Lieken

Lieken is a German bread and bakery company based in Lutherstadt Wittenberg. The company makes packaged breads and other baked goods for grocery retailers, food service and European markets. Its best known consumer brands include Lieken Urkorn and Golden Toast, and it also produces bakery products for retailer private labels. Lieken's history reaches back to the early twentieth century. Its current German operating business is part of the Czech AGROFERT Group. AGROFERT's 2024 consolidated annual report lists a 94 percent interest in Lieken GmbH and identifies AGROFERT a.s. as its direct holder.

From Fritz Lieken's bakery to packaged bread

Fritz Lieken became a master baker in 1919. In 1922 he bought a closed Simonsbrot bakery in Achim and converted it into a wholegrain bakery. Lieken's company history records a further innovation in 1926, when he used pasteurisation to make packaged bread last longer. The longer shelf life allowed the bakery to deliver beyond its local area and helped establish the business in the German market. The Lieken group later brought together several established baking operations and brands. Its current name has been used for the corporate group since 2008, while Lieken Urkorn and Golden Toast each retain their own product identity.

Bread brands and everyday bakery products

The company's current range includes sliced bread, toast, wholegrain products, pre-sliced bread, sweet and savoury baked goods, and leavened bakery products. Lieken Urkorn is associated with wholegrain bread, while Golden Toast is a familiar toast brand in Germany. Lieken also makes goods sold under supermarket and retailer labels, so the company supplies both branded packages and products developed for retail partners. This category matches the everyday grocery role of the business: bread and bakery products designed for households, stores and food service rather than specialist equipment or a single niche product.

Large scale baking across Germany

In 2026, AGROFERT reported that Lieken operated at eight German locations, with seven production sites and more than 25 production lines. The company produced around 450,000 tonnes of bread each year. Its newest and most modern bakery is in Wittenberg, the same city listed as the address of Lieken GmbH by the company's official website. These facilities supply retailers in Germany and other European countries. One Lieken bakery has also supplied buns to German fast food businesses for decades. The combination of well known brands, high volume production and retail partnerships makes Lieken a significant participant in Germany's packaged bread and bakery sector.