SHERIDAN, WYOMING – Jan. 17, 2025 – Hofmann Menü-Manufaktur GmbH, known as HOFMANNs, introduces "Complete Care," an innovative meal concept designed for hospitals, care facilities, and rehabilitation centers. Building upon their established System Menu, this concept offers a comprehensive solution for patients, combining efficiency, flexibility, and top quality in a unique and entirely new approach.
HOFMANNs Revolutionizes Patient Meal Service
With "Complete Care," HOFMANNs launches a revolutionary concept that not only optimizes patient meal service processes but also meets the demands of modern and sustainable healthcare.
From System Menu to Holistic Concept: "Complete Care"
HOFMANNs first introduced the System Menu in 2002 to address the increasing demands regarding staff shortages and patient needs. With handmade, gently frozen dishes, the company contributes to the recovery and well-being of patients. At the same time, the pre-portioned meals ensure a simple and efficient workflow in hospital kitchens.
For over 20 years and in around 300 hospitals, HOFMANNs has been providing high-quality meals with its long-standing expertise. With "Complete Care" and the addition of chilled, pre-portioned bread toppings for breakfast and dinner, the valued System Menu is now being expanded into a holistic concept for the first time.
From Idea to Plate: A Response to Healthcare Challenges
With the "Complete Care" system, HOFMANNs responds to current challenges in the healthcare sector, such as rising customer expectations, staff shortages, and increased time and cost pressures. The concept offers a flexible and customized menu selection that meets the individual needs of patients without additional staffing requirements.
Manuel Schettler, Managing Director of Sales & Marketing at HOFMANN's, emphasizes the importance of the project and is proud of the results:
"My thanks go to the entire project team, who did a fantastic job. With our new Complete Care System, we are focusing on holistic patient care that not only benefits the patient but also noticeably relieves the burden on hospital staff. As a supplement to our proven System Menu, which has been established on the market for 20 years, we are expanding the offering to include breakfast and dinner. Our goal is to make the care process more efficient and thus free up time and resources in hospitals – which is of enormous importance in view of the current challenges in the healthcare system."
Melissa Stegmeier, Senior Project Manager in Health-Care and specialist consultant for nutrition and dietetics, has played a key role in the process development of HOFMANNs "Complete Care" from the very beginning and provides insights into the development of the innovative system – from the idea born out of a need, to the vision, to the product:
"This expanded offering allows customers to calculate even better, as they receive everything from a single source. In addition, the time-consuming selection of components is eliminated, which means that fewer steps are required on the line and staff can be significantly relieved. Nevertheless, a certain degree of flexibility within the menus ensures sufficient variety."
Everything from a Single Source – for All-Around Satisfied Patients
The heart of the new system is the pre-portioned meals, which for the first time also include breakfast and dinner. With "Complete Care," HOFMANNs offers, in addition to the classic System Menu, individually adaptable standard variants of fresh, chilled toppings for breakfast or dinner, which can be selected for patients accordingly and are ready to serve in just a few steps. The offer includes a choice between pre-portioned vegetarian and/or meat bread toppings and side dishes such as jam or butter, which are delivered chilled in contrast to the frozen lunch. The collaboration with selected partners ensures consistently high quality and freshness of the meals.
"Predefined purchase prices make cost calculation much easier for the kitchens. Menus can also be provided outside of regular kitchen hours, so that every patient receives a high-quality meal, even at short notice," adds Stegmeier.
More Sustainable and Efficient – Just the Way HOFMANNs Likes It
The system's workflow is simple and efficient: Hospitals select the options that suit them from a range of frozen fresh complete meals for lunch, as well as a vegetarian and/or meat alternative of chilled breakfast and dinner. These are delivered directly to the facility, where staff portion and distribute the meals with minimal effort. A particular advantage lies in the environmentally friendly packaging solution: The menu trays are made from sugarcane, while the film is made from corn-based material. This sustainable approach not only reduces packaging waste but also minimizes dishwashing, as unnecessary individual packaging is eliminated.
On the topic of sustainability, Melissa Stegmeier shares:
"The project started in September 2022 with initial ideas and discussions. After intensive discussions about requirements and possibilities, about six months later the first 3D print for a plate idea was developed and tested. The menu plate is made of sugarcane to make it environmentally friendly to decompose. The plate was designed to hold greasy and moist food stably for several days."
The "Complete Care" Process
The "Complete Care" system significantly simplifies meal distribution in hospitals by providing pre-portioned breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This makes the process much more efficient:
- Ordering: The facility selects the desired menu options for lunch, as well as the vegetarian and/or meat pre-portioned toppings for breakfast and dinner.
- Delivery: HOFMANNs delivers the frozen fresh lunch menus, as well as the chilled breakfast and dinner, directly to the hospital.
- Portioning: The meals are portioned in just a few steps.
- Distribution: The prepared meals are served to the patients.
- Disposal: The concept then reduces dishwashing.
The Advantages of "Complete Care" at a Glance:
- Increased efficiency: Less time spent on ordering, goods receiving, portioning, and staff planning, and the associated cost savings.
- Flexibility: Responds to staff shortages and spontaneous changes.
- Planning reliability: Reliable delivery, plannable costs, and consistent quality of meals 365 days a year.
- Environmental friendliness: The sustainable concept reduces waste and dishwashing.
Systematic for More Sustainability and Efficiency: The Strengths of "Complete Care"
A central aspect of the "Complete Care" system is sustainability: By eliminating unnecessary individual and sub-packaging, using biodegradable materials, and reducing dishwashing, the system not only contributes to conserving resources but also relieves staff.
"A test run lasting several weeks is currently underway. The entire process – from ordering and delivery to checking patient acceptance – is being comprehensively tested. This allows the entire process to be examined. The final product will be developed from these findings and rolled out across the board," says Stegmeier.
Future-Proofing and Maximum Flexibility
Thanks to the system's modular structure, facilities can react flexibly to short-term changes such as increases in patient numbers or special dietary requirements. "Complete Care" thus offers the right solution at all times.
"From the beginning of 2025, the standard concept will be available to hospitals across the board. In addition, we are examining the possibility of expanding the range and further optimizing the packaging, for example by further reducing the film. There are even considerations to return the trays to the cycle and give them a second life."
About HOFMANNs:
Hofmann Menü-Manufaktur (HOFMANNs) was founded in 1960 and has its origins in a small butcher shop. Today, the company is one of the leading German providers of customized catering systems and offers frozen fresh dishes and menus for communal, hospital, and social catering as well as private households. For over 60 years, HOFMANNs' business model has been based on culinary craftsmanship and owes its identity to a strong regional focus, high quality standards, and a sustainable corporate culture. What began as a traditional family business now comprises 1,200 employees and approximately 20,000 customers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Since December 2023, HOFMANNs has been part of the Compass Group family.