The German Championships of Master Bakers is decided: master bakers Lea Wagner and Johanna Lenhardt competed at an excellent level for the cup, which was presented to them by the Zentralverband to thunderous applause. The team from Bavaria convinced the jury with their craftsmanship, creativity, and professionalism.
At iba, the leading trade fair for the baking and confectionery industry, four teams of bakers competed for the title of German Champion. Lea Wagner and Johanna Lenhardt from Bavaria were able to prevail with artful loaves of bread, small pastries and a showpiece on the competition theme “Community”.
“We are overwhelmed that we have won. We put so much hard work, energy and passion into this competition and we are proud to bring the trophy home,” Lea Wagner said. Johanna Lenhardt added: “It’s just great. We love and live our craft and with this prize we would like to inspire many young people for this profession.” As winners, the baking duo will now be accepted by the Zentralverband des Deutschen Bäckerhandwerks (central association of German bakers) into the team of the best bakers in the country, the renowned National Bakery Team.
“All four teams proved that they can deliver top results despite being under time pressure. It is a pleasure to see with how much passion and perseverance they have mastered this competition,” emphasises Michael Wippler, President of the Zentralverband. “The attention the championship has received this year is the best sign that consumers appreciate our craftsmanship.”
At the German Championships of Master Bakers, the four teams with Johanna Lenhardt and Lea Wagner from Oberelsbach / Aschfeld, Jörg Ripken and Patrick Brand from Apen, Michael and Christian Dick from Denzlingen and Yannick Dittmar and Hans Wefner from Oerlinghausen/Hameln produced true masterpieces in eight hours, always under the strict gaze of the jury and the audience. The next German Championships will take place at iba 2025 in Düsseldorf.
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Fans of craftsmanship are now looking forward to the last day of the fair on Thursday, when the international confectionery competition will provide further exciting and visual highlights. The German team will be competing for the title against participants from Taiwan, Korea and Norway. The masterpieces will be created on the theme of “Animal World” and can be watched live by the public in the open bakeries. The award ceremony will take place at 4pm in the iba.Forum.
About the Zentralverband des Deutschen Bäckerhandwerks e.V. (central association of German bakers)
Founded in 1948, the Central Association represents the German guild bakers at local, regional, federal and EU level. As the leading association of the baking trade in Germany, it pursues the interests of more than 9,600 businesses throughout Germany with almost 240,000 employees and an annual turnover of 16.27 billion euros in bakeries and confectionery shops. Together with the regional guild associations and the bakers’ guilds, the Central Association campaigns for the interests of its members at all political levels and thus secures or improves the corporate framework conditions of the German guild bakers. The promotion of young talent is also a central point in the association’s work. Initiatives such as “Bäckman” or “Back dir deine Zukunft” specifically draw the attention of children and young people to the profession of baker. Consumers interested in baking can also obtain information on the topics of bread, baked goods and the bakery trade via the social channels and the website of the guild bakers www.innungsbäcker.de. The Central Association is represented by the Executive Board of the Bakery Trade with Michael Wippler as President and the Deputy Chief Executive Dr Friedemann Berg. More information about the association can be found here: www.baeckerhandwerk.de.
