At the 13th Franconian Bratwurst Summit in Pegnitz, the butcher shop takes home the crown for the third time, beating out around 10 other participants. The Freybergers can now call themselves Bratwurst Emperors. This is because in a shooting club, you become an Emperor once you've been King three times.
What is the Franconian Bratwurst Summit?
The Franconian Bratwurst Summit is a competition where various butcher shops from Franconia compete for the title of Bratwurst King. A jury of experts evaluates the butcher shops' bratwursts. A total of three prizes can be won.
The classic Franconian Bratwurst, the Creative Bratwurst, and the Audience Award. This is also divided based on the two existing categories. However, the audience determines the Audience Award, not the judges. The audience casts their votes for their favorite bratwurst via a digital voting process. "It's a great event for people who appreciate our craft, and I really enjoy coming here," says Dirk Freyberger.
The Emperor's Bratwurst
Metzgerei Freyberger once again scores with its classic bratwurst. The Nuremberg-based butcher has already convinced the Pegnitz judges twice with it. Here is a video about it. The butcher also takes home the trophy for the creative bratwurst.
In previous years, the Bratwurst Emperor impressed the jury with the Cheesy Gonzales and the Käsespätzle Bratwurst as creative bratwursts. "I'm overwhelmed that we managed this; I was so nervous on stage," says the master butcher. The competition was very strong. It's the first time in the history of the Bratwurst Summit that a participant has taken home the crown three times.
This year, Freyberger is entering the Montreal Maple as their creative bratwurst. This is a Canadian-inspired bratwurst with gravy, cheese, and maple syrup, modeled after Canada's national dish, Poutine. As part of Metzgerei Freyberger's World Cup promotion, three different bratwursts will be available until the end of the FIFA World Cup.
This year's football adventure takes place in Canada, USA, and Mexico. The Mac-and-Cheese Bratwurst represents the USA, and the Aztec Fire Bratwurst represents Mexico. "Among our customers, the Montreal Maple is by far the most popular," explains the Nuremberger. For this reason, the Montreal Maple also made its way to the summit.
Freyberger not only convinced the judges. The visitors to the competition were also impressed by the Nurembergers. For this reason, the Freybergers came in 2nd place in the audience vote. However, Metzgerei Wunderlich won the prize.
A special prize is also awarded. Metzgerei Finkenhof is the only one that has participated in every Bratwurst Summit, with only one exception, which is why this trophy goes to Michelau.
Overall, Metzgerei Freyberger scored the most points and won the summit. "This is a team effort. Without my employees, who are constantly giving their all, we would never have achieved this," emphasizes the butcher. No wonder. Shortly before, Pascal Karatay, who competed for the Freybergers in the European Butcher Wars Germany 2026, brought the title of European Champion to Nuremberg. More about this can be found here.
