Botany, Baking & Business

In May, six teams competed once again as part of the “Kaufleute meets Handwerk 2.0” project. The teams consisted of commercial trainees from the company Gedikom and master students from the bakers' and confectioners' programmes of the Chamber of Crafts for Upper Franconia. They made use of the ÖBG’s diverse herb collection to develop innovative products, which were then offered to visitors of the garden for tasting.

The project was launched in 2024 by Annegret Schnik, authorised signatory at Gedikom GmbH, and Ronny Vogel, Head of the Baking and Confectionery Department at the Chamber of Crafts for Upper Franconia. It provides participants with the opportunity to combine manual skills and business acumen with regional ingredients to create unique culinary products.

Based on herbs drawn at random – such as lemon tagetes, scented geranium or pipicha – the teams developed a product including a recipe for others to replicate, along with a well-thought-out marketing concept. The results were creative culinary delights that impressed not only the visitors but also a five-member expert jury.

The project began in mid-May with an intensive kick-off event at the Chamber of Crafts for Upper Franconia, during which Dr. Andreas Kokott and Markus König from the University of Bayreuth’s Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation provided input on customer communication and social media marketing. Just one week later, the production phase followed, during which products were developed, costed, and social media content was created. The festive presentation and sales event took place on 23 May in the ÖBG.

The team “geranissimo orange” convinced the five-member jury with their pitch and won the first prize of €500. The second prize of €200 went to the team “berrycha taco”.

A particular highlight was the emotional and sensory involvement of the audience: live cooking sessions, a prize draw, and small giveaways provided exciting insights into the creation process of the culinary products. A total of €1,200 in donations was raised, which will benefit the Circle of Friends of the Ecological-Botanical Garden Association and be used to purchase a new bench.

The jury – consisting of Julia Grommes (master confectioner & snack consultant), Norbert Heimbeck (Managing Director of Genussregion Oberfranken e.V.), Prof. Dr. Sebastian Ferfas (Head of Division A I at the Chamber of Crafts for Upper Franconia), Wolfram Brehm (Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Upper Franconia Bayreuth), and Dr. Robert Weigel (Director of the ÖBG) – was unanimous: this project is a prime example of successful collaboration between business and craft, with strong ties to the region and a focus on sustainability.