About Us

The Winkelmann family's fish farm is located in the idyllic Lüneburg Heath, in Wietzendorf. As Germany's largest fish farm and one of Europe's leading caviar producers, we set the highest standards for the animal-friendly and environmentally sound rearing of our trout.

By using innovative technologies, we ensure the protection of local flora and fauna and the preservation of a natural stream ecosystem. Our goal is to provide the fish with clear, clean water for stress-free and optimal growth.

Annually, we produce approximately 900 tons of trout and almost 100 tons of trout caviar. We attach great importance to environmental compatibility and quality to contribute to sustainable aquaculture.

We are Heide and Stephan Winkelmann. Our father, father-in-law, and founder of the fish farm, Hermann Winkelmann, unfortunately passed away in spring 2023. Heide has been part of our family business since 2020. Previously, she gained several years of experience in sales & marketing for the retail and consumer goods industry. Today, she is responsible for sales, marketing, and certifications.

Stephan is the founder of heidefisch GmbH and owner of Leverenzhof farm. He is responsible for fish farming and product processing, as well as all structural developments. Together, Heide and Stephan manage heidefisch GmbH and are committed to quality and sustainability.

Originally, we were a farming business that has been family-owned for 500 years. Our farm includes 100 hectares of agricultural land, primarily used for growing corn for feed and energy purposes. In 1992, we introduced "farm holidays." Today, we have four holiday apartments, each awarded 4 stars.

Through our numerous holiday guests, we receive valuable external impulses and always have inspiring conversations. Our holiday guests are also our best fish testers: new recipes are gladly tried and evaluated.

Caviar from Lower Saxony? From the Lüneburg Heath? This may surprise many. Our journey into fish farming began rather unexpectedly: in 1980, we started as a pure hobby operation with a few fish for our own consumption. However, the demand for fish grew steadily, and we mainly supplied friends, relatives, and neighbors. In the late 90s, we decided to professionally enter trout production and made the first major investments. From November to February, we market the trout and trout caviar fresh or frozen year-round. We sell our trout through our factory outlet, online, and worldwide to wholesalers and retailers. Currently, 80% of our goods are exported.

Our goal is to minimize the water exchange rate in our fish farm to conserve the limited resource of water, while simultaneously ensuring high quality in both fish and caviar. This is only possible through effective water treatment. Thanks to EU funding, we have been able to get closer to this goal with each expansion. Today, we operate several cold-water recirculation systems that also set international standards for sustainable fish farming. Furthermore, since 2015, we have been the first and only trout farm in Germany to be ASC-certified.

This way, the fish tastes much better...