Pro Gourmet

What Pro Gourmet does

Pro Gourmet GmbH is a privately held catering company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, founded in 2008 by Jörg Schrage and Frank Notzem. Originally a food wholesaler serving hotels and restaurants, the company entered the institutional child nutrition market in 2009 and now specializes in daily meal catering for Kindertagesstätten (Kitas), primary schools, full-day schools (OGATA / Ganztagsschulen), weiterführende Schulen, and holiday camps in Düsseldorf and across the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). As of 2025, Pro Gourmet serves approximately 160 educational facilities and produces roughly 13,000 meals per day from a single central production kitchen; a comprehensive 2025 renovation is scaling capacity to 30,000 BIO- and DGE-compliant meals per day. The company employs 100+ staff, operates a proprietary 29-vehicle delivery fleet, and holds a German Brand Award 2019 along with kununu Top Company 2025 recognition.

The company's core technology stack is operational rather than digital: three production and delivery models — Cook & Hold (hot delivery in thermoports), Cook & Chill (chilled delivery with on-site regeneration), and the proprietary CoolCooking Box (an automated regeneration unit requiring only a 230V power connection) — are matched to each facility's kitchen infrastructure. Production is DGE-certified (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung) for both Kita and school meal programs, BIO-certified (DE-ÖKO-013) since April 2015, HACCP-compliant, and subject to regular unannounced third-party hygiene audits by MB Hygiene Management. Menus follow DGE quality standards with transparent allergen labeling, and gluten-free and lactose-free special meals are included at no surcharge. Regional sourcing is emphasized, with a March 2025 partnership with Kallen Obst providing local apples.

Pro Gourmet's business model is built on recurring, subscription-based catering contracts with educational institutions, with quote-based per-meal pricing negotiated individually with each facility. The go-to-market is direct sales-led, targeting Kita directors and school administrators across NRW through free trial meals (Probeessen) as a key conversion tool, supported by a customer-facing web ordering portal (ibs.pro-gourmet.de) and SEO/content marketing. Fixed account managers and a quality circle process drive retention. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the company is owner-managed with no external institutional investors or parent company. Recent strategic activity — facility expansion, CoolCooking Box commercialization, VDSKC industry association membership, and an active field sales hiring posture — signals an intent to grow volume and reach within and beyond the current NRW footprint.

Name

Pro Gourmet

Legal name

Pro Gourmet GmbH

Website

https://pro-gourmet.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pro Gourmet GmbH is a Düsseldorf-based catering company founded in 2008, specializing in daily DGE-certified and BIO-compliant meal services for Kitas, schools, and holiday camps across North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, serving 160 facilities with 13,000 meals per day.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Institutional Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Caterers (72232), Food Service Contractors (72231), Special Food Services (7223)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSACAGAB

Drop-Off Catering & Boxed Meals

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Catering Coordination & Food Service (Non-restaurant)

SECONDARYHSACAGAH

Specialty & Dietary Catering (Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Allergy-Friendly)

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Catering Coordination & Food Service (Non-restaurant)

Keywords

• School catering services
• Kindergarten meal catering
• Institutional food service
• DGE-certified school meals
• Fresh meal delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Kita & Schulcatering: Recurring daily meal supply contracts with Kindertagesstätten (Kitas), primary schools (Grundschulen), extended day schools (OGATA/Ganztagsschulen), and holiday camps across Düsseldorf and NRW. Revenue is generated through per-meal pricing under recurring delivery contracts with educational facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pro Gourmet provides daily fresh-cooked, DGE- and BIO-certified meal catering for kindergartens (Kitas), full-day schools (OGATA/Ganztagsschulen), further schools, and holiday camps in Düsseldorf and across North Rhine-Westphalia. Meals are produced at a central Düsseldorf production kitchen and delivered via three formats (CoolCooking Box, Cook & Chill, Cook & Hold) to match each facility's infrastructure. The company also offers an online ordering portal and free gluten-free and lactose-free special meals.

Product overview

Pro Gourmet operates as a catering company specializing in Kita and school catering in Düsseldorf and North Rhine-Westphalia. Founded in 2008, the company offers a unified catering service with three delivery/production models: Cook & Hold (hot delivery), Cook & Chill (chilled delivery with on-site regeneration), and the CoolCooking Box (automated regeneration unit). The core offering is daily freshly cooked DGE-compliant meals for kindergartens and schools, supplemented by special dietary options including gluten-free and lactose-free meals at no extra charge. Additional services include holiday camp catering and an internet-based ordering system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kita & Schulcatering (Kindergarten and School Catering) Daily lunch catering service for kindergartens (Kitas), primary schools (Grundschulen), full-day schools (offene Ganztagsschulen/OGATA), and further schools across Düsseldorf and NRW, Germany. Meals are DGE- and BIO-certified, freshly prepared, and delivered via CoolCooking Box, Cook & Chill, or Cook & Hold formats.
• CoolCooking Box Proprietary meal delivery and on-site regeneration unit. Meals are cooked fresh, delivered chilled, and the box automatically regenerates (reheats) food to the desired serving time at the facility. Enables facilities without kitchens to offer hot fresh meals.
• Cook & Hold (Warmverpflegung)

