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“Bread has become much more to me than a slice on a side plate.”

For La Motte Bakery’s Ricardo Slawers, the statement is something of an understatement. Slawers has just been awarded the title of Bread Sommelier by Germany’s National Bakers Academy in Weinheim — making him the first African to achieve the prestigious qualification.

A member of the La Motte baking team for 12 years, Ricardo has long been creating the estate’s breads and much-loved mosbolletjies. His journey into bread, however, reached a new level with the opening of the La Motte Bakery in 2023, where he worked under the guidance of master baker Markus Färbinger, founder of Knysna’s renowned île de pain.

Färbinger’s philosophy centres on understanding bread in its original wholesomeness and beauty, helping Ricardo develop a deeper appreciation of the craft and take his baking in a new direction.

A Global Bread Education

The Bread Sommelier programme has been presented by the German National Bakers Academy in Weinheim since 2015. The internationally recognised course explores 22,000 years of bread culture, while developing students’ sensory and tasting skills, knowledge of global bread styles and ingredients, and understanding of food pairing, storytelling and communication.

The programme is aimed at experienced professionals including bakery owners, head bakers and instructors. More than 300 people from 16 countries have completed the course.
For Ricardo, the experience was both challenging and transformative.

“At times it was overwhelming, but it was the most incredible experience and I can’t wait to find ways in which we can teach South Africans about the wonder of bread – as part of a wholesome diet and as part of our culture.”

Celebrating Mosbolletjies

Particularly significant was Ricardo’s thesis on mosbolletjies, the traditional Cape bread closely associated with the winelands.

La Motte CEO Kobie Lochner says Ricardo’s achievement is a source of immense pride, particularly because his work has helped place this South African heritage bread in an international context.
“This much-loved heritage bread has deep roots in the Cape winelands, and its story is closely intertwined with our wine culture. It is wonderful to see this tradition receiving recognition on an international stage, while being kept alive for future generations.”

Färbinger also describes the achievement as an important moment for professional artisan baking in South Africa and Africa, highlighting La Motte’s unusual farm-to-bakery approach, where grain can be grown, harvested, milled and baked on the same estate.

A New Chapter for Bread at La Motte

Back home from Germany, Ricardo is once again leading the La Motte Bakery with enthusiasm, passion and meticulous attention to detail — bringing his newly acquired knowledge to a growing community of bread lovers.

For Ricardo, the qualification is not simply a personal achievement, but an opportunity to deepen South Africa’s appreciation of bread as craft, culture and food.