potatoes. By the mid-1960s, Pfanni had become a substantial food manufacturer. The company reported turnover of more than Deutsche Mark 50 million in 1964 and approximately DM80 million in 1965. At that time it employed about 1,300 people and processed roughly 150,000 tonnes of potatoes annually. These figures illustrate the scale reached by the Munich operation before the company later moved significant activities away from its original site. Pfanni was sold in 1993 to CPC Germany, a business later renamed Bestfoods Corporation. The transaction placed Pfanni alongside other established food brands, including Knorr, within the Bestfoods portfolio. In 2000, Unilever acquired Bestfoods, bringing Pfanni into Unilever's international food business. Pfanni has since remained a Unilever brand rather than an independently listed company. The brand's product identity is centered on kitchen-ready potato foods. Its offerings have included potato dumplings, including varieties made with bread; prepared dumpling dough; mashed potato products; gnocchi; and other ready-meal or convenience formats. The products are positioned around practical preparation, familiar German-style dishes and the use of potatoes as a versatile staple ingredient. Pfanni's corporate and industrial history is also connected with several German locations. The company headquarters is in Stavenhagen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and an additional production site is associated with Cloppenburg in Lower Saxony. The Cloppenburg operation developed after Pfanni acquired premises connected with the former Wersing food company and moved production to Addrup. A 76-metre industrial tower in the Cloppenburg district of Emstekerfeld, originally built for Spreda Nahrungsmittelwerke AG's drying operation, later became known as the Pfanni Tower and remains a local symbol of the company's industrial presence. Pfanni's former Munich factory site acquired a second life after the company's relocation. In 1996, the former site in the Berg am Laim district became Kunstpark Ost, a nightlife and entertainment area containing numerous clubs. From 2003 to 2016, the site operated under the name Kultfabrik. The Potato Museum also opened on the former grounds, supported by the Otto Eckart Foundation. Otto Eckart, Werner Eckart's son, had served as Pfanni's owner and chief executive until the sale to CPC and later became executive director of the foundation. Thus, Pfanni's legacy extends beyond packaged foods into Munich's industrial, cultural and urban history.
History
Pfanni was established in Munich on September 2, 1949, by Werner Eckart. The company belonged to a family food tradition that dated to 1868, when Werner Eckart's father, John Eckart, began producing preserves. Pfanni's subsequent specialization in processed potato foods placed it within the post-war development of packaged and convenience food in Germany. The company expanded substantially during the 1950s and 1960s. Its products focused on making familiar potato-based dishes easier to prepare at home, including dumplings and other prepared formats. By 1964, reported turnover had exceeded DM50 million, and it rose to approximately DM80 million in 1965. Pfanni employed roughly 1,300 people at that time and processed about 150,000 tonnes of potatoes each year, demonstrating the industrial scale of its Munich production base. The later history of the business was shaped by ownership changes and geographic relocation. In 1993, Pfanni was sold to CPC Germany. CPC was later renamed Bestfoods Corporation, and Pfanni became part of a wider branded-food portfolio that also included Knorr. In 2000, Unilever acquired Bestfoods. Pfanni consequently became part of Unilever's food business and continued as a German-oriented potato-products brand. The company moved its headquarters and industrial activities away from its original Munich setting. Its current headquarters is in Stavenhagen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, while an additional factory is associated with Cloppenburg in Lower Saxony. The Cloppenburg operation followed the acquisition of premises from the Wersing food company and the movement of production to Addrup. A tall drying tower originally connected with Spreda Nahrungsmittelwerke AG later became known as the Pfanni Tower, linking the brand to the industrial landscape of Emstekerfeld. Pfanni's departure from Munich did not end the public life of its former factory grounds. In 1996, the site in the Berg am Laim district was transformed into Kunstpark Ost, a nightlife and party area with many clubs. From 2003 through 2016, it operated under the name Kultfabrik. A Potato Museum also opened on the former premises and was financed by the Otto Eckart Foundation. Otto Eckart, the founder's son, had been Pfanni's owner and chief executive before the sale to CPC; he later became executive director of the foundation. The brand's lasting commercial identity remains its range of kitchen-ready potato foods. Pfanni products have included potato dumplings, bread dumplings, dumpling dough, mashed potatoes, gnocchi and other convenience dishes. These products connect the brand with traditional German food while emphasizing preparation convenience. Pfanni is therefore both a continuing packaged-food brand within Unilever and a notable part of the industrial and cultural history of Munich and northern Germany.
- 2016
Kultfabrik period ends
[1]The former Pfanni site ceased operating under the Kultfabrik name after a period of nightlife use.
- 2003
Former site is renamed Kultfabrik
[1]The former Munich entertainment district began operating under new management as Kultfabrik.
- 2000
Pfanni enters the Unilever group
[1]Unilever acquired Bestfoods, thereby acquiring Pfanni.
