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CHANGSHA: The warm glow from the oven and the aroma of fresh bread signal the morning rush at Bach’s Bakery in the central Chinese city of Changsha, but even though the baking staff chat with enthusiasm, a pin can be heard drop.
Bach’s primarily employs hearing-impaired staff, whose jokes about pumpkin bread trays, Danish sausage rolls, and apple patties are done entirely in sign language.
Owned and operated by German citizen Uwe Brutzer, it provides job opportunities that are often hard to come by for its employees.
Despite growing awareness of the needs of people with disabilities, life remains a challenge for China’s hearing impaired, officially estimated at between 20 and 30 million.
German citizen Uwe Brutzer (left) took over the bakery in 2011 and has since trained about 20 bakers AFP / Hector RETAMAL
It’s hard “to make a lot of money and get an education,” said Wan Ting, a 28-year-old employed by Bach’s since 2017 after a previous unsuccessful stint in advertising design.
“It is difficult (to find work) in other places. You need to know someone to be able to find a good job. If not, you have few options,” added Wan, who has been hearing impaired since birth and speaks in sign language translated by Brutzer. .
With their communication challenges, people with hearing disabilities are often forced to work that requires deft use of their hands, said Brutzer, 50, making the bakery a good option.
Bach and his wife Dorothee first came to Changsha in 2002 with a German charity to help children with hearing impairments.
He took over the bakery in 2011 and has since trained about 20 bakers.
Most continue to work in other bakeries, restaurants, or hotels.
But other aspects of running a business – hiring, working with suppliers, talking to customers – pose great challenges to opening your own bakeries.
“Two of our very experienced bakers (have tried), but they both closed their stores later. It was too complicated for them,” he said.
Bach’s Bakery in the central Chinese city of Changsha employs mainly hearing impaired staff AFP / Hector RETAMAL
The bakery has done a good business despite the coronavirus pandemic, which went viral this summer thanks to an avalanche of Chinese media coverage to feel good AFP / Hector RETAMAL
The light and compact bakery has had a devoted local clientele for years in the city, known more for its spicy Hunan cuisine, despite being tucked away in a nondescript residential alley.
However, bakery margins are tight and Bach’s has struggled, Brutzer said.
But things are looking up, despite China’s traumatic COVID-19 shutdowns earlier this year.
Switching to contactless takeout during the epidemic kept volumes on the move, and Bach’s went viral this summer thanks to a flood of Chinese media coverage to feel good.
Today, a loud creak at the front door announces a new customer every few minutes and business has increased fivefold from last year, Brutzer said. The challenge now is to meet the demand.
“But that will slow down, hopefully, to a good level where we can pay better wages and people are happier,” he said.
