The history of Karen Volf
Most Danes know the brand Karen Volf, which through more than 125 years has provided the Danes with treats and “hygge”. Despite the well-known brand being one of the favorites of many Danes very few know the story behind the name. Karen Volf was an extraordinary woman, who with hard work, courage and a passion for the baking craftsmanship established Denmark’s very first cake factory. She was not only a fantastic entrepreneur but also a frontrunner as a businesswoman, in a time where not many women would or was allowed to work outside of the home. Karen Kirstine Hansen was born in 1864 in Roskilde, Denmark. She was a child of the land, and had to learn early on, that if one wanted to achieve something, one had to do it with hard work and their own hands. As many young women, at the time, she attended domestic science school. Karen quickly stood out as a very competent kitchen leader. It all began together with her fiancé, Christian Volf, when they started a little shop in Hellerup, Copenhagen, at the age of 26. They sold milk, bread and something very new at the time – Karen Volf’s own home made cakes. Rumor spread and their little shop expanded in a time where it became contemporary to go out and visit a bakery and have coffee and cake. It was Karen’s industriousness spirit and love to the craft that became the foundation for what today is an international company, which yearly manufactures over 14.000 tons of cake and is a Royal Court Supplier for the Danish Royal Family.
An Innovative Entrepreneurial Pioneer
The success of Karen Volf did not come easy. Not everyone thought a woman should or could be a businesswoman. Karen Volf found herself in a typical male profession of the time, where bakers each had their own shop to run, but Karen Volf had bigger plans and innovative ideas on how to run a bakery. She developed her bakery into a factory with a more cost efficient and productive outcome compared to the traditional way of running a bakery. This strike of genius meant she could sell her cakes to a larger customer segment and now everyone could enjoy the famous Karen Volf cakes and cookies. Karen Volf even had special designed delivery trucks made with advertisements and brand names on the sides, which had not been seen before. The bakery even had home delivery, where one could call in and make an order to be delivered at home. She understood that innovation, good service and good experience was the best promotion one could get. Karen Volf continued to grow and is today one of the biggest cake, cracker, waffle, biscuit and cookie brands in Scandinavia.
The growth of Karen Volf after World War II
Ever since the humble beginnings Karen Volf continued to grow even after Karen’s death in 1946. In the 1950’s after many years of war due to World War II, things started to change the Danish housewives no longer had to stay at home and work 60-70 hours at week anymore. More and more woman went out and got jobs, which meant the need for timesaving measures in the household were rising explosively. It was also in this time supermarkets became an everyday life convenience and sales in supermarkets exploded. Housewives no longer had to bake their cakes and cookies at home they could now go out and buy them right of the shelves in supermarkets. The innovative spirit of Karen Volf was, what gave the brand a foothold with the consumers and the latest consumer habits and became the Danes favorite brand. They also began to expand their product range to included cakes, crackers, cookies, waffles and biscuits.
Karen Volf the Danes favorite for more than 125 years
Ever since the 1890’s the brand name Karen Volf has been associated with great taste, quality, innovation and good craftsmanship. Still to this day, it is still the bakers who taste test every batch of dough, so that the dough always has the right mixing ratio and hit the good taste that is Karen Volf is known for. Today the brand offers a wide range of product categories such as cakes, cookies, biscuits, crackers and waffles. At NORDIC EXPAT SHOP we offer a large selection of your favorite Karen Volf cookies, crackers, cakes, biscuits and waffles with worldwide delivery - straight to your doorstep!
