How FELFEL brings regional flavors to Swiss offices

FELFEL wants office lunches to feel less routine. Founded in 2013 by Emanuel and Daniela Steiner, the company installs connected refrigerators in workplaces and fills them with fresh meals, snacks and drinks made by chefs and artisan producers across Switzerland.

Although FELFEL operates nationwide, it keeps a regional presence. In French-speaking Switzerland, a dedicated team based in Lausanne works close to the producers who supply the refrigerators and the companies where employees eat the products.

The company’s Food Scouts travel across Switzerland looking for producers, artisans and chefs to develop future meals, snacks and drinks. Partnerships can grow from international food trends, word of mouth or an unexpected meeting. The team focuses on the people behind each product, their skills and the ideas that drive them.

The food is fresh rather than frozen, and travels from its region of origin to a FELFEL refrigerator in an office. Producers gain visibility and a stable sales outlet, while sometimes developing products tailored to consumers’ needs. FELFEL, in turn, relies on products selected for their local expertise. Some partners have worked with the company since its launch, and the expanding network can take a product made in Fribourg to an office in Ticino.