Bakers haven’t had it easy for a long time. Especially during the corona pandemic, many medium-sized companies said: The oven is off. But while the bakers’ guild is sounding the alarm in districts like Fürstenfeldbruck, the situation in Ebersberg is stable – even if there are tweaks in many corners and ends.
“Energy prices have tripled, flour prices have doubled,” says Martin Rieger, deputy foreman of the Ebersberg bakers’ guild. He runs a bakery in Anzing with a branch – “one of the smallest bakeries in the district”. The fact that he is not currently employing any trainees is not a problem for Rieger; In principle, however, it is difficult to get young people enthusiastic about the bakery profession. “The academization of society does not stop at the bakeries,” he says. Many young people would study instead of taking up an apprenticeship – “that affects us too”. What does it take to be a good baker? “You have to be able to sleep in a disciplined manner,” explains Martin Rieger. Practical skills are also important and the ability to convert recipes.
Martin Rieger, deputy foreman of the Ebersberg bakers’ guild, knows the problem of the lack of young talent.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
The master baker also emphasizes a socio-cultural value: “It is helpful if people bake and cook regularly in their parents’ house – not just as a window campaign at Christmas.” You can quickly tell from the trainees whether the baker’s trade is just a job for them – or whether they also see meaning in this work. However, while other bakeries struggled with significantly lower sales during the Corona pandemic, Martin Rieger had a completely different experience at the time: his business had a plus. “I attribute this to the fact that our bakery is not as big as a supermarket and that you only come into contact with a few people when shopping here,” says the baker from Anzing. In particular, branches located in the pre-payment zones of the supermarkets probably suffered a slump.
But the hardships of recent years have also caught many a family-run business by surprise: For example, the Heiss bakery did not have to close until spring 2021 for economic reasons – and with it the last bakery in Poing. Although the decline in bakeries in Ebersberg is relatively slow, it is also continuous, as the Munich Chamber of Crafts reported when asked by SZ: In 2001 there were still 28 bakeries in the district in which the craft was still practiced, it was ten years later only 24 – and in 2021 only twelve.
Those who stand behind their profession accept being in the bakery at half past two
The Mayr bakery has been in Aßling for 130 years. On January 1, 2023, the bakery and sales room, located directly opposite the town hall, will be handed over to the daughters of the current master baker – i.e. to the fourth generation of bakers. “It wasn’t always the clear plan,” says Regina Dimitrijevic, who will be in charge of the store, “that’s how it turned out.” The baker’s daughters grew up in the shop and their hearts are in it. Her great-grandfather was a baker, but also ran a farm. From now on, Elisabeth Mayr, master baker, will follow in his footsteps.
The family business does not have a branch and would like to keep it that way, according to Dimitrijevic: “The quality of the goods suffers when they are on the road so much.” The company currently employs 24 people. The strength of the shop lies not only in its manageability, but also in its tradition. “People know each other locally, people want personal contact,” says Regina Dimitrijevic. She is also no stranger to the topic of problems with young people: “Many are put off by starting in the bakery at half past two or standing in the shop from half past five.” But if you stand behind the profession, you accept that. The Mayr Bakery currently employs two apprentices in the pastry shop and in the bakery.
In the coming time, the Aßlinger can look forward to small but nice changes in the bakery: The sales room is to be modernized, and there are also slight changes in the baked goods, for example more spelt, according to Regina Dimitrijevic.
More and more young women want to be confectioners
Richard Freundl, who manages production at the Freundl bakery in Ebersberg, also talks about the increasing number of young colleagues who want to follow in their parents’ footsteps. 86 employees work in the head office and the three branches. The company currently has three baker’s apprentices and four confectionery trainees. “We’ve already got people interested in next year,” says Freundl, “I can’t complain.” In general, the number of trainees in the bakery profession is declining; more and more young girls, on the other hand, are expressing an interest in the confectionery trade.
It takes passion for the craft, says baker Richard Freundl from Ebersberg.
(Photo: Korbinian Eisenberger)
Richard Freundl also knows that the night shift, as practiced in the Freundl company, is rather unattractive for many young people. “You have to make sure that someone follows you for the next few years,” he says. The good performers at the bakery are around 50 years old, so looking ahead it is important to try to recruit young people here.
Freundl, who is responsible for the bakery guild when it comes to apprentices, thinks: “You have to have a passion for baking.” If you enjoy your work, you can experience a lot of joy by making people happy with breakfast and lunchtime snacks. And Richard Freundl has a good tip for keeping his passion for baking alive, especially at Christmas time: “We have a wide range of cookies. I check the quality every day.”