Behind the scenes at G Wienholt Bakery in Alderley Edge

I first met Martin Wienholt over breakfast on the balcony of the world-famous Richemont Bakery and Confectionery School in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1979. Each morning, everyone would gather for introductions, coffee and the most beautiful selection of freshly baked pastries, before the classes began.

I was still at school when my father David took me on the trip, with a group of bakers from Manchester and Cheshire, to learn the techniques of the Swiss masters.

The Wienholt family, which runs the iconic bakery and shop in Alderley Edge still works with the Richemont, where today’s bakers keep the traditional skills alive.

G Weinholt, Alderley Edge (Image: Kurt Thomas)

Martin says: 'There were 10,000 independent bakeries in this country after the war, now we are down to 700.'

Martin's great-grandfather, Ferdinand Wienholt, came to England in 1870, from the northern German city of Lübeck with not much more than a rolling pin, a set of cutters and a head full of recipes. He met Margaret, and they set up home in Handbridge and had seven children, the eldest being August who went on to open their first bakery in Cheadle in the 1930s. It was called the Premier Café and was the place to be seen at.

August had two sons, Frank and George, and after the war, George moved to Alderley Edge to open a bakery on the site in Alderley Edge that welcomes customers to this day.

Daughter and father bakers Heather and Martin Weinholt at G Weinholt, Alderley Edge. (Image: Kurt Thomas)

Martin, one of George's three sons, took over the village shop with his wife Rosie, running the bakery for the next 50 years before being succeeded by their daughter Heather, who is in charge today.

Now, five generations of Wienholts have been crafting pastry for the people of Cheshire.

The window displays in Alderley Edge showcase the array of cakes and cookies, chocolate creations and bread and the ethos of the business has always been to have the shelves full and ready to impress anyone who enters.

Delicious treats at G Weinholt, Alderley Edge (Image: Kurt Thomas)

The business is continually looking for new ideas, sourcing inspirations of excellence from the Richemont Bakery and Confectionery School. However, most of the best-selling lines are still from the original founding recipes that have served the family well.

Martin and Heather say their aim in business is to put a smile on people’s faces and make their customers happy. Their message: 'Please do drop in and buy a steak pie, as it is made to the same recipe today as it was when George Wienholt wrote the recipe and insisted on it being the very best.'

G Wienholt Bakery

25 London Road

Alderley Edge

SK9 7JT

01625 583275

gwienholt.co.uk

Macarons at G Weinholt, Alderley Edge (Image: Kurt Thomas)

Kurt Thomas, and his father David, have more than 100 years of experience in catering between them. David Thomas started his career at the Midland Hotel in Manchester as a pastry chef before travelling around the world, baking on a cruise ship. He returned to Manchester to work at the Piccadilly Hotel, and again at the Midland, before opening the Copper Kettle café in Hazel Grove. David and his wife, Jacqueline, later opened the Copperfield Restaurant in Disley

Kurt left home at 16 to start an apprenticeship at the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair, then working at Restaurant Pierre Orsi in Lyon and Restaurant Dubern in Bordeaux.

In 1985 he returned to join his parents at the Copperfield Restaurant. He now runs the Cheshire-based Cooking For Events outside caterers and is a regular contributor of photography to Cheshire Life.