This German Bakery Employs Retired Grandparents to Bake Cakes

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you gave a bunch of grandmothers and grandfathers a professional bakery? They do wonders in their own little kitchens, but what if someone unleashed their talents and enabled them to bake for the masses? One bakery did just that, and the results are oh-so-satisfying for the stomach and the soul.

A bakery startup called Kuchentratsch in Munich, Germany, gives retirees the opportunity to earn a little extra income, socialize and share their kitchen talents.  The bakery cleverly combines tradition with modern ideals, as the grandparents whip up their tried-and-true recipes with local ingredients.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVh8twVgyCu/?taken-by=kuchentratsch

Google translates Kuchentratsch as cake trash, but none of the oven-made goodies belong anywhere near the trash. A more accurate translation ends up with “cake chat” or “cake gossip.”

For example, this decadent-looking cake from Oma Anna is definitely worth talking about:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcDe3qqHib3/?taken-by=kuchentratsch

Let Them Bake

The bakery’s founder Katharina Mayer is in her 20s and relied on crowdfunding, grants and loans to officially open the bakery last April, according to Today.com. She employees seniors ages 65 and older — mostly women, but a few men — as bakers. She doesn’t require extensive baking skills and lets the bakers control their availability.

This is not a typical nine-to-five gig. The retirees work on flexible hours and some work just one day a week. Kuchentratsch was first established as a pop-up cafe and is now looking for a permanent location in the city.

If you can’t make it to Munich to try their goodies in person, the next best thing is following their recipes in your own home. Grandma’s secret recipes are secret no more: The bakery also has a cookbook, which is available on Amazon (for anyone who can read in German!).

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcmun8Onw1V/?taken-by=kuchentratsch

Scrolling through the bakery’s Instagram, you can almost smell the sweet treats. The cakes look incredible and since a grandmother or grandfather lovingly made each one of them, you know they will taste even better.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbzgfVOHzZT/?taken-by=kuchentratsch

This creative bakery has definitely come up with a recipe for success.