Tim Mälzer and REWE are joining forces: from the beginning of April, the "REWE secret ingredient" with salad dressings, sauces and seasoning pastes will be available in all REWE stores in the north as well as in all REWE Centre stores nationwide and from the REWE delivery service. In the run-up to the launch, there was a test with colleagues, retailers and store managers. You can find out how the new private label was received here.
The idea of jointly developing products that make home cooking easier goes back to the coronavirus era. Back then, when many restaurants and cafés were closed, Tim Mälzer and Jochen Vogel, Chairman of the Management Board of REWE Nord, had a vision: to create products that would make it quick and easy to prepare restaurant-quality dishes at home. Tim Mälzer found a partner in REWE, and Jochen Vogel in particular, to realise his idea - the REWE secret ingredient was born.
The new REWE store brands starts with salad dressings, sauces and seasoning pastes. In addition to creamy potato salad dressing and smoky tomato sauce, the portfolio also includes a mushroom paste. The products are available exclusively in all participating REWE stores in Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen and Lower Saxony, as well as nationwide in all REWE Centre stores and from the REWE delivery service.
Tim Mälzer: "The REWE secret ingredient products serve as the perfect basis for dishes that can be prepared without a great deal of effort and in a completely personalised way, while tasting fresh and delicious. You can adapt the recipes to suit your preferences and refine them to your own taste. One product - many possibilities. I think that's really great. For me personally, the tomato sauces and the green curry paste are absolute highlights - they really are incredibly good. They come across as simple, but create real flavour explosions. Just give them a try!"
one: What is your vision for the REWE secret ingredient?
Tim Mälzer: I want to inspire people to cook more. With the products, you can cook quickly, deliciously and freshly at the same time and also give the dishes a very individual touch - ideal for everyday use or to refine your favourite dish. I think that's brilliant.
one: How has your expertise influenced the development of your own brand?
Tim Mälzer: My experience has had a decisive influence on the products. It's important to me to preserve down-to-earthness and traditions. I firmly believe that anyone can cook, you just need a little guidance.
How do you cook with the products from the new private label REWE Geheimzutat? And above all, how does the result taste? The cookery crew at the REWE Ankerplatz store in Henstedt-Ulzburg convinced national and regional colleagues, retailers and store managers.
Twelve different dishes were presented. "Cooking with the REWE secret ingredient was uncomplicated and fun. The products make it easy to prepare dishes and still bring a lot of flavour to the plate," explains Benjamin Liese, Head of Company Catering Henstedt-Ulzburg at REWE Nord. From spaetzle with goulash, refined with the REWE secret ingredient goulash paste, to meatballs on tomato ragout with the chunky tomato sauce, to potato and cucumber salad with the creamy potato salad dressing from REWE Geheimzutat - there was something for every taste.
Positive feedback
The feedback from the 750 or so test eaters was consistently positive, ranging from "Wow - I'm really impressed" to "I really must try this myself at home" and "Can I have another portion?". Tim Mälzer, co-initiator and figurehead of the new brand, was also among the guests.
Hans-Jürgen Moog, member of the REWE Group's Management Board for Goods and Purchasing and national purchasing manager, and Clemens Bauer, management of REWE E-Commerce, were also there to see the quality of the products for themselves.
The event took place behind closed doors before the ten products are officially launched in April. "We are proud to be able to present the products. We have been working intensively on this with many colleagues for months! We are grateful for this milestone today and are looking forward to the official launch," said Alexander Kamprath, Head of Owned Media at REWE Marketing, and Anna Elena Köntgen, Manager Owned Media Project, who have been involved in the marketing project from the very beginning.
The REWE secret ingredient will initially be available in all participating REWE stores in Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Bremen and East Westphalia before a national sales department is launched.
However, the products are already available nationwide in all REWE centres and in the REWE online shop.
Both German and English comments appear here.
All markets in the north and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is not included? It's only been 35 years...
I also tried the first secret ingredient, goulash. The flavour was very good and I find it practical that you can use it to add plenty of seasoning. You often need x different spices for a recipe, which you don't have to hand. So this is really practical. I just don't understand why there are no recipe suggestions or information about quantities on the pack. I find the product difficult for customers to understand.
i think you have to go to the REWE recipe world - it's explained there. Isn't that written on the products?
Hello, I'm a total REWE store brands fan, every time I see a new Feine Welt or REWE Bio info I start running. But the "secret ingredient"... in this case always sugar and flavourings, sorry I'm not convinced.