Luma Beef is the creation of two longstanding friends, Lucas Oechslin and Marco Tessaro. They developed the process to refine fresh meat by using a special mould. The result was a product which meets the highest expectations in terms of quality as the mould makes pieces of beef, pork and veal extremely tender and flavoursome. Additionally, the meat acquires a delicate nutty flavour which is the trademark of Luma.

Five years after launching their business, co-founder Lucas Oechslin reflects on the story of far for the new business.

Lucas Oechslin, how has the company developed since you launched it in the summer of 2010?

Originally, the only members of staff were Marco Tessaro and myself. We’ve grown and now have 10 employees. We now export our products and have been able to continually increase our range of activity and products.

Have you ever had any set-backs or doubts about the decision to set up your own business?

Set-backs are a matter of how you define them (he laughs). At the end of the day, there are certain things that work out better than others. If you take a realistic view of your projects as you’re working through the planning stage, then you’ll be pretty much prepared for anything and aren’t going to get caught out as badly if something doesn’t quite go to plan.

«Luma Beef AG has grown organically during the first five years.» Lucas Oechslin and Marco Tessaro, Founder

Sure, there are times when you wonder what it’d be like to be an employee again. Running your own business is great when things are going smoothly. When you hit a difficult time, the pressure can increase and become uncomfortable. And switching off in the evening or at the weekend is hard. But the benefits of working for ourselves have always outweighed the downsides!

When you were setting up your company, what part did the canton’s Economic Promotion Team play?

The Economic Promotion Team was one of the sparks that started our fire as entrepreneurs. And then throughout the five years since, they’ve always been there for us to answer any questions or provide help.

What are the most important features of Schaffhausen as a location for a business, in your view?

Financially, the relatively low rental costs for premises and the low tax rate make a big difference. We’ve also found the local administration very keen to find a solution and very pragmatic whenever we’ve been in contact with them. On top of that, the location right on the border to Germany is a bonus and the availability of highly-skilled staff is an important factor, too.

What’s your range of products and services now?

We now offer pretty much everything you’d hope to find in the «exclusive and speciality meat» segment. We supply top restaurants as well as private customers with our meat products which are of a quality you’d struggle to find elsewhere. Starting fairly soon, we’re also going to be sharing our knowledge and know-how via workshops and events.

How can a private consumer order your meat?

We’ve developed an online shop, simply go to Luma Delikatessen (German only), and that’s proved extremely popular. Consumers seem to be comfortable ordering meat online. We are attracting new customers every day and they see the value of our sustainable way of working with meat. People who live locally can simply call us and then pick up their order direct from our premises in Neuhausen am Rheinfall where the meat is produced.