Drei Köche

What Drei Köche does

Drei Köche GmbH is a Berlin-headquartered, family-owned school catering company founded in 2004 that supplies daily meals to kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools across Berlin and Brandenburg, serving more than 75 institutions and approximately 20,000 children, students, and educators per day with roughly 400 employees. The product portfolio centers on two DGE-certified menu lines, Bä(ee)renhunger (meat/fish) and Kohldampf (vegetarian/vegan), complemented by a Fit & Fun buffet, with a dedicated sub-brand, BRUNCH@SCHOOL, tailored to the voluntary-participation secondary-school segment since 2014.

The operating model rests on a decentralized kitchen footprint — one central high-tech preparation kitchen (completed 2015, equipped with Cook & Chill capability that brings cooked food below 2°C within 20 minutes) plus five satellite school kitchens across six Berlin districts — combined with the company's own refrigerated delivery fleet (Frische-Shuttles) and a proprietary internet-based ordering and billing platform with RFID chip/card-based meal distribution at schools. Additional capabilities include Cook & Hold and Cook & Serve variants, HACCP-aligned hygiene controls, Bio certification since 2005, optiMIX nutrition compliance, and a zero-energy kitchen under construction in Ludwigsfelde (Brandenburg Park) scheduled for completion in 2024 with photovoltaic, wind, and biogas self-generation plus agri-PV cultivation.

Revenue is generated primarily through subscription-based meal contracts billed monthly: in Berlin grades 1–6 meals are funded by the Senate under the "Gesetz zum Mittagessen an Schulen" (parent-cost-free), while Brandenburg schools and Berlin grades 7+ are paid by parents at prices set by each Schulträger, with payment via SEPA direct debit, bank transfer, or PayPal. Supplementary revenue streams include event catering (school festivals), Verpflegungspakete for off-site activities, cooking courses, nutrition education, and a humanitarian catering partnership with the German Red Cross (DRK) serving approximately 9,000 meals per day at Berlin Tegel Airport Terminal C for Ukrainian refugees. Go-to-market combines enterprise contract sales via public tenders and Senate framework agreements with a direct-to-consumer online registration flow for parents, supported by a dedicated quality manager stationed at each school and community engagement programs such as Koch on Tour workshops.

Name

Drei Köche

Legal name

Drei Köche GmbH

Website

https://drei-koeche.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Drei Köche GmbH is a Berlin-based, family-owned school catering company founded in 2004 that serves 75+ kindergartens and schools with fresh daily meals for over 20,000 children in Berlin and Brandenburg using Cook & Chill technology and a decentralized kitchen network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Institutional School Catering Services

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (72231), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Central Kitchen & Commissary Operations (Batch Cooking, Satellite Serving) (EDAEAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

In-House Cafeteria Operations & Meal Preparation (EDAEAEAA), Menu Planning, Nutrition & Dietary Accommodation Services (Allergens, Special Diets) (EDAEAEAD)

Keywords

• School meal catering
• Kindergarten food service
• Institutional catering
• Child nutrition services
• Organic school lunches

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Kita- und Schulessen (Mittagessen): The primary revenue stream is the daily provision of fresh, healthy school meals to kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools in Berlin and Brandenburg. In Berlin grades 1-6, meals are funded by the Senate (elternkostenbeteiligungsfrei), while in Brandenburg and for grades 7+ in Berlin, parents pay per meal. Prices vary by school sponsor (Schulträger) and are determined by framework agreements. The company uses a monthly billing system with SEPA direct debit or invoice payment options.
2. Event Catering: Additional revenue is generated through event catering services for school and kindergarten events such as summer festivals and Christmas celebrations.
3. Verpflegungspakete: Pre-packed meals for off-site activities such as class trips and project days generate additional service revenue.
4. Kochkurse und Ernährungsbildung: The company offers cooking courses and nutrition education workshops conducted by trained staff, both in schools and in the company's own kitchens.
5. Refugee and Humanitarian Aid Catering: The company provides meals to refugees at Berlin Tegel Airport Terminal C in cooperation with the German Red Cross (DRK), serving approximately 9,000 meals daily at multiple distribution stations, representing an additional service revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Drei Köche provides daily fresh, organic, DGE-compliant hot meals to kindergartens and schools in Berlin and Brandenburg from its own modern kitchens. The company operates one central preparation kitchen (Cook & Chill-enabled, completed 2015) and five decentralized school kitchens across Berlin districts, delivering and distributing meals at schools via its own fleet and staff. Two menu lines are offered (Bä(ee)renhunger for meat/fish and Kohldampf for vegetarian/vegan), with supplementary services including event catering, lunch packages, cooking courses, nutrition education, and humanitarian meal service.

