Read how Bread Sommelier Axel Schmitt Creates High-Quality Products through Clean Frying Fat and how the VITO frying oil filter assists him with that.
At the Südback trade fair in Stuttgart, Germany, we had the opportunity to meet Axel Schmitt, the bread sommelier and passionate master baker, at the VITO booth. Axel is no ordinary baker: he combines traditional craftsmanship with modern approaches and has even managed to harmonize heavy metal music with sourdough! From a young age, he worked in the bakery, sharpening his senses for raw ingredients and doughs while learning the fine details. Today, with decades of experience, he leads the family bakery in Frankenwinheim, Germany now in its fourth generation, with a focus on sustainability and quality. His motto: less fluff, more real craftsmanship—while minimizing resource use. For Axel, baking is above all about experience and feeling.
VITO AG Team Member:
Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today. Would you like to begin by introducing yourself briefly?
Axel Schmitt:
I'm a master baker through and through, but I'm also a confectioner and restaurateur. We run a café where we offer a wide range of baked goods, sweets, and even cooked dishes. Essentially, we cover the entire spectrum of what a baker can create. Transparency and honesty are very important to us. Many years ago, we removed anything unnecessary from our bakery—anything that doesn't add value for the customer. We want to share this with others, so we’ve set up our own studio where we produce great videos to show our customers how amazing our profession is and the high-quality raw materials and ingredients we use!
VITO AG Team Member:
And how many frying vats do you use in your bakery? Do you use a specific type of fat?
Axel Schmitt:
We have three machines. One is a smaller vat that we use for Franconian specialties like spritz cookies. The fat gets heavily contaminated in the process, so we have a special fryer for that. Then we have a large fryer for our main products, such as doughnuts or Berliners, which may have different names depending on the region. Over the past few years, we’ve been changing the fat more frequently, because there are always new options for fats that don’t contain trans fats and have less environmental impact.
VITO AG Team Member:
When did you start using VITO filters?
Axel Schmitt:
That was in 2011. I remember exactly when I saw the device at someone else's bakery. It had always bothered me that fresh frying oil smells great at first but changes quickly and goes bad. For us, it’s essential to deliver consistent quality. If the oil goes bad fast, we have no choice but to discard it and use new oil, not only does it cost money, but it also wastes valuable resources. When I saw that you could clean the oil with VITO, I was immediately excited! You can see from the filter later what all ends up in the fat and, otherwise, would have ended up in the product your customers eat.
VITO AG Team Member:
And how did you clean the oil before?
Axel Schmitt:
It was quite an effort. We had to drain the oil completely, strain it through a sieve, and then refill it back into the fryer. It was very labor-intensive and not very effective, especially with small particles.