Ohly – A History of Taste
World-class bioprocessing powered by almost 200 years of experience.
Today, Ohly is one of the leading suppliers of yeast specialties, culinary powders and lipid powders but we have come a long way to get this far. From the origins in early 19th century Germany via the roots of our US activities all the way to the 21st century, Ohly has seen significant change in many aspects of its business.
Over 190 years, Ohly has evolved from a local fermentation distillery into a trusted global partner known for deep fermentation and extraction expertise, innovation, and consistent quality. Our ability to adapt while 'Doing the Right Thing' — and stay focused on quality, taste and customer value — has shaped our culture across generations.
From early yeast extract breakthroughs to today’s PRECISION EXTRACTION™ and modern bioprocessing, we combine long-standing know-how with advanced technology to deliver reliable partnerships and innovative ingredients that help customers differentiate.
Our ambitious decarbonisation roadmap further strengthens this commitment, ensuring our innovations drive both sustainability and customer value. Across all these developments, our purpose has remained constant: to delight our customers through reliability, consistent performance and innovative solutions.
Foundation of Hamburg site: craft, curiosity and early biotech thinking
The origins of Ohly go back to 1836 when the 'Helbing Korn Distillery' was founded in Wandsbek, Hamburg, to produce spirits and yeast for brewing. The company quickly expanded to introduce innovative compressed yeast production and became one of Germany's earliest industrial yeast manufacturers.
With the introduction of the yeast filtration, aeration systems and mechanical processes, the company transformed traditional craft brewing techniques into early industrial biotechnology as they pushed to improve yield, purity and reliability.
The seed of Ohly’s future was already planted: a belief that better methods create better products.
Across generations, their ability to adapt technologically while ‘doing the right thing’ and staying focused on quality and taste has become a defining characteristic of Ohly’s culture.
Looking ahead to its bicentenary, Ohly remains committed to innovation and customer value. Guided by technical excellence, responsible growth and a strong customer focus, Ohly continues to meet evolving market and sustainability expectations.