About Us
How it all began
Does this sound familiar? You return from vacation with a bottle of olive oil from Portugal in your suitcase, a jar of fruit spread from South Tyrol, perhaps a bar of chocolate from a small factory in France — and you ask yourself: Why can't I find something like this easily at home? We kept asking ourselves this question.
We are Kerstin and Stephan Uhlenbusch from Nordhorn, a city on the German-Dutch border. On our travels through Europe, we made the most wonderful culinary discoveries: mountain apple juices from the high altitudes of South Tyrol, Breton barrel butter, handmade pasta from Italy, French sea salt. It wasn't the big luxury products that fascinated us, but rather the honest, artisan-made foods from people who put their heart and soul into their products.
In 2002, we decided to turn this passion into our profession: to make good food accessible to everyone who cannot travel to the producers themselves. This is how our gourmet shipping business came into being — initially as a store in Nordhorn, soon after as one of the first gourmet online shops in Germany. Back then under the name nur Gutes (only good things) — today we continue it as genussland.de. The ambition has remained the same: this is where good taste resides.
Who we are
What drives us is the same curiosity with which we started in 2002: finding out who truly makes good food. Over more than two decades, we have built a network — with producers, traders, restaurateurs, and culinary artisans from all over Europe.
Kerstin was the managing director of the association of leading delicatessen merchants in Germany — the industry association of the country's best owner-managed delicatessen stores. In this role, she not only accompanied but actively shaped the German delicatessen industry. With the deli Festival, we also launched our own B2B trade fair for delicacies, which brought together producers, traders, and restaurateurs from all over Europe. The festival no longer exists today — but the relationships that arose from it still accompany us.
What does this mean for you? We know our industry like almost no one else. Chambers of commerce and economic development agencies from all over Europe repeatedly introduce us to exciting producers who want to offer their products on the German market. This way, genussland always offers something you won't find in any supermarket and hardly in any other shop.
What you'll find here
Our assortment includes fine foods, delicacies, wines, non-alcoholic beverages, and selected kitchen and home accessories — from manufacturers in Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain, England, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Greece, and the USA.
An extra virgin olive oil from Portugal, a genuine Aceto Balsamico from Modena, Fleur de Sel from the Breton coast, hand-mixed spice blends. Fruit spreads, aromatic honey, truffle delicacies, chutneys, and mustard sauces. Vintage sardines and fine canned fish, risotto rice, and handmade pasta — basic ingredients for honest cooking and specialties for special moments.
Our fresh delivery service brings the legendary Beurre Bordier from Brittany, Italian Burrata, and fine salami to your home — securely packaged and continuously chilled.
Wine is particularly close to our hearts: white wine from Rheinhessen and the Pfalz, red wine from Austria and Burgenland, rosé for barbecue season, natural wine for the adventurous, sparkling wine and champagne for special moments. Not from all over the world — but from winemakers we have personally visited and whose work we appreciate. Many of them work organically or biodynamically.
Our Philosophy
What makes a product a genussland product? We ask ourselves this question for every single item we add to our range. The answer is never one-dimensional – it's the combination of craftsmanship, origin, ingredients, and the people behind them.
We ask many questions before a product finds its way into our shop. How is it made? Where do the raw materials come from? What philosophy does the manufacturer pursue? We quickly notice whether we are hearing marketing clichés or if a producer is happy to explain their journey. It is precisely this enthusiasm that we seek – and repeatedly find.
Craftsmanship. We prefer products from small manufactories and family businesses that often produce their culinary treasures by hand for generations. The careful processing and artisanal skill can be tasted in every bite.
Best Ingredients. For us, good quality begins with the raw materials. Whether it's fruit, vegetables, milk, meat, or grain – we ensure that our manufacturers rely on first-class, as natural as possible, ingredients. Many of our producers are organically certified; our shop itself is organically controlled under the number DE-ÖKO-037.
Origin and Regionality. We appreciate products with a clear regional identity. A South Tyrolean mountain apple juice made from slowly ripened, old apple varieties. A Portuguese olive oil from trees that have shaped the landscape for centuries. These stories of origin make delicacies what they are.
Personal relationship with the manufacturer. We have known many of our suppliers personally for years, some for over two decades. We visit them, taste together, and exchange ideas. This proximity guarantees transparency and trust.
At the end of the day, it has to taste good. We try all products ourselves – not just once, but again and again while cooking, at the table, on the plate. Only what convinces us personally finds its way into the shop.
The people behind the products
What brings us the most joy: We get to accompany passionate individuals on their journey. People whose drive it is to make a good product even better. Some have been with us since our founding - for over twenty years.
There's the South Tyrolean fruit farmer who presses mountain apple juice from old, slowly ripened apple varieties, unlike anything else. The Italian balsamic family who ages their vinegar in Modena for decades. The Breton butter manufactory whose hand-churned butter is on the menu of the best restaurants in Europe. The Danish licorice pioneer who reinvented a centuries-old specialty.
Behind every product in our shop stands a person, a family, a story. And it is precisely these stories that make the difference between an interchangeable food item and a true delicacy.
This is where good taste resides
Whether you want to order fine foods online, are looking for a special wine, want to put together a gift for a loved one, or simply want to enrich your kitchen with high-quality ingredients — genussland is the right place for you.
Browse through our assortment, get inspired, and conveniently order your favorite products to your home. Read more about our approach on the Sustainability and Responsibility page. Do you have a question? We look forward to your message to our Customer Service.
Welcome to genussland.
Kerstin and Stephan Uhlenbusch
