Oetker

Oetker is a German multinational food company best known for baking products, desserts, and frozen foods under the Dr. Oetker brand. It is privately owned by the Oetker family and headquartered in Bielefeld, Germany.

Founded in 1891 by August Oetker, the company began by selling baking powder called Backin in small sachets with recipe cards, a marketing approach that helped popularize home baking. The product line expanded to pudding powders, cake mixes, vanilla sugar, and gelatin desserts, establishing a broad range of packaged foods.

From the mid-20th century, Dr. Oetker broadened into frozen foods, notably pizzas and desserts, and grew into a major multinational with manufacturing and distribution across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The group remains privately held by the Oetker family and emphasizes product development and marketing.

In 1976, heir Richard Oetker was kidnapped in a high-profile case; he survived after the ordeal, an event that drew extensive media attention and influenced corporate security practices in Germany.

Today, the Dr. Oetker brand is a well-known name in households worldwide, reflecting a long history of convenient foods and recipe-based cooking.