“Will the oven go out tomorrow?” Baker under cost shock

Dusseldorf Most bakeries in northern Germany remain unlit on Thursday. The campaign “We’re going out of light – today the light and tomorrow the oven?” wants to draw attention to the situation of artisan bakers. The sharp rise in energy prices is threatening the existence of many companies in an industry that is already plagued by crises.

It also stays dark in the 23 branches of the Calenberger Backstube in the Hanover region. So far, master baker Kai Oppenborn has paid around 360,000 euros a year for energy. Because his contract with the supplier expires at the end of the year, he would have to pay 1.4 million euros a year at the current daily price. “Regardless of how healthy a bakery is, nobody can cope with such additional costs in the long run,” says the entrepreneur in the ninth generation.