Lieken Brot- und Backwaren

What Lieken Brot- und Backwaren does

Lieken Brot- und Backwaren GmbH is a German industrial bakery headquartered in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany, and operating as a subsidiary of the Agrofert Group. Founded in 1922 by master baker Fritz Lieken, the company pioneered packaged sliced bread in Germany (1922-1926) and built the country's first modern whole grain production line in 1950; the Lieken Urkorn brand was registered in 1975 as Germany's first nationally registered bread brand. The company produces and distributes a portfolio of roughly twenty whole grain and specialty breads (rye, spelt, multi-grain, high-protein, oat-based) under the Lieken Urkorn label, and in 2025 committed the entire portfolio to a 100% Vollkorn (whole grain) platform with no added sugar, no artificial additives, and natural sourdough fermentation.

The core technology combines traditional German baking craft (Natursauer-Teig natural sourdough fermentation, finely milled whole grain flours) with industrial continuous-oven production inherited from the 1950s modernization and expanded through acquisitions of regional bakeries between 1976 and 1997. Products reach consumers exclusively through German retail grocery chains and independent grocers; there is no disclosed direct-to-consumer or e-commerce channel. Marketing is executed through owned social channels (Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook) and an on-site recipe and 'Vollkorn Facts' content library.

The business model is a B2B-to-B2C wholesale packaged-goods model: Lieken manufactures branded sliced and specialty breads, sells them into German retail at undisclosed wholesale prices, and earns revenue on retail sell-through. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the consumer base is health-conscious German families seeking fiber-rich, additive-free bread. Revenue, headcount (the public 1-10 figure appears to reflect the legal entity rather than the consolidated operation), and detailed financials are not disclosed.

Name

Lieken Brot- und Backwaren

Legal name

Lieken Brot- und Backwaren GmbH

Website

https://lieken-urkorn.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lieken Brot- und Backwaren GmbH is a German industrial bakery that produces and distributes whole grain and specialty breads under the Lieken Urkorn brand, selling exclusively through German retail grocery chains to health-conscious consumers. The company is a subsidiary of the Agrofert Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaged Bakery Products

NAICS

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

SIC

Bakery Products (2050), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Bread & Rolls Manufacturing (AFAKAAAA)

Keywords

• Packaged sliced bread
• Whole grain bakery
• Bread manufacturing
• Rye mixed bread
• Spelt bread products

Headquarters

HQ city

Wittenberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lieken Brot- und Backwaren GmbH produces and distributes packaged whole grain bread and bakery products under the Lieken Urkorn brand. The portfolio centers on a 100% Vollkorn Versprechen (Whole Grain Promise) covering 19+ bread SKUs including rye whole grain, multi-grain, spelt, and specialty breads. The company operates from its headquarters in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany, and is part of the Agrofert Group.

Product overview

Lieken Brot- und Backwaren GmbH is a German bakery company producing bread and baked goods under the Lieken Urkorn brand. The company offers a diverse portfolio of whole grain breads (Vollkornbrote) as part of their 100% Vollkorn Versprechen (Whole Grain Promise). The product lineup includes: Whole grain mixed breads (Bauernmild, Roggenbäcker), rye whole grain breads (Vollkornsaftiges, Kleines Kerni), multi-grain breads (Mehrkorn, Vollkorn Kerni, Fitnessbrot, High Protein), spelt breads (Lieblingsbrot 100% Dinkel, Lieblingsbrot Dinkel-Roggen, Dinkel Aktiv), specialty breads (Paderborner, Anno Dazumal, Kraftkerni, Kraftklotz, Bäuerliches, Grahambrot, Vitaminbrot, Purkorn), and baked goods (biscuit bases, cake bases). All products emphasize natural ingredients, whole grain flour, and avoidance of added sugars and unnecessary additives. The company has operated for nearly 100 years and is part of the Agrofert Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bauernmild
• Roggenbäcker
• Kraftkerni
• Kraftklotz Roggenvollkornmischbrot with 50% rye whole grain content. A fiber-rich, juicy whole grain bread distinguished by its particularly grainy structure and fine-sour note, prepared with traditional natural sourdough.
• Vollkornsaftiges
• Kleines Kerni
• Bäuerliches
• Grahambrot
• Paderborner
• Vollkorn Kerni
• Fitnessbrot
• High Protein
• Anno Dazumal
• Lieblingsbrot 100% Dinkel Dinkelbrot (spelt bread) with 64% spelt content made from 100% spelt. An aromatic-nutty tasting spelt bread with a pleasantly soft crust, suitable for vegetarians and made with German milled spelt.
• Lieblingsbrot Dinkel-Roggen Dinkelmischbrot with 36% spelt and 24% rye content. A juicy, hearty and nutty tasting bread that is the new favorite for bread meals. Awarded Product of the Year 2024.
• Dinkel Aktiv
• Vitaminbrot Weizenvollkornmischbrot with 24% carrots and 7% sunflower kernels. A juicy whole grain bread with carrot pieces and sunflower seeds, rich in vitamin E and vitamin A supporting normal immune system function.
• Purkorn
• Mehrkorn

