Bakeries close up shop
Cinnamon buns and famous Danish pastries are on the endangered list as bakeries turn off the ovens and empty the shelves
Neighbourhood bakeries are disappearing across the country. In just five years, since 2001, 200 bakeries have pulled down the curtains on their sweet operations, and the future looks grim for many others.
'There are currently 950 bakeries in the country, but we are expecting 35 to 50 more bakeries to close this year,' said Cartsen Wickmann, head of the national association of bakers and confectioners. 'We will continue to see a reduction until there are some 600 bakeries left. That is just enough to sustain the demand.'
The decline in the number of young people choosing to become bakers is partially to blame, reported public service broadcaster DR. Also, those who do become bakers are often reluctant to take over bakeries from retirees.
'Many bakeries have been run as a sort of mom-and-pop operation, without many employees, and the younger generation doesn't want to work like that,' said Dan Christensen, a baker in the western Jutland town of Sdr. Nissum. 'They want far more freedom and don't want to takeover if they don't have the chance to take vacation. At the same time, banks are also hesitant to lend money to young people.'
In-store supermarket bakeries have also had an impact on the independent bakery branch, pushing bakeries out of the market in small towns.