Zeit für Brot

What Zeit für Brot does

Zeit für Brot (legal entity AF ZFB GmbH) is a Bioland-certified organic artisan bakery chain founded in 2009 in Berlin, operating 19 retail bakeries across ten German cities (Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Freiburg, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Munich, Münster, Potsdam, Stuttgart) plus single locations in London and Tel Aviv. The company produces two core categories — Brot (artisan breads including rye, spelt, wheat, and whole-grain varieties such as Hausbrot, Vollkorn-Saftkorn, and Schwarzbrot) and Brötchen (rolls and pretzels) — on-site at every bakery using 100% Bioland-certified organic ingredients, long dough fermentation, and handcraft without chemical additives or artificial enzymes. A signature operating element is the glass-fronted open Backstube concept that turns production into a visible, sensory retail experience.

The business operates a dual-channel model. The primary channel is direct-to-consumer retail across the 21 owned locations, complemented by a B2B wholesale operation supplied from a dedicated production facility opened in Ahrensfelde near Berlin in Spring 2024, distributing through Alnatura, Denn's Biomarkt, Budni, BioLüske, LPG BioMarkt, and Biokiste Hamburg. Supporting digital revenue streams include electronic gift vouchers (Wertgutschein, valid for three years, sold via Apple Pay and Google Pay) and a pre-order service for bulk purchases. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; vouchers are sold at customer-selected denominations. Marketing is primarily organic, leveraging the brand's craft story across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the company's own website.

Ownership is concentrated among three Managing Directors — Dr. Christopher Heinemann, Stephan K. Heinrich, and Carsten Seiffert — with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or funding rounds; growth has been funded organically from operating revenues. The company holds EU organic certification (DE-ÖKO-006), Slow Food Deutschland membership, and compliance with BFSG/WCAG 2.1 AA, LkSG, DSGVO, and TDDDG. A second Munich bakery is planned for Autumn 2026, signaling continued measured network expansion rather than rapid scaling.

Name

Zeit für Brot

Legal name

AF ZFB GmbH

Website

https://zeitfuerbrot.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zeit für Brot is a Bioland-certified organic artisan bakery chain founded in 2009 in Berlin, operating 21 retail locations across Germany, London, and Tel Aviv, and supplying B2B wholesale to organic retailers from a dedicated production facility near Berlin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Bakery

NAICS

Commercial Bakeries (311812), Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing (31181), Retail Bakeries (311811)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Bread & Rolls Manufacturing (AFAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Bakery Manufacturing (Gluten-Free, Artisan, Health-Focused) (AFAKAAAG), Bread & Pastry Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Artisan bakery products
• Organic bread retail
• Bioland certified baking
• Handmade bread production
• Specialty baked goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail bakery sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of freshly baked organic breads, rolls, pastries, and specialty items through company-owned retail bakery locations.
2. B2B wholesale: Supply of baked products to organic retailers, natural food stores, and restaurants throughout Germany.
3. Gift vouchers: Electronic gift vouchers sold online with variable denominations, valid for three years, redeemable at all German bakery locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Zeit für Brot produces and sells handmade Bioland-certified organic artisan breads and rolls from 19 bakery locations in Germany plus locations in London and Tel Aviv, baking on-site daily using long dough fermentation and stone-oven methods. The product range covers wheat, rye, spelt, and whole-grain breads, a variety of artisan rolls, and specialty items, complemented by digital gift vouchers and a B2B wholesale supply to organic retailers such as Alnatura and Denn's.

Product overview

Zeit für Brot is a Bioland-certified artisan bakery chain founded in 2009, operating under the legal entity AF ZFB GmbH. The company offers a unified portfolio of freshly baked organic goods produced on-site at all bakery locations across Germany. The core product range consists of two main categories: Brot (artisan breads) and Brötchen (rolls), both produced daily using 100% Bioland-certified organic ingredients, long dough fermentation, and handcraft without chemical additives or artificial enzymes. Supporting offerings include gift vouchers (Wertgutschein) with digital delivery via QR code, pre-order services for bulk or guaranteed availability, and a proprietary employee app. The company also operates a B2B production facility in Ahrensfelde for supplying business customers including organic food retailers and delivery services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brot (Bread) Freshly baked artisan breads produced daily using Bioland-certified organic ingredients, long dough fermentation, and handcraft. Varieties include Hausbrot, Vollkorn-Saftkorn, Kartoffel-Dinkelkruste, Schwarzbrot, Bauernlaib, Dinkel-Toast, Walnuss-Dattelbrot, Baguette, Pures Hafer, Körnerkruste, Roggenbauer, Dinkelstück, and Pain Artisan, baked on stone or in stone ovens with open crumb and crunchy crust. Sold through Zeit für Brot bakeries in Germany, London, and Tel Aviv and to B2B wholesale partners.
• Brötchen (Rolls) Variety of freshly baked artisan rolls produced daily using Bioland-certified organic ingredients and handcraft, including Hausbrötchen, Körnerbrötchen, Sauerteigweck, Dinkel-Vollkornbrötchen, Schweizer Bürli, Walnussweck, Oliven-Dinkelstange, Schoko-Dinkelstange, Laugenbrezel, and Laugenzopf. Characterised by long proving times, crispy crusts, and open, aromatic crumbs. Sold through Zeit für Brot bakeries in Germany, London, and Tel Aviv and to B2B wholesale partners.
• Wertgutschein (Gift Voucher) Digital gift vouchers in customer-selected amounts, delivered electronically via email with a QR code and optionally added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. Redeemable at all Zeit für Brot bakeries in Germany and valid for three years from the end of the year of issue.
• Vorbestellungen (Pre-Orders) Pre-order service that lets customers reserve boxes or bags of selected breads, sandwiches, and rolls for collection, requiring a lead time of two days for larger quantities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% organic ingredients certified by Bioland

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BiolandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZeit für Brot has been a Bioland member since founding. All ingredients are sourced from Bioland-certified organic farming, which forms the foundation of their product quality and brand identity.
• Slow Food DeutschlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTime für Brot is part of Slow Food Germany, committed to good, clean and fair food for everyone. This membership reflects their values around sustainable food production and consumption.
• INTEGRITY GmbHminorOthersExternal ombudsman service handling whistleblower reports. Employees and third parties can report legal violations and human rights/environmental duty breaches anonymously through their system.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Paul: French family-owned bakery-restaurant chain with established presence in Germany and other European countries. Comparable on premium bakery-café format, multi-country European footprint, and traditional artisan baking heritage competing in the same urban food retail segment as Zeit für Brot.
• Le Pain Quotidien: Belgian-origin international bakery-café chain with locations across Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East, built on organic-leaning, communal-table artisan bread positioning. Comparable on bakery-café format, organic-leaning menu, and multi-country urban footprint — including presence in Tel Aviv, mirroring Zeit für Brot's Israeli location.
• Hofpfisterei: Munich-based organic artisan bakery chain founded in 1971, operating ~160 stores primarily across southern Germany with a long-fermentation, additive-free philosophy very similar to Zeit für Brot. Comparable on organic certification heritage, handcraft positioning, and multi-city retail footprint in the German market.
• Bread Ahead: London-based artisan bakery and baking school with multiple retail locations, known for handcrafted sourdough and traditional British baking craft. Comparable on artisan handcraft methodology, UK urban presence, and experiential brand-building in a similar premium segment.
• Maison Kayser: French artisan bakery chain with international locations known for long fermentation, hand-shaping, and traditional French bread craft. Comparable on slow-fermentation handcraft methodology, premium artisanal positioning, and cross-border retail expansion.
• Confiserie Sprüngli: Swiss premium confectionery and bakery brand founded in 1836, operating cafés and retail locations across Switzerland. Comparable on heritage, premium positioning, transparent in-store craft, and quality-led brand experience targeting affluent urban consumers.
• Brioche Dorée: French bakery-café chain with international locations, offering traditional French breads, viennoiserie, and pastries in a quick-service café format. Comparable on bakery-café format, multi-country European footprint, and traditional French/European bread craft positioning.
• Gail's Artisan Bakery: London-headquartered premium artisan bakery chain with ~100+ locations across the UK. Directly comparable on experiential retail, premium positioning, freshly-baked-on-site daily production, and urban-store density — making it the closest UK analogue to Zeit für Brot's London operation.

Broad incumbents

• Back-Factory: German self-service bakery chain with several hundred locations nationwide, focused on convenience and value rather than premium artisan positioning. Comparable as a multi-location German bakery footprint but competes on a different price-quality tier.
• Kamps: Largest German bakery chain with ~360+ locations nationwide, operating at industrial scale with broader product breadth. Comparable as a German multi-location bakery competitor but at a mass-market scale and without Zeit für Brot's organic/Bioland positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/zeitfuerbrot.de
• Instagraminstagram.com/zeitfuerbrot

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zeit für Brot