Our History

How we Started

In 1896 Carl Kruegermann started producing pickles in the small German town of Luebbenau located 60 miles south-east of Berlin. Luebbenau is located in the picturesque Speewald (Spree-river forest) renowned for fertile soil, good weather and the abundance of quality cucumbers, cabbage, and red beets. Locals preserved these crops and and it soon became the culinary art of the region.

Kurt Kruegermann, grandson of Carl, decided to flee what was then communist East Germany in 1961, which was eventually taken away by the DDR government. Together with his then pregnant wife Helga and 3 year old son Greg they emigrated to Los Angeles with no money in their pockets or understanding of the English language. In 1965, with business license and samples in hand he went to work. Using his "old world" recipes and high quality produce from California he sold his products to European delicatessens, gourmet markets and restaurants. From humble beginnings in our backyard garage, today we have grown to 25,000 sq ft of manufacturing and storage space & supply some of the finest food markets and restaurants across many states and counties.

Where We are Now

Following the retirement of Kurt and Helga, sons Greg and Carl took over the family business. They both continue to manage the production of our products. Greg's own children, Eric and Kristina have also been able to become involved with the business. Eric manages online sales through our website and other sellers such as Amazon and Etsy while Kristina has been able to maintain our online presence on Instagram and Facebook.