Football or honey ? What sounds like an unusual choice was, for Maximilian Urban, the start of a journey that would turn the German honey market upside down. His sporting career began at the youth performance centre of VfL Osnabrück, later took him to the boarding school of RB Leipzig and finally into the junior Bundesliga at SC Paderborn. Today, as Germany's youngest professional beekeeper, he no longer directs the midfield but the leading edge of millions of bees.
But how does an aspiring professional athlete become the founder of SUMMSTOFF?
THE LESSON OF THE LEMON TREE
It all began not on the pitch, but in a garden in Spain. Maximilian's father, Michael, fulfilled a dream with a family home in the south – including a lemon tree. But the tree, planted impatiently during the shell-construction phase, blossomed magnificently yet bore no fruit.
The gardener's diagnosis was sobering: too much wind from the sea, too few insects. The solution was as pragmatic as it was far-reaching: “Put some bees in the garden.” Maximilian's assistant coach, a hobby beekeeper, helped with the first steps. When the branches of the lemon tree soon after bent under the weight of the fruit, Maximilian had learned a lesson for life: without bees, no harvest. Without nature, nothing works.
FROM FIRST COMMUNION MONEY TO MARKET-LEADER MINDSET
The fascination never let go of young Maximilian. Instead of spending his First Communion money on the latest games console like other teenagers, he bought his first bee colonies of his own. He showed an early flair for business: with the proceeds from selling honey among his friends, he was later able to afford not just one, but two consoles.
This early success in the face of his father's scepticism that beekeeping was a “breadless art” (a pursuit that earns no living) still drives him today. He took the team spirit and discipline of competitive sport and transferred them to the company SUMMSTOFF
THE SUMMSTOFF PRINCIPLE: AS REGIONAL AS POSSIBLE, AS NATIONAL AS NECESSARY
Today, SUMMSTOFF stands for a modern cooperative that combines fairness with smart logistics. One iron rule applies to us: the origin must be right. Our approach is simple but consistent: As regional as possible, as national as necessary.
This means: honeys such as Summer Blossom, Spring Blossom or the creamy rapeseed honey always come directly from the region where the jar will later stand on the supermarket shelf. Anyone who buys in North Rhine-Westphalia gets honey from NRW. Anyone who buys in Lower Saxony eats honey from the neighbourhood.
Specialities, on the other hand, we source where nature creates them: our acacia honey comes from the best locations in Saarland, Bavaria or Brandenburg. The robust forest honey comes from the Black Forest or Bavaria, and the genuine heather honey naturally comes straight from the Lüneburg Heath. We bring together the best of Germany's nature – without compromise.
PURIST DESIGN FOR A PURE PRODUCT
This love of the pure product is also reflected in each of our jars. Anyone who sees SUMMSTOFF will find no colourful paper labels hiding the contents. In our own print shop, we finish every jar with minimalist direct printing in white ink.
Why? Because the honey itself is our most beautiful design. Whether it is the deep, mystical darkness of forest honey or the delicate cream white of rapeseed honey – our jars make the contents the star. The first purchase is often made with the eyes, because the jar simply looks elegant on the breakfast table. The second purchase is made with the palate.
We invite you to become part of our team. Taste the difference when passion meets professionalism.
SUMMSTOFF. Simply good honey .
GENUINE REGIONALITY
Our honey comes from German professional beekeeping businesses – transparent, traceable and as regional as possible.
SAFELY DELIVERED
Carefully packed, reliably shipped and ready for your breakfast table.
PROFESSIONAL BEEKEEPING
We stand for professional beekeeping, fair cooperation with German beekeeping businesses and responsible bee husbandry.
SUMMSTOFF – Facts & Figures
- Legal form: registered cooperative (e.G.)
- Founded: 2021
- Board of Directors: Maximilian Urban
- Registered office: Ibbenbürener Straße 88, 49479 Ibbenbüren-Laggenbeck
- Cooperative register: GnR 194, Amtsgericht Steinfurt (Local Court) · VAT ID no. DE348631651
- Business purpose: Promoting the earnings and economic interests of its members through joint business operations
- Delivery regions: Altes Land, Bavaria, Berlin, Berlin-Brandenburg, Brandenburg, Hesse, Lüneburg Heath, Magdeburg Börde, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Central Germany, Münsterland, Lower Rhine, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhine-Main region, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Swabia, Black Forest, Teutoburg Forest Nature Park
- Distribution: our own online shop (summstoff.de) and thousands of supermarkets across Germany (including REWE, EDEKA)
- Principle: single-variety, regionally traceable, our own direct printing instead of paper labels
SUMMSTOFF Imkereigenossenschaft e.G.
The correct name is SUMMSTOFF Imkereigenossenschaft e.G. – often also searched for as “Imkergenossenschaft”. As a cooperative of professional beekeepers, we stand together for regional honey with clear origin. Discover our range in the Honey shop or find answers to frequently asked questions in the FAQ.