Bakker Hilvers
At Bakker Hilvers, bread has been at the heart of the business for generations. But look a little closer, and you’ll see much more than just a bakery. This Arnhem-based family business provides a place for people, invests in sustainable technologies and remains strongly connected to the city and the region. In recognition of this broad social impact, Bakker Hilvers has been awarded the Lifeport Pearl by The Economic Board.
Fourth generation at the helm
The history of Bakker Hilvers dates back to 1767. The Hilvers family has been associated with the bakery since 1950. The fourth generation is now at the helm: Wouter, Jeroen and Bas Hilvers. Together with their parents, Mieke and André, they are carrying on the family business. In recent years, the company has grown to twenty branches in and around Arnhem. Yet the core of the business remains the same: baking bread for people in the region. Day in, day out.
Social entrepreneurship as a driving force
What makes Bakker Hilvers special is its combination of entrepreneurship and a focus on people. A clear example of this is Hilvers Social. This social bakery provides a place where people who need a little extra support can work and learn.
For Jeroen, that social aspect is no afterthought. “You can make such a huge impact by showing genuine care and respect for someone. No amount of money can match that.” People who, elsewhere, were mainly seen as having a disability, become part of the team at Hilvers. “Here, you’re part of the family,” he says. “And that really helps people flourish.”
Increasingly sustainable
Sustainability also plays a major role. Bakker Hilvers uses, amongst other things, Nedertarwe, a grain grown on Dutch fields. At the new bakery in Duiven, the family aims to combine various sustainable technologies, such as hybrid ovens designed for hydrogen, electric assistance, CO₂ cooling, batteries, solar panels, heat recovery and vacuum technology to reduce baking time and energy consumption.
Hilvers will always remain an Arnhem-based company
The move to Duiven is necessary because the current bakery on Blankenweg has become too small and lacks sufficient space to implement sustainability measures. Wouter: “The shops will remain in Arnhem. It is precisely there that Hilvers’ Arnhem identity remains visible: in the neighbourhoods, amongst regular customers and in the daily chat over the counter.”
For Wouter and Jeroen Hilvers, the Lifeport Pearl is, above all, a source of encouragement. “It motivates us to keep going,” says Jeroen. Through employment, livelihoods, care, sustainable choices and strong community ties, Bakker Hilvers demonstrates how a family business can contribute to the region’s wider prosperity.
