German dairy group Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller has acquired Berief Food, a plant-based dairy-alternatives and tofu producer founded in 1985. The move signals the company's push into a segment it has long played at the edges with vegan yogurts and desserts under the Müller brand.
Berief generated revenue around €113 million in 2025 with EBITDA of about €12 million. The family-owned business operates a facility in Beckum in western Germany and employs around 350 people. Müller corporate group chairman Stefan Müller called the deal "an important strategic step" to "complement our activities in this future market."
Müller's statement frames the acquisition as a response to the dynamically growing plant-based food and drink sector. Plant-based milk and drinks sales in Germany reached €595 million in 2024, up 3.6 percent from 2023, according to The Good Food Institute. Unit sales jumped 6.4 percent to 396 million units, and volume rose 7.6 percent year-on-year to 393 million litres.
For Berief, the deal follows a review of financing options that considered minority investments and strategic partnerships. The company cited the agreement as opening a path to accelerate international expansion, particularly into the Benelux countries and eastern Europe. Marcus Berief, the previous owner, said the deal places "the company and its employees in safe hands."
The acquisition follows Müller's 2025 purchase of UK kefir firm Biotiful Gut Health, continuing a pattern of expansion into health-focused food categories beyond traditional dairy.