Flour & meal

Flour and meal – the basis of our baking art

Flour is the basis of all our products. Depending on the application, we use natural wheat and spelt flour as well as wheat and spelt meal.

For the DAR-VIDA range, we use a high proportion of wholemeal flour, rich in natural dietary fibre, which is filling and aids digestion. Particularly noteworthy: DAR-VIDA UrDinkel is made entirely from genuine UrDinkel – an ancient Swiss grain that is cultivated by dedicated farmers and carefully processed.

The Wernli range uses particularly fine white wheat flour. Removing the germ and husk gives it the lightness it needs to give Wernli specialities their delicate consistency.

Consistently high quality is crucial for our baked goods. That is why, depending on the year and harvest, a proportion of foreign flour may be added to our Swiss wheat and spelt flour and spelt groats. This is done exclusively within the framework of legal requirements and in full compliance with the Swissness Ordinance.

Biscuit wheat with ecological added value

The DAR-VIDA whole grain line requires around 800 tons of whole grain meal per year. We want to source 80 persent of this with ecological addes value by 2027.

To promote biodiversity and soil health, we started a pilot test with wheat in 2022 together with the Knecht-Mühle in Leibstadt and two farmers from the same region. The wheat is cultivated in accordance with Suisse Guarantee guidelines. The farmers also avoid using insecticides and, if possible, fungicides. They also promote biodiversity using the so-called wide-row method. With this method, up to 40 percent of the field remains unsown and the rows of grain are planted at a distance of around 30 centimeters. In addition, beneficial insect strips with wild herbs are created. Spiders and insects benefit from this, but also brown hares and ground-nesting birds such as skylarks. The method thus creates breeding and retreat areas as well as a source of food.

In 2023, 45 tons of this top quality biscuit wheat were harvested, processed and used for DAR-VIDA. In 2024, the project was expanded, as eleven farmers from the canton of Aargau participated. Due to adverse weather conditions, the harvest amounted to only 110 tons (the worst harvest in Switzerland in 40 years). We are pleased that, despite this, an additional 8 farmers joined the project. This made it possible for 490 tons to be harvested in 2025. By the way, with this project, over 7,000 ares were managed sustainably this year.

What makes UrDinkel so special?

The UrDinkel label certifies that only Swiss spelt varieties that have not been crossed with wheat are used in cultivation. The farms produce according to the current guidelines of IP-Suisse and Bio Suisse.