Germany’s best duck, from Lars Odefey – what it costs, and why it’s worth It
Good duck is surprisingly hard to come by in Germany. As with most foods these days, there’s plenty of mediocre, plenty of “it’ll do,” but very little that’s truly excellent.
And then there’s Lars Odefey of Odefey & Töchter in Uelzen: our long-standing partner, the foster father of the best poultry in the northern half of the republic, a producer we’ve been with since he set up shop in 2017. Year after year he shows us what becomes possible when you take animal agriculture seriously and refuse to compromise on quality, craft, or animal welfare.
This year, though, the situation is tricky – and not only because the spectre of the dread avian flu looms large. A number of restaurants didn’t pick up their orders, and now Lars has more ducks in the cold room than he’d like. We’d like that to change. For Lars’s sake, but also, let’s be honest, for yours. You’re simply not going to find a better Christmas duck.
Plus, the good news is: with starting material like this, you don’t have to be a culinary genius. A truly well-raised duck shines even in a home oven.
Of course, a real Odefey duck costs more than whatever’s waiting in the supermarket freezer: a good 99 Euros per duck, at roundabout 2.4 to 2.6 kilos. Here’s why that is, and why it’s more than worth it:
1. Feed that actually deserves the name
It’s simple: what goes in is what comes out. Conventional ducks are usually fed South American soy. It costs 16–17 cents per kilo – it’s cheap, fast-fattening, and not much else.
Lars feeds only the best organic grain from Meyerhof, which is 72 cents per kilo.
That adds up, and not just because of the difference in price: an Odefey duck eats around 2 kilos of feed over its lifetime. An intensively reared Brandenburg duck not only eats worse feed, it also eats significantly less, because it lives a shorter life and is pushed to grow as quickly as possible.
Feed quality alone makes a massive difference, and you can taste it.
2. Chicks from good stock
Yes, even the chicks cost more. Because they’re not from the bargain-basement hatcheries, but from breeders who value robustness and health.
Cut corners early, and you’ll pay for it later: in texture, flavour, and animal welfare. Lars, quite like ourselves, doesn’t cut corners.
3. Mobile barns, not industrial sheds
One of the most unusual aspects of Lars’ operation: the ducks live in mobile barns and rotate through fresh pasture every single day. That’s labor-intensive and extremely uncommon in duck farming.
Lars does it because it’s worth it: for the animal, and for the quality on your plate.
More space and movement mean the ducks build real muscle, which leads to firmer, cleaner meat. And beyond the organic feed, the grass and the occasional unlucky snail add layers of flavour you simply won’t get elsewhere.
4. Slaughtering done the right way
The ducks are slaughtered and plucked directly on the farm. Which means: no transport across the country, no industrial processing lines. That costs real money: 10–12 euros per animal, plus logistics, plus actual human hands doing the work.
But the result is meat that stays aromatic, doesn’t turn stringy, performs beautifully in the pan and avoids putting the animal through the stress of transport.
5. The flavour – and the principles behind it
What you end up with is: clean, aromatic meat. Proper texture. No water leakage, no mushiness, no “well, it’s duck, I guess.”
Instead: a food product that tastes exceptional and demonstrates exactly what animal agriculture can be when it isn’t run at the expense of quality or the animal itself.
6. And now? Get yourself a duck or two.
Because true craft deserves support – and because Lars has a few too many ducks this year – we’ll say it plainly:
Order a duck. Or, better yet, follow Billy’s eternally wise counsel and get two. One for a test run, one for Christmas. You won’t regret it. And Lars certainly won’t.
Order your Odefey duck here:
Germany’s best duck, from Lars Odefey – what it costs, and why it’s worth It
Good duck is surprisingly hard to come by in Germany. As with most foods these days, there’s plenty of mediocre, plenty of “it’ll do,” but very little that’s truly excellent.
And then there’s Lars Odefey of Odefey & Töchter in Uelzen: our long-standing partner, the foster father of the best poultry in the northern half of the republic, a producer we’ve been with since he set up shop in 2017. Year after year he shows us what becomes possible when you take animal agriculture seriously and refuse to compromise on quality, craft, or animal welfare.
This year, though, the situation is tricky – and not only because the spectre of the dread avian flu looms large. A number of restaurants didn’t pick up their orders, and now Lars has more ducks in the cold room than he’d like. We’d like that to change. For Lars’s sake, but also, let’s be honest, for yours. You’re simply not going to find a better Christmas duck.
Plus, the good news is: with starting material like this, you don’t have to be a culinary genius. A truly well-raised duck shines even in a home oven.
Of course, a real Odefey duck costs more than whatever’s waiting in the supermarket freezer: a good 99 Euros per duck, at roundabout 2.4 to 2.6 kilos. Here’s why that is, and why it’s more than worth it:
1. Feed that actually deserves the name
It’s simple: what goes in is what comes out. Conventional ducks are usually fed South American soy. It costs 16–17 cents per kilo – it’s cheap, fast-fattening, and not much else.
Lars feeds only the best organic grain from Meyerhof, which is 72 cents per kilo.
That adds up, and not just because of the difference in price: an Odefey duck eats around 2 kilos of feed over its lifetime. An intensively reared Brandenburg duck not only eats worse feed, it also eats significantly less, because it lives a shorter life and is pushed to grow as quickly as possible.
Feed quality alone makes a massive difference, and you can taste it.
2. Chicks from good stock
Yes, even the chicks cost more. Because they’re not from the bargain-basement hatcheries, but from breeders who value robustness and health.
Cut corners early, and you’ll pay for it later: in texture, flavour, and animal welfare. Lars, quite like ourselves, doesn’t cut corners.
3. Mobile barns, not industrial sheds
One of the most unusual aspects of Lars’ operation: the ducks live in mobile barns and rotate through fresh pasture every single day. That’s labor-intensive and extremely uncommon in duck farming.
Lars does it because it’s worth it: for the animal, and for the quality on your plate.
More space and movement mean the ducks build real muscle, which leads to firmer, cleaner meat. And beyond the organic feed, the grass and the occasional unlucky snail add layers of flavour you simply won’t get elsewhere.
4. Slaughtering done the right way
The ducks are slaughtered and plucked directly on the farm. Which means: no transport across the country, no industrial processing lines. That costs real money: 10–12 euros per animal, plus logistics, plus actual human hands doing the work.
But the result is meat that stays aromatic, doesn’t turn stringy, performs beautifully in the pan and avoids putting the animal through the stress of transport.
5. The flavour – and the principles behind it
What you end up with is: clean, aromatic meat. Proper texture. No water leakage, no mushiness, no “well, it’s duck, I guess.”
Instead: a food product that tastes exceptional and demonstrates exactly what animal agriculture can be when it isn’t run at the expense of quality or the animal itself.
6. And now? Get yourself a duck or two.
Because true craft deserves support – and because Lars has a few too many ducks this year – we’ll say it plainly:
Order a duck. Or, better yet, follow Billy’s eternally wise counsel and get two. One for a test run, one for Christmas. You won’t regret it. And Lars certainly won’t.
Order your Odefey duck here: