Bäckerei Horsthemke

What Bäckerei Horsthemke does

Bäckerei M. u. K. Horsthemke GmbH is a family-owned German bakery founded in 1895 and headquartered in Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The company operates over 100 bakery retail Fachgeschäfte across major NRW cities including Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg, Wuppertal, and Bochum, and runs multiple production facilities employing over 1,000 people. Its core business is the daily production and direct retail sale of fresh breads (Brote), bread rolls (Brötchen), pastries (Gebäck), cakes (Kuchen), and snack items (Sandwiches, Krusti, Currytasche), supported by in-store baking at locations and Germany's first bakery Drive-In service. Distribution channels include physical retail stores, 24/7 vending machines, a Drive-In counter, and online gift card sales through the Bon Bon partner platform.

The company combines traditional Handwerkskunst (craftsmanship) with scaled, modern production, offering a broad SKU range priced from €0.47 for basic rolls up to €5.45 for premium snacks. Customer engagement is driven by the Horsthemke Kundenkarte loyalty program (cashless payment, discounts, free beverages), gift cards, in-store café and breakfast service, and a monthly rotating Snack des Monats. The workforce is developed internally via the Horsthemke Akademie and shows an average tenure exceeding 7 years; the company was recognized as a Top Arbeitgeber Mittelstand in 2025 and received a "Sehr gut" bread-quality rating from the Deutsches Brotinstitut.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer physical retail with supplementary loyalty/gift-card channels; all revenue is generated within Germany with no disclosed public reporting, institutional investors, or external funding rounds. Management is led by Managing Directors André Horsthemke and Sandra Heldt, with no disclosed parent company or holding structure beyond the Horsthemke family ownership.

Name

Bäckerei Horsthemke

Legal name

Bäckerei M. u. K. Horsthemke GmbH

Website

https://baeckerei-horsthemke.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Bäckerei Horsthemke is a family-owned German bakery founded in 1895, operating over 100 retail stores across North Rhine-Westphalia selling fresh breads, rolls, pastries, cakes, snacks, and coffee to individual consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Bakery Products

NAICS

Retail Bakeries (311811), Baked Goods Retailers (445291)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery) (THAFAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG), In-Store / Supermarket Bakeries (THAFAFAE), Bread & Pastry Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Artisanal bakery products
• Fresh baked goods
• Bread and pastries
• Retail bakery chain
• Family bakery

Headquarters

HQ city

Oberhausen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bakery Retail Sales: Direct sales of freshly baked goods including breads, rolls, pastries, cakes, snacks, and coffee to consumers at physical retail locations
2. Gift Cards and Customer Cards: Sale of gift vouchers and customer loyalty cards with benefits such as cashless payment, discounts, and free beverages

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bäckerei Horsthemke operates a traditional German bakery chain that produces and sells freshly baked breads (Brote), bread rolls (Brötchen), cakes (Kuchen), pastries (Gebäck), savory snacks, and coffee through over 100 retail bakery stores across North Rhine-Westphalia. The company complements its walk-in retail stores with Germany's first bakery Drive-In counter, 24/7 vending machines, in-store breakfast/café/lunch service, customer loyalty cards, and gift cards sold online via partner Bon Bon.

Product overview

Bäckerei Horsthemke & Dahlmann is a traditional German bakery company founded in 1895, operating as one of the leading family-owned large bakeries in North Rhine-Westphalia with over 100 store locations. The product portfolio is organized into six main categories: (1) Brötchen (bread rolls) including classics like Brötchen, Krusti, Käsekrusti, Chia-Dinkel-Brötchen, Laugenspitz, and specialty rolls; (2) Brote (breads) featuring traditional loaves like Bernd das Brot, Dinkelkruste 48, Baguettestange, regional specialty breads (Schwarzwälder, Elsässer Brot, Rheinisches Roggenbrot), and artisan breads (Franz. Landbrot, Ännes Brot, Opa Hermann Brot); (3) Kuchen (cakes) including Bienenstich, Apfelkuchen gedeckt, Donauwelle, Windbeutel, Käsetorte gebacken, Zitronenrolle, Erdbeerschnitte, and Himbeerschnitte; (4) Gebäck (pastries) such as Berliner Ballen, Rosinenschnecke, Puddingbrezel, Liebesknochen, Donuts, Schokocroissant, Amerikaner, Mürbchen, and Creme-Schokokamm; (5) Snacks including the monthly rotating Snack des Monats, sandwiches like Krusti mit Chickenschnitzel, Brötchen mit Schinken und Spiegelei, Currytasche, Käsekrusti mit Käse-Schinken, Brauhausstange mit Mett und Zwiebel, Rusti mit Mett/Käse, and Laugenspitz mit Weichkäse; (6) Gift cards and customer loyalty cards available in stores and online via Bon Bon partner platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Horsthemke Akademie: Internal training and professional development academy offering e-learning and youth development programs for employees
• Horsthemke Kundenkarte

Products and services

• Brötchen (Bread Rolls) Range of fresh bread rolls baked daily, including classic wheat/rye rolls (€0.47), rustic wheat rolls (Krusti, €0.95), cheese rolls (Käsekrusti, €1.60), spelt and chia rolls (€1.55), lye pastries (Laugenspitz, €1.80), and walnut rolls. Targeted at individual consumers for daily breakfast and household consumption across the NRW retail network.
• Brote (Breads) Full loaves of traditional and specialty breads, including Dinkelkruste 48 (48-hour fermented spelt bread, 750g, €4.90), Bernd das Brot multi-grain loaf, traditional baguette (€2.40, 250g), Chia-Dinkelbrot (€4.80, 600g), Elsässer Brot (€3.95, 500g), Gutsherrenbrot (€4.50, 1000g), Opa Hermann Brot (€4.50), Ännes Brot (€4.20), Franz. Landbrot (€3.60), Rheinisches Roggenbrot (€4.30), Hamburger Schwarzbrot (€4.85), Rosinenkastenstuten (€4.50), and Mürbekastenstuten (€4.25). Targeted at household consumers seeking daily bread and specialty loaves.
• Kuchen (Cakes) Range of traditional German cakes and slices, including Bienenstich with pudding cream and almond topping (€2.95), covered apple cake Apfelkuchen gedeckt (€2.85), Donauwelle marble cake (€3.00), Windbeutel cream puffs (€3.45), baked Käsetorte cheesecake (€3.50), Zitronenrolle lemon roll (€3.50), Erdbeerschnitte strawberry slice (€3.10), and Himbeerschnitte raspberry slice (€3.10). Targeted at individual consumers for dessert and coffee occasions.
• Gebäck (Pastries and Sweet Baked Goods) Range of sweet pastries and small baked goods, including Berliner Ballen (€1.65), Rosinenschnecke (€2.40), Puddingbrezel (€2.50), Liebesknochen (€2.90), chocolate-glazed donuts (€1.90), Schokocroissant (€1.75), Amerikaner (€2.25), Mürbchen (€1.40), Mürbchen mit Rosinen (€1.55), and Creme-Schokokamm (€2.99). Targeted at individual consumers for snacks and coffee accompaniments.
• Snacks (Savory Sandwiches and Snack of the Month) Savory filled rolls and sandwiches, including Krusti mit Chickenschnitzel (€4.90), Brötchen mit Schinken und Spiegelei (€3.50), Currytasche (€5.25), Käsekrusti mit Käse-Schinken (€4.50), Brauhausstange mit Mett und Zwiebel (€4.80), Rusti mit Mett (€3.70), Rusti mit Käse (€3.40), Laugenspitz mit Weichkäse (€4.40), Chia-Dinkelbrötchen mit Tomate/Mozzarella (€4.70), and the rotating monthly Snack des Monats (€5.45). Targeted at individual consumers seeking lunch, takeaway, or quick savory options.
• Coffee and In-Store Café Service Coffee beverages paired with the in-store Frühstück (breakfast), Café, and Mittagstisch (lunch) service offered at Fachgeschäft locations. Targeted at consumers visiting stores for sit-down consumption.
• Drive-In Bakery Service Quick-purchase Drive-In counter service offered at select Horsthemke locations, allowing customers to buy bakery products without leaving their vehicle. Targeted at time-pressed consumers seeking fast, convenient purchases.
• 24/7 Vending Machine Bakery Sales Automated vending machines selling bakery products for 24/7 accessibility, complementing in-store hours. Targeted at consumers needing bakery products outside regular store opening times.
• Horsthemke Kundenkarte (Customer Loyalty Card) Loyalty card issued by Bäckerei Horsthemke that enables cashless in-store payment, member discounts, and free beverages. Targeted at repeat retail consumers.
• Gift Vouchers / Gift Cards Gift cards / vouchers redeemable across all Horsthemke and Dahlmann store locations, available in custom amounts both in-store and online through the Bon Bon partner platform. Targeted at individual gift purchasers and small-business buyers.
• In-Store Baking (Vor Ort gebacken) On-site baking performed at each retail store location so products are freshly prepared for customers. Targeted at consumers who value visible freshness and traditional bakery craftsmanship.
• Breakfast, Café and Lunch Service (Frühstück, Café, Mittagstisch) In-store sit-down breakfast, café and lunch service offered at Fachgeschäft locations alongside retail purchases. Targeted at consumers seeking a bakery-café dining experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average employee tenure over 7 years indicating workforce stability

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bon BonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner platform for online gift card sales. Gift cards available for purchase online through Bon Bon with custom amounts, redeemable at all Horsthemke and Dahlmann stores.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Müller Brot: Bavaria-based family-run bakery chain with comparable traditional craft positioning, in-store baking, and product breadth — regionally focused like Horsthemke but serving southern Germany.
• Bäckerei Brinker: Family-owned German bakery chain in NRW with comparable traditional craft positioning, multiple retail locations, and similar bread/rolls/snacks assortment — a direct regional competitor in Horsthemke's home geography.

Direct peers

• Kamps: One of Germany's largest bakery chains with hundreds of retail stores nationwide, similar Fachgeschäft retail model, in-store baking, and broad bread/rolls/snack assortment — directly comparable to Horsthemke in format and customer base.
• Dat Backhus: German bakery retail chain operating stores within and alongside grocery locations — comparable in-store baking model, broad assortment of bread and snacks, and similar Mittelstand scale.
• Harry-Brot: Large German bakery manufacturer and retail operator with own stores and wholesale supply, comparable product portfolio across bread, rolls, and snacks, and similar DACH regional footprint.
• Lieken (Lieken Brot- und Backwaren): Major German industrial bakery producing branded bread and rolls for retail and own store networks — directly comparable in scale, product mix, and family-/corporate-owned Mittelstand character.
• Schäfer's Brot- und Kuchenspezialitäten: German bakery chain offering breads, rolls, pastries, and snacks through retail stores with similar in-store baking tradition; comparable pricing architecture and product breadth to Horsthemke.
• BackWerk: German self-service bakery chain with franchised stores selling bread, rolls, and snacks at value price points — comparable retail format and customer value proposition, with a more national footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Aryzta (Germany operations): Large international bakery group with significant German operations producing and supplying bread, rolls, and baked goods to retail and foodservice — relevant comparable for scale and product range, though B2B-leaning.
• EDEKA / REWE in-store bakeries: Major German grocery retailers operating large in-store bakery departments offering bread, rolls, and pastries at competitive prices — the dominant competitive alternative to traditional Fachgeschäfte like Horsthemke.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/baeckereihorsthemke
• Instagraminstagram.com/baeckerei_horsthemke
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/baeckerei-horsthemke

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Bäckerei Horsthemke