FRANSCHHOEK – A South African baker has made history by becoming the first person on the continent to earn the prestigious title of bread sommelier from Germany’s National Bakers Academy.
Ricardo Slawers, head baker at La Motte Bakery in Franschhoek, completed the demanding course in Weinheim, where he studied everything from the 22 000-year history of bread culture to advanced sensory skills and food pairing techniques.
The La Motte team member of 12 years, submitted a thesis on mosbolletjies, the traditional Cape bread that has deep roots in the winelands, bringing international recognition to this heritage recipe.
A journey of growth and self-belief
Slawers admits the experience pushed him far beyond his comfort zone. He travelled to Germany without knowing what to expect from the challenging programme, relying heavily on positive self-affirmation in the early stages.
“What a wonderful opportunity and challenge this was for me. More than the bread focus and baking, I had to travel, didn’t know what to expect from the challenging course and in the beginning, especially, positive self-affirmation was very important,” he says.
The doubts faded as he immersed himself in the course content. Now back home, he wants to share his knowledge with South Africans and help them understand bread as part of a wholesome diet and cultural heritage.
A title reserved for the best
The National Bakers Academy has presented the bread sommelier course since 2015. The internationally recognised programme accepts only bakery owners, head bakers, instructors and experienced professionals.
More than 300 people from 16 nations have graduated, making the title a symbol of excellence in the baking world. Students learn to refine their tasting skills, master global bread styles, understand ingredients at a molecular level, and develop storytelling abilities for the media.
From carpenter to master baker
Slawers grew up in Riversdal in the Southern Cape and matriculated in Wellington before moving to Franschhoek in 2005. He started his working life as a carpenter but changed direction in 2010 when he joined Val de Vie’s Sabrage restaurant.
His culinary journey took him through pizza making, pastry work at Le Chocolatier, and chocolate crafting before he discovered bread baking at ICA’s The Apprentice. He joined La Motte in 2014, working in the pastry kitchen and bakery before taking charge of baking for the farm shop and restaurant.
When La Motte Bakery opened in 2023, Slawers became head baker under the mentorship of Markus Färbinger, founder of Knysna’s île de pain café. Färbinger shaped his approach to bread, teaching him to understand and honour the craft in its original form.
Recognition for tradition and innovation
La Motte CEO Kobie Lochner says the estate takes immense pride in Slawers’ achievement, which reflects his dedication and the quality of products guests enjoy at the artisanal bakery.
“For Ricardo to have completed a bread sommelier course in Germany, with a thesis exploring mosbolletjies, is particularly meaningful. This much-loved heritage bread has deep roots in the Cape winelands, and its story is closely intertwined with our wine culture,” Lochner says.
Färbinger, who guided Slawers through his transformation as a baker, calls this a great moment for professional artisan baking in South Africa and across the continent. He notes that La Motte operates a unique operation where grain grows, gets harvested, milled and baked on one farm.
“I don’t know of a single bakery in the world that grows, harvest, mills and bakes on one farm. And at La Motte that all happens in a very stylish, historical relevant and almost poetic way,” Färbinger says.
Slawers now leads the La Motte Bakery team, producing a daily variety of fresh breads from the on-site wood-fired oven for an enthusiastic following of bread lovers.
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