Alessia Uberto (22) and Stefan Baumann (31) will re-open the Vincenz bakery in Wengen in mid-June 2019.

In October 2018 the Vincenz bakery closed its doors, but now Gaudens Vincenz has found his two successors, Stefan Baumann and Alessia Uberto. The bakery and patisserie will reopen in mid-June 2019 and provide fresh baked goods once again in the village.

Wengen, 10 April 2019

NThe production rooms of the Vincenz bakery in Gruebi in Wengen remain silent. But not for much longer. Gaudens Vincenz closed down the bakery last October and the locals were looking at alternative ways to get bread, but we now have the details of the new management: Alessia Uberto (22), a trained specialist in retail sales and Stefan Baumann (31), a trained baker and confectioner.

Big opportunity
«"Basically, we’ve been dreaming of our own business for a long time. I have a connection with the village because I grew up in Grindelwald, and that’s how the whole thing came about," says Stefan Baumann about his new job. Nevertheless, the two of them have thought carefully about whether they should actually move their entire life to Wengen. Both Uberto and Baumann are currently working in Weinfelden in the canton of Thurgau. "We heard about it and thought it through. We then went to Wengen and took a look at the bakery," the new managing directors reminisce.

The deciding factor to go for it was the great opportunity offered by the Vincenz bakery. "The business is very well positioned. The Vincenz family did a great job, so there is a lot of potential." This is clear to both Uberto and Baumann. But before the baking machines actually start running again in mid-June, there is still a lot for the two of them to do. This includes taking on new employees for example, completing the handover from the previous managing director, and also refilling the warehouse – and all this on top of their current full-time jobs.

Relief for the previous managing director
"Everything needs to be coordinated and planned. Of course it’s a lot of extra effort and expense, but we knew that, and I have an accommodating boss who is giving me some breathing space. So we are working well together," Baumann explains. But the duo are happy to accept this challenge, because they are convinced they will feel at home in Wengen. "We can grab hold of this opportunity, and the locals will certainly be happy that there’s someone in the bakery again," says Uberto. What ultimately attracts them both is the opportunity to shape their own lives, bring fresh products to men and women every day, and doing all that in the Wenger mountains.

Image & text: Rabea Grand, Jungfrau newspaper