“Customers compare prices, but are willing to pay more for really unique products!”

The bakery  ‘Bäckerwirtschaft“ was established at Poststraße 1 in Bönnigheim in 1955, by the parents of Reiner Stolzenberger, Erich and Louise Stolzenberger. At time freshly baked pretzels were offered in Swabian taverns, winegrowers would enjoy them after work with a “Viertele” wine, a quarter litre wine. There was a long tradition of what is now experiencing a revival, the wine taverns, farm yard celebrations,  inns with their own ovens, grain growers baking their own bread and cakes. In the past it used to serve the local market, nowadays, the uniqueness and quality of the product are what matters.

KS: Bakery Stolzenberger cherishes the craftsmanship and traditions of the bakery trade, how is this visible in the bakery and for the customer?
RS: “We offer a great variety of traditional bakery products. Bread such as the Swabian farmer’s bread (“Schwäbisches Bauernbrot”), the lumberman bread (“Holzfällerbrot”) and the winemaker’s bread (“Winzerbrot”) are made with the recipes and traditions of my ancestors. That involves the use of our own natural sourdough with long resting times. We attach great importance to natural dough making! We abstain from baking mixes, instead, our dough ripens overnight. Through this method bacteria, enzymes and natural yeast in the grain are activated. This fermentation allows natural flavour development without the need for yeast or other additions.  This in turn stimulates the tolerance of our products and the bread stays fresh even longer. Therefore, our customers can really taste the difference compared with an industrially made bread.

Kaiser rolls and other small baked goods are also produced by the extended fermentation method. For these products we are also using only minimal addition of yeast. Swabian specialities as the “Laugenbrezel”, a soft pretzel, and other lye articles are very popular and can be eaten as a snack throughout the day. Yeast plaits (“Hefezöpfe”) and other yeast pastries crumbles, a speciality of ours, are a must-have at any occasion.

KS: Is it possible to have “regionalism” despite growing competition?
RS: “First and foremost, it is dependent upon the co-operation and contribtion of all participants in the value chain that leads to a product that my customers like to buy and enjoy daily.  I source raw material from the region to produce my regional specialities, for example the flour we use comes solely from the Jesser mill, a family-run business that is over a hundred years old. This mill guarantees high quality flour using a local grain cultivated on long-term contracts.”

KS: How do you react to the new challenges of the market and changing consumer demands?
RS: “Nowadays, anyone can offer baked goods and there is a tendency of food retailers, discount supermarket chains and petrol stations to sell fresh baked goods. Therefore it is imperative to specialize and to strike a new path. There are multiple possibilities and opportunities. In the breakfast sector there are many options for new developments, event catering with finger food,  coffee and cake as well as snacks enjoy more and more popularity.

Through weddings, family parties and company events it is possible to conquer new markets and develop new products in cooperation with other crafts of the food sector (butchers, cheese dairies, winegrowers, etc.) and event planners.

During the grape harvest and for special summer events we bake potato- and onion tarts that are served warm. We also deliver special breads to so-called “Besenwirtschaften”, restaurants in the vineyards – breads that are often based on a long tradition. Customers do compare prices, but they are willing to pay more for really unique products!

I would also like to meet my customers’ requests of gluten-free baked goods for example, but that is unfortunately not possible at the moment. There are strict safety requirements with regards to the production process (strict separation of other production processes) and big investments to facilitate a new place of production.

However, we as bakers need to pay close attention to the changes in consumption habits and keep developing new products.”
KS: You are very dedicated to the TRADEIT project. Why? You surely have better things to do than travelling to project meetings all throughout Europe?
RS: “You are right, it is not easy, especially because of the different viewpoints of the individual partners of the project. But: It is important to protect sustainability and to produce traditional regional goods that represent identification with the land and its people. The term “Heimat” (home/home land) is very popular. Through the TRADEIT project it is possible to attract attention to small and medium-size enterprises that cultivate traditions and regionalism. With the help of TRADEIT people can easily exchange opinions if there are problems, but it also helps in avoiding legal obstacles during marketing and in generating own labels.

Networks are developed among trades that are – at first sight – very different: meat and sausage and cold meat production, cheese production and the bakery trade. Through these networks it is possible to develop and improve new and existing products and production processes, as well as the marketing of the products.

It is essential that we as small and medium-size enterprises become noticeable and gain significance in our society, there is clear movement away from 'anonymous" shopping in supermarkets and this presents a significant opportunity.

Click here for a video on Bakery Reiner Stolzenberger