Product overview

Drei Köche is a Berlin-based school catering company operating since 2004, offering a unified catering service for kindergartens and schools with fresh, bio-certified meals. The core product is the Kita- und Schulverpflegung service, supported by two main menu lines: Bä(ee)renhunger (DGE-standard meals) and Kohldampf (vegetarian/vegan options), both accompanied by the Fit & Fun Büffet add-on. For secondary schools, the company offers the BRUNCH@SCHOOL sub-brand with modern features like prepaid chip payment and ecological packaging. Additional services include Koch on Tour (cooking workshops), Event-Catering, Verpflegungspakete, Kochkurse, and Ernährungsbildung courses. The company operates its own modern preparation kitchen and five school kitchens across Berlin, implementing Cook & Chill, Cook & Hold, and Cook & Serve food preparation methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BRUNCH@SCHOOL: Special catering concept for secondary schools (Oberschulen) launched in 2014, providing modern school meals with innovative services including cashless payment via prepaid chip, online ordering, and eco-friendly packaging

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60% of food products used are organic (Bio-certified since 2005)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022Drei Köche partnered with the German Red Cross (DRK) to provide meals for Ukrainian refugees at Berlin Tegel Airport Terminal C. The company serves approximately 9,000 meals daily at multiple distribution stations, along with coffee, tea, and hot water. This humanitarian partnership leverages the company's food production and logistics capabilities in an emergency context.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Menüpartner: Menüpartner is a major German school and kindergarten caterer with deep presence in Berlin and Brandenburg, operating fresh-cook and chilled distribution models. Directly competes for the same Senate framework agreements and Schulträger contracts as Drei Köche.
• Sander Catering: Sander Catering is a German school and kindergarten caterer with central kitchen infrastructure serving schools across Germany. Comparable to Drei Köche in its focus on fresh, daily-prepared institutional meals with menu planning for children and youth.
• Hoffmann Menü: Hoffmann Menü is a German institutional caterer serving schools, kindergartens, and senior care facilities with refrigerated fresh-meal distribution. Comparable business model using Cook & Chill for institutional meal delivery across multiple German regions.
• Apetito Catering: Apetito is one of Germany's largest school and institutional caterers, operating central kitchens and serving schools, kindergartens, and care homes across multiple German states. Directly comparable to Drei Köche as both serve the Berlin/Brandenburg market with similar Cook & Chill-style operations and DGE-certified menus.

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo Germany: Sodexo is a global food service and facilities management company with significant operations in Germany serving schools, universities, corporate, and healthcare clients. Competes with Drei Köche for institutional catering contracts at scale across Germany.
• Klüh Catering: Klüh is a major German facility services group with a significant catering division serving schools, hospitals, corporate cafeterias, and event venues. Larger and broader than Drei Köche, but competes for institutional food service contracts in the same Berlin market.
• Compass Group / Eurest Germany: Compass Group operates Eurest and other food service brands in Germany serving workplaces, schools, healthcare, and event venues. Broad incumbent competing in the institutional catering space with greater scale and geographic reach than Drei Köche.
• Dussmann Service: Dussmann Group operates one of Germany's largest integrated facility services businesses including food service for schools, hospitals, and corporate clients. Broader portfolio than Drei Köche but competes for large institutional catering contracts in Berlin and Brandenburg.
• Aramark Germany: Aramark is a global contract food service provider with German operations serving educational institutions, healthcare, and corporate cafeterias. Comparable to Drei Köche as a contracted institutional caterer with presence in the Berlin market.

Emerging players

• Primus Catering: Primus Catering is a regional German school caterer operating in select German states with a focus on fresh, organic school meals. Smaller scale and more limited geographic footprint than Drei Köche but addresses the same organic, DGE-compliant school catering niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/3koeche
• Xx.com/3koeche

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Drei Köche