It all started at a meeting between Franconian master baker Erwin Wolf and his former colleague Dagmar Kreis in the summer of 1991. Deep-frozen pastries had already been on the market for several years. Erwin Wolf was of the firm belief that, if they were to do justice to a baker’s product range, these deep-frozen products had to match, if not surpass the taste, appearance and high, hand-crafted quality achieved by a baker. Dagmar Kreis shared this passion and so they joined forces and established a new company named Wolf ButterBack.
The beginnings in the winter of 1991 were modest to the extreme. The duo produced their first pastries in a double garage in Stein, Franconia, in an area of just 50 square metres. The equipment was limited to a kneader, a pastry roller and a small croissant machine. But it was at this crucial time that Erwin Wolf and Dagmar Kreis defined three decisive quality features which have remained at the heart of Wolf ButterBack’s philosophy to this very day: the exclusive use of best pure butter, the careful artisan approach to production and the long resting times to achieve maximum natural freshness and full flavour.
Initially, the two pioneers were ridiculed by their competitors, but this did not deter them. The enthusiasm of their customers proved them right. After just one year, they went in search of larger premises to cope with the surge in order volumes. The rapid growth continued unabated with production spreading to three locations in the Nuremberg/Fürth region by 1999.

With further growth on the cards, Erwin Wolf and Dagmar Kreis who was appointed managing director in 1998, decided to invest in the construction of a new facility. On 1 August 2000, Wolf ButterBack moved into its first privately owned premises in Magazinstraße Fürth, equipped with highly technical production systems, a high-bay warehouse and state-of–the-art equipment.
This fast-paced success story was overshadowed by a tragic accident in the summer of 2002. A passionate paraglider, Dagmar Kreis was sadly involved in a paragliding crash and died at the scene. Robbed of his designated successor, Erwin Wolf decided to sell the company in 2004, at the age of 67. After just two years at its new home, the company was already nearing full capacity, making an extension essential. As a result, the founder went in search of a buyer who not only had the necessary financial clout but who would also guarantee the continuation of Wolf ButterBack’s unique and very special corporate culture. In the Martin Braun-Group Wolf found the perfect balance between industrial expertise, financial power and the values of a long established, family-run business. The Martin Braun Group is incorporated within the food division of the Oetker Group and comprises all the companies in the Oetker Group involved in “large-scale consumer baking”. On 1 January 2004, Wolf ButterBack changed hands and became part of the Martin Braun-Group, whilst founder Erwin Wolf withdrew into a well-earned retirement. Today, he runs a livery stable, whilst following Wolf ButterBack’s continued development with both interest and enthusiasm.

In June 2005, large-scale construction work began on a second facility on the production site in Fürth which was completed in spring 2006. The building provided the space that was needed to expand the product range to include deep-fried donuts. Made to Wolf ButterBack’s customarily high standards, the donuts are made of a tasty butter dough and deep fried in concentrated butter.
The new complex was also designed with a computer-controlled high-bay cold storage warehouse for frozens, initially boasting a capacity of 2500 pallets, which was doubled to 5000 at the end of 2009. In addition, a storey was added to production and a new despatch and consignment area was created with a view to maximising the flexibility of all deliveries.
In the 1990s Wolf ButterBack started supplying customers in other European countries. Today, Wolf ButterBack operates across 16 countries, including Japan, Estonia and Russia. In Austria, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, France, Turkey, Poland and Hungary, Wolf ButterBack is represented either by its own sales staff or by agents associated with the Martin Braun Group.

Although Wolf ButterBack has acquired a truly international flavour, it has still remained a German company: Its production is located solely in Fürth, whilst its ingredients are almost all from the region or from within Germany’s borders.

Even after nearly two decades of strong growth, the values that were the heart and soul of the company in that tiny garage in Stein, are still valid today: Our passion for the highest quality, our focus on what is important and sustainable and, above all, our closeness to our customers.