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 160 facilities with 13,000 meals daily across NRW
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kallen ObstcoreOthers · 14 March 2025Kallen Obst is a traditional fruit farming operation established in 1998 near Schloss Dyck and Glehn, cultivating approximately 90 hectares of fruit including 12 apple varieties and pears. Pro Gourmet sources fresh apples directly from Kallen Obst for its Kita and school catering, providing fresh, locally grown produce to children. This partnership supports regional sourcing and supply chain quality.
• Verband deutscher Schul- und Kitacaterer (VDSKC)coreOthers · 6 March 2025VDSKC was founded in 2012 in Berlin and represents the interests of catering companies in Germany's Kita and school meal sector. It advocates for diverse, healthy, and sustainable Kita and school food, promotes nationwide quality standards in communal catering, and campaigns for free school meals for all children. VDSKC members collectively produce over 500,000 warm meals for children daily. Pro Gourmet joined as a member in March 2025.
• MB Hygiene ManagementcoreOthersMB Hygiene Management is a private food monitoring service that works closely with state supervisory bodies. Since April 2015, Pro Gourmet has undergone regular hygiene inspections and laboratory tests by MB Hygiene Management. Inspections are conducted unannounced multiple times per year, including food sampling and surface swab testing. This partnership provides third-party quality assurance for consumer safety.
• Fifty-Fifty (fiftyfifty-galerie.de)minorOthersFifty-Fifty is a Düsseldorf-based organization that supports homeless people through various projects and the sale of a street magazine. Pro Gourmet donates warm meals to homeless individuals, particularly during cold weather months. This social initiative complements Pro Gourmet's broader sustainability and food waste reduction commitment.
• Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (BMEL) — Zu gut für die Tonne!minorOthersThe German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture runs the 'Zu gut für die Tonne!' (Too Good for the Bin!) initiative to reduce food waste. Pro Gourmet participates by adjusting portion sizes in consultation with facilities to prevent food waste, supporting the ministry's goal of reducing the ~11 million tons of annual food waste in Germany.
• Verbraucherzentrale NRW — MehrWertKonsum ProjektminorOthersThe 'MehrWertKonsum' project of the Verbraucherzentrale NRW (Consumer Center NRW) supports schools and Kitas in implementing low-waste and climate-friendly catering. Pro Gourmet participates by measuring plate and serving leftovers in selected facilities, analyzing causes of waste, and implementing improvements in menu planning to make meals more climate-friendly. The project is funded by the State of NRW and the EU.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Menü Partner GmbH: Specialist German institutional caterer focused on schools, kindergartens, and senior-living facilities, with comparable production and delivery formats.
• Apetito AG: One of Germany's largest institutional catering companies, deeply active in school and Kita meal supply through its i-Menü and apetito Catering brands. Direct overlap with Pro Gourmet in DGE-compliant educational catering.
• Primus Service GmbH: German school and Kita caterer operating with a similar multi-format model (Cook & Chill, Cook & Hold) and competing for the same municipal contracts in NRW and other federal states.
• Catering & Service GmbH: Smaller German specialist caterer focused on Kita and school meals, with comparable Cook & Chill delivery models. Closest match by segment focus and customer type, though at lower scale than Pro Gourmet.

Regional players

• Schmitz Catering: Mid-sized German caterer serving Kita, school, and corporate clients primarily in NRW and Rhineland-Palatinate. Competes in the same tender pool as Pro Gourmet.
• allresto Flughafen München Hotel und Gaststätten GmbH: German institutional caterer active in communal catering; while primarily Bavaria-focused, it competes for adjacent public-sector catering contracts and shares a DGE-compliance orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo Germany: Global facilities services and food services provider with a substantial German school and corporate catering footprint. Competes for the same municipal and institutional tenders as Pro Gourmet but at a national scale.
• Dussmann Group: Large German facility services group with a catering division serving schools, kindergartens, corporate, and public-sector clients. Same DGE-oriented institutional segment as Pro Gourmet but with much broader service portfolio.
• Compass Group / Eurest Germany: Global contract caterer with a German subsidiary (Eurest) active in business and education catering. Overlaps with Pro Gourmet in institutional meal services but typically focuses on larger accounts.
• Aramark Germany: Global contract food services company with German operations in education, business, and healthcare catering. Larger scale and broader portfolio than Pro Gourmet's Kita/school focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pro-gourmet

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pro Gourmet