Regional Catering in Germany: What ‘Regional’ Means, Which Labels Exist and What to Ask Your Caterer

In Germany, “regional” is not a protected term for food. There is no legal definition and no fixed distance, so every caterer can decide what their region is, as long as the claim is not misleading. Reliable orientation comes only from a clearly named region, audited labels such as the Regionalfenster and transparent information about suppliers. If regional sourcing matters to you, ask specific questions.

What German and EU law say

Article 7 of the Food Information Regulation, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, prohibits misleading information about food, explicitly including its country of origin or place of provenance. It does not say when food counts as “regional”. The term is a voluntary marketing claim that must not mislead in the individual case.

For prepared dishes in catering, statements about origin are usually voluntary information provided by the caterer. Whether “regional” means 30 kilometres, a federal state or simply “from Germany” is something you only find out by asking.

Protected EU designations

Registered EU designations are legally protected: the “protected designation of origin” (PDO, in German g.U.) and the “protected geographical indication” (PGI, in German g.g.A.). Since May 2024, the legal basis for agricultural products and foodstuffs has been Regulation (EU) 2024/1143, which replaced Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. A PDO product must be produced entirely in the named area, while a PGI requires at least one production step there. Such specialities are an easy way to show verifiable regional origin on a menu.

The Regionalfenster label

The Regionalfenster (“regional window”) is a voluntary German label introduced in January 2014 and run by the association Regionalfenster e.V. Key criteria:

• The region must be clearly named and smaller than Germany, for example a district, a federal state or a radius in kilometres. Natural areas crossing borders are possible.
• The first main ingredient and the characterising ingredients must come 100 % from that region.
• If the first main ingredient is below 51 % of total weight, further ingredients must be 100 % regional until at least 51 % is reached.
• For compound products, the total share of regional ingredients and the place of processing are stated.
• Claims are audited every year by independent certification bodies.

The label mainly appears on retail products. Caterers who buy such products can use it to prove the origin of individual ingredients, but it is not a label for an entire catering menu.

Several German federal states run their own quality and origin labels, for example in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, and there are many local initiatives. Their criteria vary widely.

The EU organic logo says nothing about the region. It comes with an origin statement such as “EU Agriculture”, “non-EU Agriculture” or a country (Article 32 of Regulation (EU) 2018/848), but not a region. See our guide on organic certification in catering.

Regional, seasonal, organic: the differences

Criterion	What it describes	Regulated by law?	How to check
Regional	origin from a limited area	no, only the ban on misleading claims	region definition, supplier list, Regionalfenster
Seasonal	harvest matches the season	no	produce calendar, menu for your date
Organic	production under EU organic rules	yes, Regulation (EU) 2018/848	control body code (DE-ÖKO-0xx), certificate
PDO/PGI	registered speciality from a specific area	yes, Regulation (EU) 2024/1143	EU logo on the product

The combination is strongest: regional and seasonal, organic where possible. See our guide to seasonal menus.

Is regional automatically more sustainable?

Short supply chains, personal relationships with farmers and local value creation are good arguments. For the climate, though, transport is often not the biggest factor. The type of food (plant-based or animal), the farming method and heated greenhouses usually weigh more. Local strawberries in June are a good choice, local tomatoes from a heated greenhouse in March less so. Air freight is the exception: flown-in food has a much higher footprint than food shipped by sea or road. More in our guide to climate-friendly catering.

Questions to ask your caterer

1. How do you define “regional”? A radius, a district, a federal state?
2. Which ingredients in my menu are regional? Ask for a list per dish.
3. Which producers do you work with? Regional caterers are usually happy to name their farms, butchers and bakeries.
4. What share of ingredients is regional? A rough estimate is fine. Be sceptical of “100 % regional” if spices, coffee, rice or oil are involved.
5. How do you prove it? Delivery notes, invoices, Regionalfenster products, origin labels.
6. What happens if something is unavailable? Will they switch to other regional produce or to imports, and will they tell you?
7. Does it apply to drinks too? Regional juice, wine, beer and mineral water are often easy to source.

What regional catering can realistically deliver

A fully regional menu is possible but demanding. Spices, coffee, tea, chocolate, citrus, rice and many oils do not grow in Germany. A credible approach sources the main components regionally: vegetables, potatoes, grains and bread, dairy, eggs and, if served, meat. Tell guests specifically where things come from rather than claiming “everything is regional”.

Find caterers focusing on regional and seasonal food in our caterer directory.