A company that roasts hope and touches hearts: Lüneburg-based muesli manufacturer HEYHO is being honored with the Golden Planet Award 2025 for its extraordinary commitment to social and environmental sustainability.

When you enter the HEYHO roastery in Lüneburg, you are greeted by the aroma of oats, honey, and roasted nuts – but there is something else in the air: dignity, warmth, and the quiet power of a new beginning. The people who work here are those who have been marked by life – people with broken pasts, with courage.

Because HEYHO operates on a principle that is rare in the German economy: “open hiring.” No application documents, no interviews, no questions about the past – just trust in the present. Anyone who is willing to take on responsibility can become part of the team. In this way, HEYHO creates real prospects for people who would otherwise have few opportunities – from ex-prisoners to the long-term unemployed.

The founders, Timm Duffner, Christian Schmidt, and Stefan Buchholz, didn’t just want to start another organic company; they wanted to create a symbol of solidarity and humanity. “We don’t just roast muesli, we roast hope,” says Duffner with a smile – and that’s exactly what you can feel in every jar.

Laudator Dr. Ina Knobloch explained how HEYHO impressed the jury: not only with social aspects, but also with ecological ones. The company focuses on certified organic ingredients, fair and regional cultivation, and sustainable packaging – from reusable jars to environmentally friendly wood fiber displays, developed in collaboration with the design company Werkhaus. Every step of production is well thought out, every move is responsible.

This combination of social commitment and ecological consistency has now earned HEYHO the Golden Planet Award 2025 – an international award for companies that make the world a better place with their heart, attitude, and actions.

At a time when sustainability often degenerates into a buzzword, HEYHO shows how credible, human, and inspiring it can really be.

HEYHO – the granola that roasts hope, changes lives, and makes the world a little brighter.

A big thank you also goes to the initiators of the Golden Planet Award 2025: Lady Dr. h.c. Astrid Arens (Voice Aid Association) and Stephan Schwenk (Radio Group), who successfully hosted this special event for the fourth time at the Sykline Studios of Radio Frankfurt.

Photos: Kaydienne Mitchell, London