Most cereal bar ingredient lists read like a chemistry lesson. Glucose-fructose syrup, palm fat, flavourings, emulsifiers, sweeteners. Products that sound healthy on the front of the pack but tell a very different story on the back. HAFERVOLL set out to change that in 2013. Two founders who had previously worked for a sports nutrition manufacturer, and were never truly convinced by what they were selling, developed a bar with a short, readable ingredient list and a production method borrowed from England: baked in the oven, not pressed by machine.
A British Idea, Built in Cologne
The flapjack is a classic baked product in the UK and Ireland, made in an oven from oats, honey, and oil, dense, filling, and with a texture that is fundamentally different from anything pressed together on a production line. Philip Kahnis and Robert Kronekker brought that tradition to Germany and turned it into an everyday product that does not fit neatly into any familiar category. It is not a conventional energy bar, not a sports nutrition product, and not a confection. It is, as the brand puts it, müsli for your pocket.
The base of every bar is oats, honey, and sunflower oil. What gets added depends on the flavour: dried fruit, nuts, seeds, cacao. What never gets added is equally important: no refined sugar, no glucose-fructose syrup, no flavourings, no emulsifiers, no palm fat. The ingredient list is short enough to read in full without losing track, which in the cereal bar market is genuinely unusual.
Made by Hand in a Traditional Bakery in England
Every bar is produced in a traditional large-scale bakery in England, entirely by hand. That means no fully automated process, no conveyor belt replacing human involvement. Spreading the dough onto the baking tray is done without mechanical assistance. It makes production more labour-intensive and more expensive than the industrial alternatives, but it also explains why the result has a different texture and consistency from machine-pressed competitors.
For a brand that launched on the promise of honest products, this is not an optional detail. It is built into the concept.
The Product Range
The lineup covers several product lines, each aimed at different needs and preferences.
The classic Flapjacks come in a wide range of flavours, including:
- Banana and Brazil Nut, fruity and filling with a noticeable crunch
Poppy Seed and Apricot, naturally sweet from dried fruit with a satisfying texture
Sweet and Salty, combining honey, date juice concentrate, raisins, and sea salt
Hazelnut and Cacao Nibs, for anyone who wants a chocolate-leaning snack without artificial ingredients
The Organic Flapjacks are certified organic and appeal to anyone who wants ecological farming practices alongside a clean ingredient list. They are vegetarian, lactose-free, and available in eight flavours including Berry and Cashew, Chia and Pistachio, and Banana and Brazil Nut. For those who cannot choose, the 10-bar tasting box covers all varieties at once.
The Minis are smaller versions for on-the-go snacking or as a lighter bite between meals, available in flavours like Raspberry and Banana and Hazelnut and Cacao Nibs. They are particularly practical for children or anyone who prefers a smaller portion. The Porridge to go range rounds things out for anyone who wants a proper oat-based breakfast but does not have time to prepare one in the morning. All porridge varieties are fully vegan.
Why Oats Are the Right Starting Point
Oats are not just a convenient base ingredient. They are rich in fibre, vitamins, and antioxidants, provide long-lasting energy, and have a higher satiety index than most other carbohydrate sources, meaning they genuinely keep hunger at bay rather than just delaying it briefly. That makes an HAFERVOLL bar a real meal on the go, not just a bridge between proper meals.
Honey as a natural sweetener adds more than sweetness alone. It brings its own enzymes and compounds that industrial sugar alternatives simply do not have. The combination of oats and honey is what makes the bars filling without feeling heavy, which is a balance that commercially sweetened alternatives rarely achieve.
Where to Find HAFERVOLL
The bars are available both online and in stores across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In Germany they are stocked at tegut, selected REWE and EDEKA branches, Müller, all Globus locations, more than 1,700 Rossmann branches, and over 600 JET petrol stations. In Austria they can be found at BILLA and Julius Meinl, and in Switzerland at K Kiosk.
The brand’s own online shop carries the full range including tasting boxes and multi-packs, which is particularly practical for anyone who wants to try multiple flavours at once or order regularly. All Organic Flapjack packaging is fully recyclable, which reflects the same commitment to transparency that runs through the ingredient list and the production process.
For anyone who has ever turned a cereal bar over and decided they would rather not know what is in it, HAFERVOLL is one of the more straightforward alternatives on the market.