Erwin Gerber – A German baker in Taicang

When Erwin Gerber walked through an old street in Shaxi, a small suburb of Taicang, back in 2013, he was on the lookout for a small café and some delicious cake. But there was none. After that day in Shaxi, he searched the entire area, from Shanghai to Kunshan, looking for a café offering a “decent” Black Forest or hazelnut cake. After a year, he gave up on his search and decided he’d have to make it himself. This is how he tells the story about the start of his business. Today, his bakery “Brotecke” is known far beyond Taicang for its German baked goods.