In 1905 a confectionery and gingerbread bakery was established in the tranquil Fichtelgebirge, producing sauce-gingerbread and other fine confectionery. From this bakery, a traditional company developed, which has been family-owned for over 100 years and which to this day not only produces excellent gingerbread made from the best ingredients and the popular gingerbread sauce, but also delicious wholemeal breads.
After the Leupoldt family's gingerbread manufacture became more and more successful, their son Heinrich also joined the family business in 1934 and, in 1950, began baking wholemeal bread and pumpernickel in addition to traditional gingerbread production. Has this second product line been created, which is so successful to this day? as with many company stories? by accident. In the Sudetenland there was a gingerbread called? Pumpernickel? called. One day, an acquaintance of the company's founder, who came from the Sudetenland, pointed out to his friend that he was selling a facility for a "gingerbread factory" in Münchberg, not far from Weißenstadt. Heinrich Leupold was initially surprised that he had never heard of a gingerbread factory in Münchberg and when he got there, there was no gingerbread far and wide, but deep black bread, pumpernickel. Heinrich Leupoldt, inventor and pioneer, bought the factory equipment and began 1950? next to his classic gingerbread range? now also bake pumpernickel and wholemeal bread and chooses the name PEMA for its innovative bread. In Tibetan, the word lotus flower means a symbol of purity and thus the perfect name for a bread that does not contain any foreign additives. The beginning of another success story, because the delicious wholemeal breads that not only taste good due to their special manufacturing process but also have a particularly long shelf life, they are so popular today that they are now available in a large number of different varieties. Whether as a classic dark rye bread, as oat or muesli or in the gluten-free variant as mild rice bread, PEMA breads already have a growing worldwide fan base that is enthusiastic about every new variety.
No wonder, because PEMA breads have a clear message:
The goal is simplicity.
Reaching them is anything but easy. The basic list of ingredients for PEMA bread is short - rye, water, salt, nothing else. The use of raw materials is careful.
PEMA knows the farmers from whom the grain comes. Genetically modified seeds are consciously avoided and the grain is handled responsibly, which is regularly and independently controlled from the seed to the harvest. Wherever PEMA bread is on the table, it contains healthy rye and the pure, soft spring water of the Fichtelgebirge.
Processing is slow.
Each step takes its time, which is carefully observed. This is the only way to preserve the healthy components of rye and its unmistakable taste. Baking healthy wholemeal bread means responsibility, also towards our environment. PEMA bread is allowed to mature for 48 hours before it is cut and packaged
PEMA lives tradition and loves innovation.
State-of-the-art technologies, from grinding the grain to pasteurization and packaging, ensure the highest quality and safety. In the meantime, Franz Leupoldt, who has had a soft spot for gingerbread since childhood, is the third generation to run the company. Together with his wife Dr. Laura Krainz-Leupoldt, who successfully established PEMA in the international market, he still lives his passion for the finest baked goods and, with his highly trained team, is constantly developing new, innovative flavors and products. The small craft business founded in 1905 has become an internationally successful company. Much has changed, but two things have not: The company has been family-owned for over 100 years and bakes pure and original products according to traditional recipes.