How Nizhny Novgorod Companies Feed Russia: A Review of Leading Producers

Sweets, canned goods, mayonnaise: Nizhny Novgorod producers supply a wide range of products to regions across the country. You might not even realize that some brands famous nationwide are actually local. In this article, we will tell you about six major food producers from Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.

Oil and Fat Processing Plant

It produces mayonnaises «Ryaba», «Sdobri», sauces, ketchups and Astoria pasta, margarines «Khozyayushka» and «Slivochnik», spreads «Kremlyovskoye» (an analogue of butter). It is considered one of the largest exporters in the agro-industrial sector of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. As reported on the website of the NMZhK group of companies, it holds first place in the Russian market for sauces and packaged margarines.

The oil and fat processing plant in Nizhny Novgorod has been operating since the second half of the 19th century. In 2023, half of its shares were acquired by the agro-industrial holding «Rusagro». Currently, NMZhK includes a processing oil and fat plant, oil extraction plants and elevators in various regions of Russia.

The «Ryaba» mayonnaises are also recognizable due to advertising. Last year, TV host and singer Olga Buzova posted photos with products from our plant.

Sormovo Confectionery Factory

It is known for its chocolate, waffles, cookies and marshmallows. Under its own brand, it produces candies «Alotsvetik», «Vostochnye motivy» (Eastern Motifs), «Vasil»kovaya strana« (Cornflower Country), »Shkol«nye» (School Candies), «Romashka» (Chamomile), chocolate «Sormovo», waffles «Appetitki». Among other brands are «Alyonka», «Korovka», «Rot Front» and others.

The Sormovo factory calls itself the leading confectionery enterprise in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. Its catalog includes more than 200 items. It is a supplier of sweet gifts to city kindergartens and schools. Next year, the factory will celebrate its 90th anniversary.

Since 2003, the Nizhny Novgorod enterprise has been part of the «United Confectioners» holding (brands «Krasny Oktyabr», «Babayevsky», «Alyonka», «Vdohnovenie»). Sweets are sent not only to Russian regions but also abroad (primarily to CIS countries and the Middle East). An interesting fact — for China, the factory produces candies with reduced sugar content.

Pavlovo Chicken

It supplies the Russian market with chicken meat and offal, such as hearts, gizzards, and broiler chicken liver. In addition to Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, «Pavlovo Chicken» products are sold in retail chains in Moscow and Vladimir Oblasts.

The Pavlovo poultry farm has been operating since 1965. Together with the eponymous agricultural firm and the poultry enterprise «Diveyevskoye», it is managed by the «Russkoye Pole» holding. It is part of the Nizhny Novgorod group of companies «Dostoyanie» — it belongs to the Romanov family.

Since 2020, the Nizhny Novgorod enterprise has been supplying products to China. Last year, the Rosselkhoznadzor (Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) reported that the poultry farm received permission to export products to African countries.

Pospe

It produces ice cream and frozen semi-finished products: dumplings, vareniki (filled dumplings), cutlets, minced meat, blini (pancakes), dough. The list of brands includes dozens of names, the most famous being «Pospe», «Rubliki», «Gorodetskaya Ferma» (Gorodets Farm), «Fabrika Gryoz» (Factory of Dreams), «Pizhon», «GOST».

The enterprise was founded in 1995 by former military officer Igor Fufin together with his wife. In an interview with «V gorode N» (In City N), he said that during that period he practically stopped receiving his salary, «life became difficult». The man decided to resign from the army and start his own business. Initially, the individual enterprise produced only dumplings, then the range expanded.

Based on the results of 2024, «Torgovy Dom »Pospe«» (Pospe Trading House) became the exporter of the year in the finished food sector. The company noted that it supplies products to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Abkhazia and other foreign countries.

Pearl of the Volga

It produces sunflower oil under the brands «Zhemchuzhina Povolzh»ya« (Pearl of the Volga), »Kukharka« (Cook), »Schast«ye yest»!« (Happiness Exists!) and »Volzhskiye zori« (Volga Dawns). The distributor network, as reported by the manufacturer, covers more than 60 Russian regions, and exports cover about 20 countries.

The head enterprise of the «Zhemchuzhina Povolzh»ya« holding is the production and commercial enterprise »Prospekt«. It has been operating in Dzerzhinsk since 1992 and is engaged in packaging vegetable oil. The agroholding also includes the »Voronezh Vegetable Oil Plant«.

Lunskoye Sea

It supplies the market with caviar (sturgeon, salmon, simulated), seafood delicacies, canned fish under the brands «Lunskoye More» (Lunskoye Sea), «Sokrovishcha Okeana» (Treasures of the Ocean) and guten Morgen. The company is registered in Kamchatka Krai. In Nizhny Novgorod, a plant for processing caviar products and seafood has been operating for over 10 years.

The manufacturer«s website notes that it supplies caviar to all regions of Russia and »many foreign countries«.

In Soviet times, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast was famous for brands such as «Chaika» (Seagull), «Volga», «Meteor». What happened to them, read in a separate article.