Great Delight for the Little Ones
Interview with Klaus Kühn, Managing Director of Drei Köche GmbH
The number of children and adolescents who eat lunch at school or daycare has steadily increased over the past years. For many, this is the only hot meal of the day. Therefore, it is even more important that these children receive a balanced, healthy meal – just like the one Drei Köche GmbH from Berlin offers. The company aims to guarantee optimal school catering, with fresh, delicious dishes that are fun and healthy.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Kühn, Drei Köche GmbH is a sought-after partner in Berlin and Brandenburg when it comes to child and student-friendly school catering. How did that come about?
Klaus Kühn: The company was founded in 2004. A chef, a master chef, and I joined forces that year to start a start-up. The idea was to revitalize school food service, a field in which all three of us had experience. Since 2019, school and daycare meals in Berlin have been free of charge, and since then, the business has developed dynamically. The volume of orders increased, and at the same time, the scope of work was no longer as individual, as there were clear guidelines from the city. A prime example is following the recommendations of the DEG. This ensures that all Berlin schools offer high-quality food. A step that sets a signal for all of Germany.
Wirtschaftsforum: How is Drei Köche GmbH organized?
Klaus Kühn: We currently employ more than 300 staff members and will achieve a turnover of 27 million EUR this year. Our focus has always been on Berlin, but we also operate in Brandenburg, where we are currently constructing a new large kitchen. We plan to expand our capacity; moreover, we are spreading to Brandenburg to be able to process more regional organic products. With this step, we are actively committing to healthy school meals.
Wirtschaftsforum: How many school meals are we talking about today?
Klaus Kühn: We provide 22,000 school meals. Since 2015, for humanitarian reasons, we have also been catering to asylum seekers and, since the war, 3,000 refugees from Ukraine. This gives us a market share of 10%.
Wirtschaftsforum: What differentiates school meals from Drei Köche from those of other providers?
Klaus Kühn: We want children to enjoy our food, which should be healthy and provide children with all the necessary nutrients. The organic content is over 60%. To ensure freshness, we use the Cook and Chill method, which guarantees ideal nutrient retention. With this method, the food is freshly cooked and then chilled down to 2 °C; this is called shock chilling. The meals are then further cooked on-site at the schools. With this process, we can ensure fresh, healthy, and nutrient-rich food. However, food should not only be healthy but also fun. With initiatives like 'Cook on Tour', we aim to introduce children to the topic of balanced nutrition in a playful and fun way. A chef goes to schools, cuts vegetables with the children, and cooks. For many, this is a new experience.
Wirtschaftsforum: Drei Köche GmbH is a major player in the market. What marketing channels are used to acquire customers?
Klaus Kühn: Today we receive orders through public tenders and recommendations. We work with agencies and participate in events like Environment Day, where we showcased a food truck at the Brandenburg Gate advocating for healthy school meals. No matter how we engage, the welfare of the child is always our focus.
Wirtschaftsforum: You are an experienced and successful businessman. What do you see as the reasons for the success of the Three Chefs?
Klaus Kühn: It is mainly hard work, luck, and the team. We know our customers, have a strong field service, and even we, the managing directors, regularly visit our customers; that's rather unusual in the industry. The unusual configuration of the founding trio has also proven to be a stroke of luck. The success only came with the female touch in our management tasks. Many come from the East, where they received a thorough education. This good mix of East and West and competencies such as craftsmanship and marketing expertise has made us strong.
Wirtschaftsforum: 10% market share today. Should it be more in the future?
Klaus Kühn: The goal is 15 to 20%. In 2024, the school meals in Berlin will be re-tendered; that's where we want to strike with our new large-scale kitchen. After that, there will be no abrupt developments; instead, we are working on challenges such as a zero-energy kitchen. To realize this kitchen, we employ photovoltaics and wind power and will build a small, decentralized biogas plant for the disposal of food waste. Thus, we hope to realize our vision of a sustainable large-scale kitchen in the long term. With our size, we will have to become even more professional and bring specific expertise into the company. Also, new markets in the external catering sector, such as company catering or catering for seniors, are envisioned. Last but not least, a generational change is pending. I have been self-employed since 1978 and am proud of what we have achieved together at the Three Chefs.