Long before "plant-based" was a supermarket buzzword, one German sweet maker had already spent years quietly stripping gelatine out of every bag on its shelves. That company is Katjes - and its gummy cats were there from the start.
A Sicilian recipe that crossed the border into Germany
Katjes traces its recipe back to 1910, when the Fassin family brought home a liquorice recipe from Sicily. It wasn't until 1950 that Klaus Fassin turned that recipe into a proper business, founding Katjes in Emmerich am Rhein, a German town right on the border with the Netherlands.
Why the brand is named after cats
"Katje" means "little cat", and it's a fitting name: Katjes' first product was a small, cat-shaped liquorice sweet called Katjes Kinder, still sold today. The cat shape - and the cat in the brand's logo - has anchored the company's identity for more than 70 years.
Ditching gelatine before it was fashionable
Katjes began shifting its whole range toward vegetarian recipes in 2010, replacing the animal gelatine used in traditional gummies with plant-based setting agents. By 2016, the transition was complete, and Katjes became the first major confectionery brand in Germany to sell an entirely gelatine-free gummy range - a "Yes! All veggie" positioning it still markets heavily today.
Still family-run, still one of Germany's biggest
More than 70 years on, Katjes remains a family-owned business, now run by the third generation of the Fassin family, and is counted among Germany's three largest confectionery manufacturers alongside Haribo and Storck.
Frequently asked questions
When was Katjes founded?
Katjes was founded in 1950 by Klaus Fassin in Emmerich am Rhein, Germany, building on a liquorice recipe the Fassin family had used since 1910.
When did Katjes go vegan?
Katjes began shifting its range toward vegetarian recipes in 2010 and had removed animal gelatine from its entire gummy range by 2016, making it the first major brand in Germany to sell a fully gelatine-free gummy range.
Is Katjes still a family-owned company?
Yes. Katjes remains a family-owned business, now run by the third generation of the Fassin family, and is counted among Germany's largest confectionery manufacturers.