This was the first German Bakery, set up in 1987 by German bookseller Klaus Gutzeit near the Osho ashram, Pune. It serves interesting eats, like hummus sandwiches, tofu-burgers, avocado rolls, salads, fresh juices, fruit lassi and luscious desserts.
It also makes the best bread in town. It provides a very nice meal of Spanish omelettes, Danish pastry and herbal tea. Customers here discuss how to awaken your kundalini and The Coming of Maitreya. The German Bakery on North Main Road is a place where the ambience is unique and it has a very personal touch. The wooden seating gives it a very earthy look.
The batik cloths hanging on the walls and the cane mats that make the interiors are very unique indeed. The food of course is unique and there is plenty of variety to choose from. No wonder they don't have a menu card because it would be very difficult to put all the items on the menu.
Why the name German Bakery?
The owner, Mr. Ram Gopal Karkee, lived in Germany for a short stint of three years. When he returned to India he decided to open the German Bakery that would (as the name suggests) serve only German recipes. The bakery opened in 1987. Little did Ram think that the place would become such a hit with young and old alike. Pravin, an employee of German Bakery who has been working there for 10 years, was kind enough to give me these facts on the bakery.
As its regulars, or anyone who has visited the bakery knows, the German Bakery is a good place that gives value for money and serves healthy food items.
All products sold here are cooked, baked and prepared in-house. The bakery opens as early as five in the morning and customers start pouring in as early as six. The rush continues until eleven. The crowd begins to gather again around four in the afternoon and goes on until eleven when the bakery shuts. That is a good eighteen hours a day!
The bakery has roughly 20-25 employees who juggle between serving, cooking, preparing food and cleaning. The foods one can look forward to gorging on at the German Bakery include: coffees, teas, fresh juices and mocktails, breads, cakes, pastries, soups, salads (green and fruit) and cookies. They also have a range of health supplements and products that are sold there.
A special mention should be given to the ‘Kambhucha' drink which is a fermented preparation. It is a popular drink amongst Germans and is one of the best selling items in the bakery.
Everyone who has been to the German bakery will have seen the bright, colourful pamphlets for Dragon store; a little store that offers a range of clothing and accessories and much more. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BIbcZ-eOG4
