mel&koffie at the "Jako"

mel&koffie bakes in front of the customer

At mel&koffie, there is no more than two meters between the bakery and the salesroom(Bild: Juljan Skurani)

From April 25, mel&koffie will be sweetening the day for the people of Graz with its cinnamon buns and bread made from dough that has been matured for at least 20 hours. The bakery focuses on tradition, craftsmanship and transparency in the bakery. 

Auer and Sorger are the top bakeries in Graz, with branches on what feels like every street corner. But now competition is coming from the Austrian capital. In times when most bakeries no longer produce on site and up to 80 percent of bread purchases are made in supermarkets, Peter Ostendorf wants to score points with customers by returning to traditional values and focusing on dough that has matured for a particularly long time. And he is already succeeding in this with three locations in Vienna, the fourth is currently being planned. Now comes the next logical step: a bakery in Graz, on Jakominiplatz.

A passionate baker
Ostendorf has 30 years of experience in the industry and was head of Ankerbrot for twelve years. His love of baking runs in the family, as he comes from a large family of bakers in Germany. 

In the morning, the dough is at our table. The customer can see how the bread and cinnamon buns are made.

Peter Ostendorf, Gründer von mel&koffie

According to the owner, the sweet snails are particularly popular. From cinnamon buns to cocoa, poppy seed and curd-fruit buns, there is something for every taste. Tradition is also reflected in the bakery's name. Because "mel" was the first Middle High German word for flour. And the first European word for coffee was "koffie". It has its origins in the Dutch language.

All products are placed in the maturing room for at least 20 hours. This means that the bread stays fresh for much longer and the long dough maturing process also makes it easier to digest. Ostendorf's customers regularly confirm this. 

The owner Peter Ostendorf(Bild: mel&koffie)

"We are bringing craftsmanship back to the city"
Traditional craftsmanship with modern influences - this motto runs through from the design of the salesroom to the working conditions, as the dough is not kneaded in the mel&koffie bakery until six in the morning. Compared to other bakeries, this is quite late, but it also guarantees satisfied employees: "This has enabled us to inspire many people who originally worked in other sectors to take up the trade," says Ostendorf. The goods that are left over on the day are given to the Vinzi market to counteract food waste. 

The cinnamon buns from mel&koffie are particularly popular with customers.(Bild: Juljan Skurani)

The bakers use a particularly long maturing process for the dough.(Bild: Juljan Skurani)

There is only two meters between the bakery and the sales room. The customer can therefore watch the delicacies being made. There is also no need for deep-freeze logistics. The bakery with Viennese origins promises quality, but it also costs money: You have to pay 3.65 euros for a cinnamon bun. The price per kilo for a mixed bread starts at 6 euros. The coffee is also roasted in-house. As an opening gift to all customers and visitors, there will be 1,000 free cinnamon buns on April 25.