At this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, we had the honor of being part of a unique project. Our long-time customer, Karel Rendl, a fourth-generation baker from the family bakery in Sušice, baked for the Czech Olympic team, and we were there to support him.

Karel Rendl, known as “Karel the Fourth,” continues the family baking tradition that dates back to 1925. The bakery was founded by his great-grandfather but was confiscated during the communist regime. After the revolution, the bakery was returned to the family, and Karel’s father taught him everything he needed to know within five years before passing the business on to him. Today, Karel Rendl successfully leads the bakery, which maintains a reputation for quality and tradition and is a sought-after bakery in the Klatovy region.

Karel’s first Olympic experience came in 2018 when he baked bread for athletes at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. His baking skills were a great success among the athletes, leading to another invitation for this year’s Olympic Games in Paris. The preparations were challenging, but Rendl’s team managed everything perfectly. This year, they plan to use 1,000 to 1,100 kg of flour, including rye, wheat, and standard wheat flour, along with other ingredients and mixes.

Since Karel Rendl and his bakery have been our long-time customers, it was only natural for us to offer support for their Olympic adventure. We provided them with a supply of ingredients and our products for the entire duration of the Games. Athletes can enjoy baked goods made with our yeast, Zavarka, Tiger Decor, Magimix Kaiser, and Potato Mix. All ingredients used are of Czech origin and were brought directly from the Czech Republic. In addition to the ingredients, we provided the entire team with T-shirts featuring the Lesaffre logo and the Sušice bakery logo, allowing them to represent not only Czech baking but also a traditional producer of bakery mixes, yeast, and starters.

This unique situation, where the team has its own baker, caught the attention of both Czech and local media. French television France.tv filmed a report on the Czech bakery at the Olympic Games, which you can watch at the link below.

Video report, France.tv

We also traveled to Paris to support our baker, resulting in a short report and interview with him.

Interview and video report with Karel Rendl, baker from Sušice – Olympic Games 2024

In conclusion, we view our collaboration with Karel Rendl at the Olympic Games not only as a great professional challenge but also as a source of great joy. We are proud to support Czech craftsmanship on the international stage and to be part of our customers’ success.