Noll cakes only for the grandchildren: traditional pastry shop is closing

Created: 12/22/2022, 09:00

By: Laura Forster

This Thursday, master confectioner Wolfgang Neudecker is selling his tarts, cakes and cookies for the last time in his shop on Würmstrasse in Percha.

© dagmar rutt

After more than 30 years, Wolfgang Neudecker closes the traditional confectionery Noll in Percha.

Thursday is the last day on which the 65-year-old sells homemade cakes, tarts and cookies.

There is no successor for the shop on Würmstrasse.

Percha – The front door swings open and an elderly lady stands at the counter of the Noll confectionery and looks at the butter biscuits, Florentines, rogues and vanilla crescents that are on display.

Except for a few pieces of cake and tarts and the Christmas cookies, the display case is unusually empty.

Baking tins and bowls are on a table – next to them is a sign that says “For Sale”.

"So that's goodbye now," says the woman to owner Wolfgang Neudecker.

"Yeah," he replies.

"It's really a pity, but you ran the pastry shop for a long time," says the lady and places her last order.

The 65-year-old has had conversations like these several times a day since he announced that he was closing his shop.

"I don't think I did anything wrong,

In 1991, Neudecker took over the confectionery Noll.

The shop was founded in 1964 by Erich Noll and later continued by Bernd Busch, with whom Neudecker did his apprenticeship.

Before Neudecker settled in Percha, however, he honed his craft at Munich's Café Luitpold and Café Reber.

There he made his master's degree and learned how to make pralines.

"My many recipes are a collection of the various stations where I worked and new creations of mine." He prefers to make nut cakes.

"I'm a fan of that," he says.

But since some of his customers are allergic to this food, he transformed the nut and cherry cake into a chocolate and cherry cake years ago.

"It's very popular." Also for weddings,

Neudecker liked to conjure up elaborate creations for birthdays or celebrations - but that's the end of it now.

In the future, the 65-year-old will only be baking for his family.

"The grandchildren will want a cake for their birthday."

"The confectionery was only tolerated in the past years"

Berger will retire in January.

His wife Barbara Neudecker, who has helped him in the pastry shop over the years, retired in September.

The 65-year-old will open the shop for the last time on Thursday.

Then it's time to clear out, tidy up and clean.

He was able to sell a large part of the devices, the rest will be scrapped - because there is no successor.

"I didn't actively look for one either, because the shop is rented." The rooms are not ideal for a confectionery anyway, and the bakery in the basement has been under water several times.

"In the past few years, the pastry shop was only tolerated because it was an old building," says Neudecker.

A lot would have to be changed and a lot of money would have to be spent on a renovation.

When the master confectioner looks back over the past 30 years, a lot has changed in the industry.

“There used to be more pastry shops.

Today, many do not even know the difference between a bakery and a confectionery.

That's really a shame.” Even if Neudecker loved his job, he's not sad that he's now closing the shop.

"Now a new phase of life begins," he says.

"What I look forward to most is sleeping in." For decades, his alarm clock has rang at midnight.

He baked around a dozen tarts and cakes in the early hours of the morning, after which he stood in the shop until closing time.

Now the 65-year-old finally has time to devote himself to his family and hobbies.

“Unfortunately there was no time for travelling, painting and playing the guitar in the past few years.

I'll catch up on that now," says Neudecker.