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Master baker Pingel revives 100-year-old tradition in Berge!
Discover the traditional country bakery Schumacher in Berge, Prignitz, which continues under the management of Michael Pingel.
Master baker Pingel revives 100-year-old tradition in Berge!
The small community of Berge shows once again how tradition and innovation can go hand in hand. With Michael Pingel's takeover offer of the Schumacher country bakery, a significant step is taken in the bakery landscape. The bakery, which has existed since 1907 and was run by Ulf Schumacher in the third generation, will soon shine under new management. Mayor Susanne Scherfke-Weber emphasizes how important traditional businesses are for the community. Their motto “Mountains have a future” is reflected in this takeover, which is intended to ensure the preservation of a significant part of the village culture, reports the Northern Courier.
Michael Pingel, a native of Perleberg, has returned to Berge after 19 years in Hamburg and is bringing a breath of fresh air into the bakery. His passion for the bakery trade is obvious: “It's the love of craftsmanship and edible art,” says Pingel, describing his motivation. After a successful master school in 2023/2024, he took over the helm and plans to continue the legacy of the bakery - the name will remain unchanged. 80 to 90 mixed breads, around 400 rolls and numerous cakes are now baked fresh every day.
New products and challenges
At the special request of its customers, Pingel will also include Hamburger Franzbrötchen in its range. This initiative shows that he is ready to respond to the wishes of his customers while preserving tradition. The country bakery's well-known sales van travels different routes every day, even as far as Putlitz, to deliver fresh baked goods to customers.
In the upcoming pre-Christmas period, the bakery will also offer dominoes and stollen pastries to further stimulate the Christmas business. Pingel is currently still in the induction phase, but is receiving active support from his employees. There will also be a new worker coming to the bakery through word of mouth to replace Ulf Schumacher's long-time employee Rosemarie Kapell, who is retiring after 40 years.
The bakery trade is changing
The bakery trade is one of humanity's oldest crafts. Archaeological finds show that baking was practiced over 8,000 years ago. The bakery profession has a long tradition in Germany and has been known since the time of Charlemagne. With the founding of guilds in the 12th century, crafts were further established and regulated to organize competition and set training standards. Wikipedia describes that despite the decline in the number of bakeries, which still represent 12,155 guild businesses in Germany, artisanal baking has not lost its importance. Customers are increasingly placing value on individual products and personal advice – values that Pingel places at the top of his bakery.
The return to local traditions and adaptation to modern customer wishes are the key to the future of the Schumacher country bakery and the entire bakery trade. It remains exciting to see how Michael Pingel will overcome this challenge and what new impulses he can give the traditional bakery.