Michael Wippler, President of the German Bakers’ Confederation (Zentralverband des Deutschen Bäckerhandwerks e. V.), talked about offering traditional craftsmanship with a modern twist, and the importance of using Instagram and TikTok to recruit young talent in the current challenging environment.
Mr Wippler, you have been President of the Confederation since 2015; at the same time, you have also been running a successful family business for over 40 years. There are few who know more about the business than you. How does the German baking market compare internationally?
German bread culture and the bread and baked goods offered by the bakery trade are still popular and are firmly embedded in German society. Nevertheless, the 9,900 or so craft bakers are facing enormous challenges. The high energy prices are a major source of worry for many business owners. The excessive bureaucracy and the increase in the minimum wage coupled with the acute shortage of skilled workers are currently posing great challenges for the businesses.
The German Bakers’ Confederation has long been fighting against bureaucratic red tape that makes life difficult for craft businesses.
There are too few exemptions, especially for SMEs, and this leads to absurd levels of bureaucracy that are out of all proportion. The shortage of young people and skilled workers is a further serious problem that will remain with us in the coming years. Many business owners are coming up to retirement and cannot find successors, and trainees are also becoming increasingly difficult to find.
How is the Confederation supporting craft bakers here?
The Confederation has long been committed to helping with the recruitment of young talent, for example with its ‘Back dir deine Zukunft’ (Bake your future) campaign. In order to relight people’s interest in the craft, we have been deploying our young ‘Bakefluencers’ on Instagram and TikTok, getting out the message about how versatile the occupations are, explaining how to get started and showing what successful career options are available. These are great opportunities that have opened up new communication channels and are attracting new target groups. We have to make the bakery trade more attractive again if we wish to avoid company closures in the coming decades.
In your eyes, what are the most important market trends and what impact are they having on artisan bakers?
There is great competition with industrial production, which is why many artisan bakers are well advised to concentrate on their core competences. People still appreciate good, handcrafted products. Consumers are looking for regionality and good artisanal quality. They are increasingly asking about where the products come from. Many bakeries focus on providing a range that includes traditionally baked breads with a modern twist. That’s why spelt and other ancient grains, as well as products with added nutritional value, are enjoying a major revival.
Artisan bakers must therefore manage the balancing act between the consumer’s desire for regionality and craftsmanship and coping with the enormous price increases for energy and raw materials. Having said that, how relevant are such megatopics as sustainability, digitalisation and artificial intelligence?
Sustainability, digital progress and regionality are important issues that every artisan baker needs to deal with. The regional sourcing of raw materials is playing an increasingly important role for many consumers – they want to know where their bread comes from and how it’s made. This is all part of the trend towards healthy eating and proves how good food is still appreciated. Digitalisation can help to simplify and speed up production processes.
How are such technological developments affecting the businesses in their daily work?
There are now many AI-based technologies that are making day-to-day operations easier for businesses. We will be seeing many of them at the iba. For example, some bakers have been able to stop working long night shifts, while others are making use of a system that automatically alerts them when their shelves are emptying and when certain products need to be restocked. Different technologies are available for different businesses – but no-one has to forego their claim of offering handcrafted products.
How important are craftsmanship, freshness and quality awareness in determining the success of artisan bakers?
It is crucial for artisan bakers to distinguish themselves from industrial producers. Craft bakers can and should emphasise their artisanal methods and their close relationship with their products as unique selling points. It’s no coincidence that ‘transparent’ bakeries are now becoming increasingly popular. Many artisan bakers also provide insights into their craft on social media and are using this to raise awareness of their products.
After a five-year break, iba has opened its doors again in 2023. How important is a live event for the sector?
The iba is the number one family get-together for the baking industry. Creative and talented industry leaders from all over the world come together to learn from each other, swap ideas and to get inspiration. Coming to the fair is therefore essential for bakers large and small who wish to broaden their horizons and take home new ideas for their own business.
What initiatives and events is the Confederation responsible for at the fair?
The German Bakers’ Confederation has put together an extensive and varied programme for the iba.FORUM. Further highlights include the iba.UIBC.CUP of Bakers and Confectioners and the German Master Bakers’ Championship on Wednesday. Personally, I am also looking forward to the iba BackStage young talent days at the weekend. Here, young apprentices are coached by industry leaders and can show off their skills in exciting challenges. It’s a great way to get young people interested in the bakery trade in the long term.
What are you hoping for from all these activities?
Our aims are to let craft bakers know about the latest topics and trends; to showcase just how many talented artists there are in our sector, and to get across the message that it pays to stay true to the craft even in challenging times. The large number of family bakeries that have been baking bread for generations – and are still delighting their customers with their products to this day – is no coincidence.
How will the baking sector develop in the short, medium and long term?
The industry will continue to evolve – marked by exciting new trends and products created by extraordinary talent and highly efficient technology. I hope that the Confederation’s efforts in recent years will pay off at the political level and that the Federal Government will keep its promise to reduce bureaucracy. An economic policy that is friendly both to SMEs and to entrepreneurs will encourage a whole new generation to take the step into self-employment. Then we’ll be able to look forward to a future with many creative artisan bakers and a vibrant bakery trade.
Interview conducted by Karen Gellrich
MASTER BAKER AND FUNCTIONARY
Michael Wippler took over the family business in Dresden in 1981 and has run Bäckerei Wippler GmbH as managing partner since 2004. He holds various voluntary offices, is on the board of several associations and was elected president of the German Bakers’ Confederation in 2015. Since being re-elected in 2019, Wippler has had to steer the Confederation through difficult waters: first came the pandemic, and then high energy and raw material costs. The Confederation is lobbying for concessions for the bakery trade under the motto #BrotStattBürokratie (Bread not bureaucracy).
“We have to make craft bakery more appealing again”
Michael Wippler, President of the German Bakers’ Confederation
“Consumers want regionality and artisan quality”
Michael Wippler
“It pays to stay true to the craft even in challenging times.”
Michael Wippler
The iba.UNIVERSE digital platform
Digitalisation not only makes everyday bakery life easier, it also makes it easier to visit iba. iba.UNIVERSE offers a completely new way to prepare for the trade fair: Via iba.UNIVERSE, participants can not only search for exciting exhibitors, but also for specific editorial content.
Exciting contributions on the iba.TOPICS of craftsmanship, food trends, health, sustainability, digitalisation, complete solutions and quality management can already be discovered today. Trade fair visitors can also familiarise themselves with new business areas and potential partners before iba. These can then be visited specifically at the trade fair itself.
Expanding one’s network and maintaining contacts is made easy with iba.UNIVERSE by being able to follow exhibitors and thus stay up to date. With
one click, visitors also receive a digital business card or can make an appointment.
This article is from our iba.INSIGHT magazine. For more iba.INSIGHT articles, sign up for our newsletter and receive the entire magazine with exciting topics about the baking industry as a thank-you gift in PDF form.
