Themed DossierTaste of Zurich
Sweet Tradition I Claudio & Silvan Leibacher
In the basement of the house where they grew up, the Leibacher brothers are reviving two age-old, almost forgotten traditional handicrafts: baking gingerbread and carving models – wooden boards with indented traditional motifs, into which the dough is pressed. And what they produce is hugely successful: Leibacher Biber.
To get things straight from the start: in Switzerland, the word “Biberli” (lit. little beaver) does not just refer to the cute creatures that live near rivers, but also to sweet-tasting gingerbread specialties. Unlike the traditional gingerbread that is known throughout Europe, the “Appenzeller Biber” – named after the canton where they originate – are often filled with honey and an almond paste.
But what does all this have to do with the brothers, Claudio and Silvan? Claudio explains:” I’m an avid collector – which is probably something to do with the fact that I studied History at university. So when I had the opportunity to buy some old, hand-carved Biber models from an Appenzell bakery, I jumped at the chance.” But it didn’t stop there: “I’d loved baking since I was a child and I wondered if I would be able to make a Biber myself.”
As it transpired, he was. But before he was able to set up his own business and achieve his current success, Claudio sold his first gingerbread specialties in the village store next door. By this time, he had learned to carve his own wooden molds to make a variety of designs, and he delivered his home-made bakery products in rustic grey cardboard boxes.
That gave his younger brother Silvan an idea. The Economics student thought that the boxes looked like shoeboxes – and so he spent a long time looking at suitable shapes, sizes and designs until finally the present-day typical Leibacher box was born. At this point it was clear: while they were very different in character, the two brothers complemented each other perfectly. For where the expertise of the baker ended, the knowledge of the salesman began. There soon followed a logo, a website and an online shop; the basement was gradually converted into a bakery and the first employee – the family’s former domestic help – was hired.
The decision to work together on Project Biber has paid off, as is now clear to see: particularly at Christmas time, production in the small basement bakery runs at full capacity. The family home is filled with the mouth-watering aromas of honey, almonds and spices. The team work virtually around the clock, in three shifts from early in the morning until late at night, and they have even had to take on extra staff. The Leibacher Biber are made by hand from start to finish – from the carving of the wooden models to the typical honey & almond paste filling made using regional ingredients, to the gentle baking process, right through to packing the products in the well-known blue & white boxes.
Nowadays, the Leibacher Biber can be found in many of Zurich’s stores, and the brothers are expanding further. For contrary to popular opinion, gingerbread is not only consumed at Christmas. In Switzerland, “Biberli” are often enjoyed as a snack or eaten as a dessert accompanied by a coffee.