Later this month, Heike Meyer will travel from her wood-fired bakery in Fairfax, Vermont, to Munich, representing the United States and the Bread Bakers Guild of America at the first-ever International Bread Sommelier Competition. As the founder of Brot Bakehouse School and Kitchen, Heike has built a reputation for bridging European tradition with Vermont terroir. She recently completed her Bread Sommelier certification at the Akademie Deutsches Bäckerhandwerk Weinheim. We sat down with Heike for an in-depth interview about her baking journey, her work as an educator, and what it means to be a "bread ambassador."

What were your earliest experiences with baking, and when did bread enter the picture? 

My father made simple cakes on the weekends—yeasted apple cakes, marble cakes, fresh strawberry tartes. It was part of our German "Kaffeezeit," that afternoon break for cake and coffee. I still have Kaffeezeit every day. My love for dough began with cake. Bread came much later. I didn’t bake bread in Europe; there was no need because we were surrounded by good bakeries. But when I moved to the U.S., we lived in a place where there were none. So I started baking. That’s when I got the sourdough bug. 

How did your move from Berlin to the U.S. shape your baking? 

Moving to the U.S. was the turning point. I was working in the media, not food, but once I started baking bread, I couldn’t stop. Living here made me appreciate how central bread is to culture. In Europe, good bread is taken for granted. In the U.S., I had to seek it out and eventually make it myself. 

Also, travel has been a big influence. I always say: send every young person abroad. Experiencing food in different places opens your mind. That’s true for kids and for adults. Wherever I go, I visit bakeries. Dough is a universal language. You find bread in every culture, in every shape and form. 

What led you to open Brot Bakehouse in Vermont? 

When I started teaching baking, I realized how much had been lost—not just techniques, but a way of thinking about bread. Bread became a commodity, something mass-produced and soulless. But making bread can be transformative. It builds confidence, mindfulness, and connection. 

We teach all kinds of baking, but I always return to sourdough. It represents everything I value: time, patience, craft, nutrition. Our classes focus on the full picture: where grain comes from, who grows it, and how to make bread that respects that whole system. It’s about slowing down and asking good questions.

You recently became a Certified Bread Sommelier. What motivated you to pursue that? 

It was a journey of the senses—and of the soul. Bread has always been more than food for me. As a teenager, I’d bike 30 minutes just to get a specific roll from a favorite bakery. I always loved eating bread, but I wanted to understand it deeply. 

The sommelier program was appealing because of its international scope. Bread reflects geography, climate, history, and people. I wanted to study that, to learn how something so humble—flour, water, salt—can carry so much story and identity. 

What was the certification process like? 

It’s rigorous. You study online and travel to Germany for in-person training at the Akademie in Weinheim. The standards are high. Our cohort was very diverse...people from Brazil, Dubai, Norway, the Caribbean. One student couldn’t get rye flour at home and used cassava. That was humbling and eye-opening. 

You learn about flavor, fermentation, pairing, culture. You refine your senses. But more than that, you become an ambassador. The Academy made that very clear: we’re not just bread makers; we’re bread storytellers.

How has the certification changed your teaching at Brot Bakehouse? 

I’ve added guided tasting sessions to every class, and they’ve become the most popular part. We explore texture, aroma, structure, flavor. Whether someone is new to baking or very experienced, they leave with a deeper appreciation for bread. 

I also emphasize the cultural side—why certain breads taste the way they do, what they tell us about a place. It has made my teaching more holistic and joyful. 

You're about to compete in the Bread Sommelier World Championship. How are you preparing? 

Lots of sensory training. I spend time blind tasting breads, identifying flours by smell, and pairing bread with things like chocolate, kimchi, cider, even coffee. It’s like wine tasting—but crunchier. 

I’m also researching global bread traditions and trends. There’s a lot of innovation coming out of Asia right now. The competition isn’t just about taste; it’s about understanding context and telling a story. 

We don’t know exactly what the format will be, which makes it exciting. I think everyone going is curious and passionate. It will be fun. Whether or not I place in the top three, I know I’ll learn a lot. 

What does it mean to you to represent the Guild at the competition? 

It’s an honor. For me, the Guild represents craft, sharing, and community. And that aligns so well with the mission of the bread sommelier. 

There’s so much diversity in the U.S. baking scene. The Guild brings together people from all kinds of backgrounds, and we learn from one another. That spirit of exchange is what this competition is about too. We’re building something bigger than any one bakery.

How do you see the role of a bread sommelier in the U.S.? 

There’s a lot of potential. Most people here only know a few grains—wheat, maybe rye. But there’s so much more: spelt, einkorn, teff. Bread sommeliers can help people discover those flavors. 

We also have a chance to connect bakers and farmers. If people taste something new and love it, they might start asking for it. That creates demand, which helps farmers grow diverse grains. It all starts with flavor and story. 

I want people to walk into an Ethiopian restaurant and recognize injera as more than a flatbread. I want them to taste a miso-porcini sourdough in France and think, “That’s bold and beautiful.” Bread is culture, and it should surprise and delight us. 

Any final thoughts as you prepare to take the world stage? 

Bread is a living thing, and so is this community. We don’t need to be big to make an impact. A home baker selling 20 loaves matters. But we also need the big producers to care, and that starts with education. 

If someone leaves one of my classes and starts asking different questions at the market, that’s a win. If someone tastes a new grain and wants to learn more, that’s a win. That’s how change happens—loaf by loaf. 

Follow Heike’s journey on Instagram at @brotbakery. The International Bread Sommelier Competition takes place at the IBA Trade Fair in Munich, May 2025.