Ricardo Slawers has turned a love of bread into a history-making career… becoming the very first African to earn the internationally recognised title of Bread Sommelier.
Western Cape, South Africa (05 October 2026) – Ricardo Slawers knows bread. Really knows bread. In fact, the South African baker has just returned from Germany with an incredible title… he’s just been crowned as Africa’s first Bread Sommelier!
Yes, a Bread Sommelier is a real thing. And yes, it is every bit as specialised and impressive as it sounds.
“Bread has become much more to me than a slice on a side plate,” Ricardo says.
Originally from Riversdal in the Southern Cape, Ricardo matriculated in Wellington before moving to Franschhoek in 2005. He started his working life as a carpenter, before a job at Val de Vie’s then-Sabrage restaurant in 2010 changed his career direction completely. Pizza led to pastry, chocolate and cakes, before a stint at the ICA’s The Apprentice introduced him properly to bread. In 2014, Ricardo joined the pastry kitchen and bakery at La Motte, where he steadily worked his way up. When the La Motte Bakery opened in 2023, he became head baker under the guidance of acclaimed master baker Markus Färbinger, founder of Knysna’s île de pain café.
But bread had become far more than something Ricardo baked for a living. It was a craft he wanted to understand completely. And that curiosity eventually took him to Germany.
The Bread Sommelier course has been presented by the German National Bakers Academy in Weinheim since 2015, taking experienced baking professionals deep into the culture, science and sensory experience of bread. Students explore 22,000 years of bread culture, refine their tasting skills, study global bread styles, ingredients and food pairing, and learn how bread connects with culture and storytelling. More than 300 people from 16 countries have graduated from the programme. Now, for the first time, Africa has a Bread Sommelier too.
Ricardo admits the journey challenged him in ways he hadn’t expected.
“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. As I got into the content of the course, however, all those doubts disappeared. 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. It is truly a life-changing journey and I am so grateful for La Motte’s confidence in me.”
And Ricardo took a little piece of South Africa along for the journey. His thesis explored mosbolletjies, the much-loved heritage bread with deep roots in the Cape Winelands.
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“We are immensely proud of Ricardo’s achievement, which speaks to his dedication and hard work – qualities that are reflected in the exceptional products he creates and that our guests enjoy at the La Motte 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. It is wonderful to see this tradition receiving recognition on an international stage, while being kept alive for future generations.”
His mentor, Markus Färbinger, believes Ricardo’s achievement is an important moment for artisan baking across the continent.
“This is a great and important moment for professional artisan baking in South Africa and Africa. I believe this achievement creates a wonderful platform to raise awareness for wholesome bread.”
Ricardo is now back home and back at the ovens but he has returned with more than an impressive new title. He wants to share what he has learnt and help South Africans appreciate bread differently… its ingredients, history, culture and the extraordinary craft behind something many of us eat every day.
There are more than 300 Bread Sommeliers from 16 countries around the globe and now Africa is represented among them for the very first time.
A South African named Ricardo Slawers.
We’ll raise a mosbolletjie to that.
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