The market of caterers - Germany

1.1 Introduction

The catering market consists of several types of services that respond to different requirements. Therefore, one distinguishes:

• Caterers for eventssuch as weddings or receptions.
• Corporate c aterers (catering services for employees)
• Home c aterers (delivery of prepared meals)

Caterers oftenhave to deal with logistical challenges (transporting food over long distances, maintaining food temperature, etc.). This market is therefore dependent on many other markets, such as the cold storage market, for which we have made a study available here.

The global catering market is growing steadily, with a CAGR of 4.6% from 2019 to 2026 and an estimated value of nearly $150 billion in 2022. Currently, the most popular segments are event catering and corporate catering, due to a sharp increase in business events after the Covid 19 pandemic.

In Germany, the catering market is also experiencing continued growth. The German catering market would currently be worth nearly $10 billion, or about 7% of the global market. German caterers often offer traditional local dishes, such as the famous curby sausage. They are also increasingly being asked to offer vegetarian and vegan dishes to meet the current expectations of German consumers.

Here are three key German companies in the sector that cater to different types of specific demands:

• Kofler & Co.: Mainly for corporate events.
• LPS Event Catering: caterer for large events such as trade fairs.
• Meyer Menü: Home caterer

In addition to culinary offerings that are in line with current food trends (vegetarian and vegan), German caterers are increasingly concerned with social responsibility issues and support initiatives to reduce food waste.