- 1996
Former Munich plant is redeveloped
[1]The former Pfanni factory grounds in Munich's Berg am Laim district became Kunstpark Ost, a major nightlife and club area.
- 1993
Ownership passes to CPC Germany
[1]Pfanni was sold to CPC Germany, later known as Bestfoods Corporation.
- 1965
Pfanni reaches large-scale production
[1]The company was reported to employ approximately 1,300 workers and process around 150,000 tonnes of potatoes annually.
- 1963
Industrial tower later becomes the Pfanni Tower
[1]A 76-metre drying tower was built at the newly established Spreda Nahrungsmittelwerke site in Emstekerfeld. After Pfanni later took over the premises, the structure became known as the Pfanni Tower.
- 1949
Pfanni is founded in Munich
[1]Werner Eckart founded Pfanni on September 2 in Munich.
- 1868
Family food-preservation business begins
[1]John Eckart, the father of later Pfanni founder Werner Eckart, began producing preserves, creating the family food-business background from which Pfanni emerged.
Products and positioning
A German convenience-food brand built around kitchen-ready potato dishes, traditional dumpling formats and simplified preparation.
Potato convenience food
Potato dumplings
Potato dumplings are among Pfanni's central product categories and reflect the brand's connection with familiar German home-style dishes. The products are prepared in a convenient format intended to simplify cooking while retaining the character of a traditional potato side dish.
Dumpling product
Bread dumplings
Bread dumplings form part of Pfanni's dumpling assortment. Their inclusion broadens the range beyond potato-only recipes and links the brand to established German and Central European dumpling traditions in a ready-to-prepare format.
Prepared dough
Dumpling dough
Pfanni has offered prepared dumpling dough for consumers who want to make dumplings without starting with raw potatoes or preparing the dough from scratch. The product represents the brand's emphasis on kitchen convenience and predictable preparation.
Potato convenience food
Mashed potato products
Mashed potato products extend Pfanni's convenience positioning into a staple side dish. They are designed to reduce preparation work while providing a packaged alternative to making mashed potatoes entirely from fresh ingredients.
Prepared potato dish
Gnocchi
Gnocchi is part of Pfanni's broader prepared-potato portfolio. The product gives the brand a format associated with Italian cuisine while maintaining its focus on convenient, ready-to-cook potato-based foods.
Brand decisions
2000
Acquisition of Bestfoods by UnileverM&ABackground
Bestfoods Corporation owned Pfanni when Unilever acquired the broader food group.
Action taken
Unilever took over Bestfoods and thereby brought Pfanni into its branded-food portfolio.
Aftermath
Pfanni continued as a Unilever-associated potato-products brand with a principal focus on Germany.
1996
Relocation legacy reshapes the Munich factory siteStrategyBackground
After Pfanni moved away from its former Munich industrial site, the large Berg am Laim property became available for redevelopment.
Action taken
The former factory grounds were converted into Kunstpark Ost, a nightlife and entertainment district.
Aftermath
The property became associated with Munich's club culture and later operated as Kultfabrik from 2003 to 2016; a Potato Museum also opened on the former grounds.
1993
Sale to CPC GermanyM&ABackground
Pfanni was transferred from the Eckart family ownership structure to CPC Germany as part of a change in corporate ownership.
Action taken
CPC Germany acquired Pfanni; CPC was later renamed Bestfoods Corporation.
Aftermath
Pfanni became part of the Bestfoods portfolio alongside brands such as Knorr before entering Unilever through the 2000 Bestfoods acquisition.
Recent events
- 2003
Former entertainment site operates as Kultfabrik[1]
Other
New operators continued the nightlife use of the former Munich factory grounds under the name Kultfabrik, a role that continued until 2016.
- 2000
Unilever acquires Bestfoods and adds Pfanni to its portfolio[1]
M&A
Unilever acquired Bestfoods, bringing Pfanni and other Bestfoods brands into the Unilever group.
- 1996
Former Munich factory site becomes Kunstpark Ost[1]
Other
After Pfanni moved away from its original Munich site, the former Berg am Laim factory grounds were redeveloped as Kunstpark Ost, a large nightlife and club district.
- 1993
Pfanni is sold to CPC Germany[1]
M&A
Pfanni was sold to CPC Germany, which was subsequently renamed Bestfoods Corporation.
- 1965
Pfanni reaches major industrial scale in the mid-1960s[1]
Other
The company was reported to employ around 1,300 workers and process approximately 150,000 tonnes of potatoes annually, following turnover of more than DM50 million in 1964 and about DM80 million in 1965.
- 1949
Pfanni is founded in Munich[1]
Other
Werner Eckart founded Pfanni in Munich on September 2, establishing the business that would become known for prepared potato products.
Sources2 sources
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