Meet Franziska from Bumblebee Bakery; an infectiously kind and beautiful artisan baker whose love language is bread. Tuesdays, Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays are special days in-store for us, not only do we get a delivery of the freshest sourdough, but we get a happy hello and smile from the humble bread-maker herself.
We recently noted down a few questions and sent them her way so that you too could get to know one of Down to Earth Organics favourite local suppliers.
What's the story behind the creation of Bumblebee Bakery?
Water, flour, salt! How can these incredibly basic ingredients possibly turn into one of the most delicious foods on this plant, a crispy and fragrant loaf of bread?
This question has been driving me for the last thirty years and never gets boring. So... I baked (and failed) and baked (and failed more) and baked (and occasionally succeeded) and slowly, slowly got the hang of it. My poor children had to put up with years of mediocre loaves, but they were the reason why I kept going. There was no way for me to raise them on cheap supermarket bread in plastic bags. This German Mama was determined to provide real bread, even if she had to turn into a full time sourdough baker.
This miraculously happened about eight years ago, when I coincidentally also needed to find a way to become the bread winner of the family. Bumblebee Bakery was born!
Since then I have been baking thousands of bread loaves, taught countless classes, shared hundreds of sourdough cultures, fully dedicated to the traditional way of sourdough baking.
During that time, this rather shy human being turned into a confident wahine with a mission: Making real sourdough bread available to all New Zealanders. The size of this task doesn't scare me in the slightest. We will get there, one fragrant sourdough loaf at a time!
What inspired the name?
When we came to New Zealand about 17 years ago, my green thumbs were pretty non existent. But when I saw that, here, rhubarb is even growing in winter, I gathered my courage and drove straight into organic gardening. While, again, the learning curve was steep and included many failures, my borage always flourished and attracted hundreds of big furry bumblebees into our garden and made it feel natural, vibrant and alive. In the end, it was my sweet bright eyed daughter Johanna who suggested the one and only possible name for our budding organic sourdough bakery: Bumblebee Bakery.
Where did the slogan ‘bread with heart’ come from?
At Bumblebee Bakery I bake bread that nourishes body and soul. It is my contribution to humanity, which is why it is made with heart, inside and out.
Why are organics important to you?
Humans are part of nature and can only truly be well in a healthy environment. When we understand ourselves as guardians and co- creators on this planet and care for the land and its inhabitants, we all thrive.
We hear you also brew kombucha? Could you describe to us what makes your kombucha extra special?
Similarly to bread, kombucha is made from very simple ingredients, in this case tea, water and sugar. Through the process of fermentation these are turned into an incredibly delicious and healthy drink. After the first fermentation phase I bottle my kombucha with a piece of fruit or homemade cordial, which gives it its natural fruity flavour and a whole lot of natural fizz.
Bumblebee Kombucha is unpasteurised and therefore fully alive and beneficial for our bodies. It’s also kind to our planet, as I have a well working bottle return system, that allows us to enjoy this drink in a waste free way.
I not only love making Bumblebee Kombucha, it’s my favourite beverage in the world and I drink at least a bottle a day.
How do you live and work sustainably and minimise environmental impact?
I consider the environmental impact in every decision I make. My choices around water use, sourcing of ingredients, packaging, transport, energy use and cleaning products all reflect my love and gratitude towards Mother Earth. I am far from being perfect, but I can honestly say that I am doing my best.
What is your current favourite product and why?
Choosing my favourite bumblebee product is a tricky one because I only make things I adore myself. Always having fresh bread and sparkling kombucha makes me feel incredibly rich and fills mw with immense gratitude.
Never having been particularly interested in alcoholic drinks, discovering kombucha was my biggest revelation in the past three years. How can black tea and sugar become this incredibly fizzy, mindblowingly delicious probiotic drink? It's all in the power of the kombucha mother, the so called SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) that ferments the ingredients and turns them into pure magic that I drink daily by the litre.
When is comes to bread, I love them all. If I got stranded on a deserted island and could only choose two things to eat and drink for the rest of my life it would be Bumblebee Kombucha and my Seedy Rye Sourdough. Being full of juicy seeds and wholemeal flour, I am sure this bread would nourish me so well, that I could easily get to 117 years old. I would flush it down with big amounts of kombucha and live happily ever after. And if you came for a visit, all hot and bothered, I would start Bumblebee Island Bakery in the blink of an eye, because feeding beloved humans with fermented goodness in my life's mission and brings me infinite joy.
Do you ever dream up new bread or kombucha flavours or recipes? Care to share any with us?
Bumblebee Bakery is surrounded by my lush productive garden and the change of seasons is a big inspiration for new creations. Currently I love using my very abundant rhubarb and locally grown strawberries to create my summer kombucha. Homegrown herbs like thyme and rosemary flavour my Focaccia and soon the cherry tomatoes will create the ultimate summer taste.
What is your favourite summer recipe to pair with your beautiful bread?
In my kitchen, I love to keep things simple. Give me some fresh bread with butter and cheese, topped up with a thick slice of home grown tomato, basil leaves and a good sprinkle of black pepper, and my taste buds are happy!
What does wellness mean to you, how do you practice this, especially outside of work?
As Bumblebee Bakery is a One Woman Show and I do every single bit in it, it is VERY important that I care well for myself. When making business decisions I always consider their impact on my health, and make my wellbeing a priority as much as I can.
Over the years I have created a few routines that are good for me and keep me happy. Morning sea dips with The Dippers at East End Beach are currently my favourite, as they boost my endorphins and set me up for the day.
What are you most looking forward to this summer?
I love going boogie boarding with my kids. It brings out my silliness and playfulness, which are healthy ingredients for this sometimes a bit too serious German baker’s life.
