SteinofenBäcker in Germany: organic bakery goods for export

A great deal has happened since Dieter joined Steinofenbäcker in April 2010. With the expansion of the wholesaler Weiling towards the south of Germany, the organic bakery has grown too and has created another production facility at Aalen near the Weiling warehouse in Lonsee. Steinofenbäcker, that goes back almost 30 years, has a long history of cooperation with Weiling in Coesfeld: Steinofenbäcker supplies the growing number of Weiling customers with bread and bakery goods. (Picture: Modified atmosphere packaging for bread rolls)
 

Steinofenbäcker’s partnership with the chain SuperBioMarkt is a firmly established component of the business, that has its headquarters in Ibbenbüren near Osnabrück. Steinofenbäcker now supplies all parts of Germany, including frozen products and bakery goods that are packaged under modified atmosphere conditions (picture above). They have also gained new customers abroad: distribution partners in the Netherlands, Belgium, Britain and Portugal. “We’re not yet expanding exports aggressively, although we do get regular enquiries. There’s a market everywhere for bakery goods of the quality we offer,” says Friedrich Dieter, and he points to the crucial issue: “But to do business abroad you need the right partners.” (Picture: SuperBioMarkt AG has taken over control of the Steinofenbäcker counters in its stores)
 

Dieter came from a quite different background. Trained in banking and management, since 1995 he had occupied executive positions in the food industry (bakery goods, ice cream) before he was approached in 2009 by Reinhard Laukemper, the founder of SteinofenBäcker. They agreed a deal. Laukemper withdrew and Dieter took over the pioneer organic bakery in Ibbenbüren that today employs 150 people. As he says, he switched to the organic sector out of conviction: “For a start, I’m a gourmet, and then the way the food industry is developing towards cheaper and cheaper production and cost-cutting at every conceivable point did not meet the standards I expect.“ (Picture: A few years ago, an organic shop was opened on the site of the bakery. It sells to local people, is a prototype store and facility for experimenting)
 

The owner of the firm knows that with the well known brand Steinofenbäcker and the artisan  bakery tradition of the company he has acquired a solid base on which to build. “The structures are in place. We’re exclusive partners for about 600 owner-managed Weiling customers at both logistics locations and we have a very close working relationship with SuperBioMarkt.” Around 60 % of the turnover of ca. €6.3m is generated by the strategic partnerships with Weiling and SuperBioMarkt. This is supplemented by direct sales to canteens, student catering facilities, hospitals and day care centres for children. (Picture: Friedrich Dieter standing in front of the snack area in the Steinofenbäcker organic shop in Ibbenbüren)
 

“Our core competence is bread,” says Dieter. On busy days, about 5,000 loaves of bread come out of the ovens in Ibbenbüren. There are 50 – 60 types of bread and bread rolls, and they sell a wide selection of cookies, cake, pastries and snacks, quiches and vegetarian rissoles. They make cakes to order, and the confectionery arm contributes chocolates and seasonal items to the product range at Easter and Christmas.
(Picture: A wide selection at the bakery goods counter)

The organic mill Eiling in Warstein supplies freshly milled flour every two to three days (wheat, rye, spelt, emmer and kamut). They use only flour from authorized products of local origin. Bakery goods made with kamut are a Steinofenbäcker speciality: “We’re the biggest processor of kamut in Germany,”  Dieter explains not without pride. “We don’t wave the organic flag – we invite the customers to experience real taste,” is how Dieter expresses his motto. (Picture: Single-product doughs and a special process result in top quality)
 

Dieter launched the Echtzeit concept in 2011 to create a new arm of the business. “As a bakery, we’ve got to prepare ourselves for the future by means of innovative ideas,” he insists. “Today, the retail trade wants to sell  food to its customers and we offer them not just delicious products but also a concept and advice.” Top quality cereals in the form of bread and bread rolls for breakfast and light meals, for soups, pasta and pizza at lunchtime as well as snacks, pastries, coffee and cake are served in Echtzeit, a restaurant promising a real culinary experience, that was opened in December 2010 on the Hohenzollernring in Münster. During the day, the adjoining Steinofenbäcker shop sells the product range. The Echtzeit restaurant is open every day from 7.00 (8.00 on Sundays) until 22.00. This pilot project can seat 100 people inside and another 40 in the open air. (Picture: Echtzeit at Hohenzollernring in Münster)
 

Various components of the Echtzeit offer, such as soups, hot and cold base sauces, fresh noodles and spelt pizza dough can also be bought by retail customers. “We would like to offer our customers more than a classic baker,” says Dieter. “Since in most cases we’re not the main supplier but rather a supplementary baker, we can specialise in product development, and we’ve got a very wide product range. Every single day, we want to show proof of our excellent quality.” (Picture: Vegetable quiche in large-scale artisan production)