Where can you get the best baked goods in Denmark?
This question was asked and answered on Wednesday when the Danish Bakers’ and Confectioners’ Association held its annual Denmark’s Best Bread and Cakes contest.
The contest is open to professional bakers and confectioners across Denmark and is judged by a combination of experts and lay judges. This year it was held in Odense.
The contestants were tested in four categories: best rye bread, best specialty bread, best kransekage (a marzipan ring cake), and best pastry.
Bakeries across the country
There was a good spread of bakeries from across Denmark on the winners’ list.
Jutland was well represented, taking gold in the rye bread contest with Pompei in Ribe, a bakery famous for its stone ovens. Ebdrups Bageri in Fredericia, also from Jutland, took bronze in pastries.
Funen was represented by the more than 150-year-old Gertz in Nyborg, which took gold in specialty bread as well as silver in rye bread. Middelfart’s Bak’s Bakery & Deli, especially famous for its romkugler, took silver in pastry.
Copenhagen was of course also well represented, with Maison D’Brød in Charlottenlund taking gold in pastries and silver in kransekage. Andersen Bakery in Ørestad took bronze in kransekage.
The rest of Zealand also took home trophies. Sejers Konditori in Sorø took bronze in rye bread. Farumhus in Farum took silver in specialty bread. And R-Bakery in Hvidovre took an impressive gold in kransekage and bronze in specialty bread.
Nepalese immigrant
Sanjiv Giri, the owner of Maison D’Brød, came to Denmark from Nepal in 2010 and has since become one of the most decorated bakers in the country.
He worked his way up through Andersen Bakery (which incidentally also won an award) and earned a certificate from the prestigious culinary school Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before founding his own bakery in Charlottenlund.
He has been recognised for his baking. In 2024 he won a prize for making the best baguette, awarded jointly by the Danish Bakers’ and Confectioners’ Association and the French Embassy.
In an interview with The Nepali Times, Giri said, “Having a passion for baking is most important, as succeeding in this business means long work hours that take a large toll on your body.”
Today, Maison D’Brød is one of the most popular and decorated bakeries in Copenhagen.