Quantifiable outcome

• Products contain no added sugar, no artificial colorants/syrups, and no preservatives
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Vandemoortele: Belgian-headquartered European bakery and frozen-food group producing bread, viennoiserie, and pastry products for retail and foodservice. Comparable in industrial-scale European bakery manufacturing and in the mix of branded packaged and private-label bread offerings.
• Grupo Bimbo: World's largest bakery company operating across multiple geographies with brands like Bimbo, Thomas', and Oroweat. Comparable as a broad incumbent in packaged bread with a focus on branded, scaled distribution that mirrors Lieken's industrial bakery model, though at far greater geographic scale.
• Dr. August Oetker KG: German family-owned food conglomerate active in baking ingredients, frozen pizza, and branded bakery products. Comparable as a broad German food incumbent with overlapping retail channels and brand-building expertise in the German consumer-food market.
• Aryzta AG: Swiss-listed global bakery business focused on frozen and ambient baked goods for retail and foodservice. Comparable as a broad European incumbent supplying bakery products through major grocery channels, with overlapping category scope in sliced and specialty breads.

Direct peers

• Mestemacher GmbH: German family-owned manufacturer specialising in whole grain breads and Westphalian Pumpernickel. Directly comparable to Lieken Urkorn as both compete head-to-head in German retail whole grain bread, with overlapping SKU formats and similar health-conscious positioning.
• Harry-Brot GmbH: One of Germany's largest industrial sliced-bread producers, headquartered in Schenefeld. Directly comparable to Lieken Urkorn on product (sliced bread), channel (German supermarket retail), and scale, making it the closest head-to-head competitor in conventional sliced bread.

Regional players

• Kamps GmbH: Germany's largest retail bakery chain with nationwide storefronts. Comparable as a German regional bread operator focused on daily fresh bread consumption, though operating a retail/service model versus Lieken's industrial packaged-bread model.

Others

• Bahlsen GmbH & Co. KG: German biscuit and sweet-baked-goods manufacturer with iconic brands (Bahlsen, Leibniz). Adjacent peer in branded German packaged baked goods distributed through supermarket channels; comparable on retail relationships and consumer-brand heritage, though in sweet rather than bread category.

Emerging players

• Wasa (Barilla Group): Swedish crispbread and whole grain bakery brand owned by Barilla. Comparable in the whole grain health-bread positioning targeting German and wider European consumers, though in the adjacent crispbread/rusk sub-category rather than fresh sliced bread.
• Bridor: French premium bakery manufacturer (part of Le Duff Group) specialising in viennoiserie, sourdough, and frozen par-baked breads. Comparable on the premium/artisanal bakery positioning targeting health- and quality-conscious consumers through European retail and foodservice.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LiekenUrkorn
• Instagraminstagram.com/lieken_urkorn
• TikToktiktok.com/@liekenurkorn.de
• Pinterestde.pinterest.com/liekenurkorn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lieken-urkorn

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 Lieken Brot- und Backwaren