Traditional craftsmanship
Keeping It Fresh
The bakery trade is one of the oldest commercial crafts in the world with centuries of tradition. Baked goods are particularly popular in Germany. Whether it‘s a breakfast roll, a midday snack or a traditional supper, you can have something fresh from the bakery at any time of day. The variety of German bread is greater than in any other country. There are said to be around 3,200 different bread specialities in total. They are produced in almost 10,000 companies by around 240,000 employees. This makes the bakery trade one of the most important crafts in the country. Düsseldorf is also home to a large number of traditional bakeries that supply their customers with breads, rolls and pastries. We visited four of them!
BÄCKEREI HINKEL
In business since: 1891
Number of employees: 89; two branches in Düsseldorf Carlstadt
Product range: As the “bakery of bread lovers”, the Hinkel bakery focuses on bread: from rye to wholemeal and wheat bread to brioche, all the bread classics are represented. In addition, the assortment includes breads made from alternative and gluten-free grains as well as rolls, pastries, sheet cakes and some long-life pastries - goods that can be kept for a longer period of time.
Sustainability: The bakery works with natural ingredients and has set itself the goal of continuously reducing waste and product returns. Along the way, the company relies on sustainable packaging and raw material alternatives. Hinkel emphasises developing long-term sustainability strategies instead of short-sighted “quick fixes”.
Philosophy: Traditional craftsmanship is the top priority for the family-owned company with a long history. In production, the bakers work with natural ingredients, a very long dough process - meaning the entire dough development from mixing the raw materials to baking - and natural sourdoughs. All products are made by hand, machines are hardly ever used. This is how the bakery aims to ensure high quality. In 2019, Hinkel was awarded the title of “Germany‘s best baker” by the Allgemeine Bäckerzeitung. •
BULLE BÄCKEREI
In business since: 2017
Number of employees: 12; two branches in Düsseldorf Flingern and Mitte.
Product range: The Bäckerei Bulle bases its product range on the principle of “small is beautiful”: in addition to classics such as bread variations, rolls, croissants and other small baked goods, daily specialities complement the range. The Bulle Bistro, located in the back court-yard, is also worth a visit: here, homemade snacks and sweet treats can be enjoyed between 10 am and 6 pm.
Sustainability: They deliberately use a lot of organic ingredients from the region; flour, for example, is supplied by the Eiling organic mill, and eggs come from Wegberg. It is particularly important to the Bulle team not to produce any surplus - “better ten loaves too few than twenty too many” is a principle of the company philosophy. Even if this can mean that the selection is sometimes scarce an hour before closing time.
Philosophy: The Bäckerei Bulle is deliberately transparent. Customers can take a look into the bakery from the counter and, on request, also into the warehouse. The bakers themselves can often be found in the sales area. The artisan bakers also have nothing to hide when it comes to ingredients. The motto: A rye bread consists of organic wholemeal rye flour, water and salt - that‘s it! The secret weapon: a lot of time, the dough is allowed to
rest for at least 16 hours. •
www.bulle-baeckerei.de
Ihr BÄCKER SCHÜREN
In business since: 1905
Number of employees: 248; 19 branches in the Düsseldorf area, Mettmann district, Solingen and Wuppertal; head office in Hilden
Product range: Bäckerei Schüren offers a wide range of organic classic and organic wholemeal bakery products - including bread, rolls and pastries as well as bis-cuits, cake slices, cold and warm snacks. There are also Gepa Fairtrade coffee specialities and cake variations.
Sustainability: The first wholemeal breads were produced more than thirty years ago, and healthy nutrition has been an important aspect early on. Today, the bakery is certified according to the quality guidelines of the association “Die freien Bäcker. Zeit für Verantwortung e.V.” association. Goods are traditionally produced from natural, high-quality raw materials, preferably from the region. The bakery also focuses on sustainability when it comes to energy use: according to its own information, 100 per cent of the electricity comes from renewable sources, and thanks to modern technology, oven heat, among other things, is recycled. In this way, they want to become Germany‘s first bakery to supply itself with CO2-neutral energy from its own resources.
Philosophy: The artisan bakery attaches great importance to its regional roots, also in its cooperation with partners and suppliers. The bakers deliberately avoid standardised baking mixtures - each product should be unique and of high, sustainable quality. In 2021, the bakery was awarded “The Best Bakers in Germany 2021” by the magazine
“Der Feinschmecker”. •
BÄCKEREI TERBUYKEN
In business since: 1895
Number of employees: 360; 28 branches in Düsseldorf and Erkrath
Product range: As a traditional baker of Rhenish baking culture, the Terbuyken bakery attaches particular importance to a large and high-quality selection of rolls and breads, which are complemented by sweet pastries, cakes and a variety of snacks. Highlights include the 1895 anniversary bread, baked on stone slabs according to the original recipe, and the Düsseldorfer Butterstollen. For large orders, Terbuyken offers a delivery service. In addition, orders can be conveniently placed via app and picked up on site at the branch.
Sustainability: The Terbuyken team uses regional, certified organic ingredients and relies on sustainable solutions in production and delivery: heat is recovered from the oven, organic waste goes into a biogas plant and there is a PV system on the production buildings. In addition, e-delivery vans are used.
Philosophy: The traditional and family-run business in its fourth generation wants to consistently continue the Rhenish baking culture and relies on manual work: every product should be unique. The bakery emphasises its close ties to Düsseldorf; all specialist shops are located in the city or within a radius of ten kilometres. In 2021 and 2022, the bakery won the “Meister.Werk.NRW” honorary award from the state of NRW. In 2018, Terbuyken received the “Marktkieker”, the “Oscar” of the bakery industry. •
www.baeckerei-terbuyken.com
Words Dominik Deden
Pictures Header: Bulle Bäckerei
Bäckerei HINKEL
Bulle Bäckerei
Ihr Bäcker Schüren
Bäckerei Terbuyken