Municipality no longer has a bakery Dorf-Beck has to cease operations after 25 years

Samuel Walder

30.1.2025

After 25 years, the only bakery in Illnau is closing.
After 25 years, the only bakery in Illnau is closing.
Picture: Google Maps

Fresh bread from the Nüssli bakery for the last time: Illnau's last Dorf-Beck bakery is closing after Easter. The traditional bakery is closing for health and family reasons.

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  • The Nüssli bakery and confectionery in Illnau is closing for good after 25 years, meaning that the municipality is losing its last traditional village bakery.
  • Owner Hansueli Nüssli and his wife are closing the business for health reasons, as the physically demanding night work was becoming increasingly stressful.
  • The property is sold, while a new training position is sought for an apprentice - it remains uncertain whether a new bakery will move in.

A piece of tradition disappears from Illnau: the Nüssli bakery and confectionery closes for good. Bread will be baked for the last time on the night of April 19 to 20, and then it's all over.

Illnau thus loses its last village bakery - a bitter loss for the community. Although there is still a branch of the Vuaillat bakery from Uster at the train station, it functions more as a store with a café, as the "Landbote" writes.

The end after 25 years

"It's the right time for us to close the Easter business," says master baker Hansueli Nüssli. The 64-year-old and his wife Doris (63) look back on decades of hard work. "With all the overtime we've accumulated as self-employed people, we'll easily make it to our official retirement."

The bakery, which Nüssli took over in 1999, only celebrated its 25th anniversary on 22 February 2024 - with bread prices as they were in 1999. But for the passionate baker, the bakery has long been his second home. He began his apprenticeship there in 1978 - back then under his predecessor Hans von Dach.

The "Nüssli-Beck" was not only known for its organically produced bread made from regional ingredients, but also for specialties such as the sweet "Illauerli" or the legendary "Längg-Turnier-Brötli", which were eaten by the dozen at the local school football tournament.

Health sets the pace

The decision to quit has matured over the last few months, says Nüssli. "I've always prided myself on my iron health. But in the last year, I've been really flat several times." The hard night work is increasingly taking its toll. "Work, sleep, work - at some point the body needs more rest."

Reducing the workload is simply not feasible for a company of this size. "The margin is too small." In the end, his wife was also of the same opinion: It's time to let go.

Over Christmas, the Nüsslis discussed the matter with their four children - but none of them were interested in taking over. So the decision was final.

What will happen to the bakery?

The bakery currently employs 13 part-time staff and two apprentices. "Our third-year apprentice can still take his final exam. We are currently looking for a new instructor for the second-year apprentice," explains Nüssli.

It had long been an open secret in Illnau that the business was closing. When the building at Usterstrasse 15 briefly appeared on a real estate platform, the rumors grew. Now it's official: the property is being sold and an estate agent is handling the transaction.

"It's not easy for us," says Nüssli thoughtfully. "Our children grew up here in the apartment above the store. Our youngest was four when we moved in." Where the couple will now move to is still uncertain. "We're in the middle of the day-to-day business - one thing at a time."

His wish for the future: "Hopefully the store will remain a bakery - or at least a branch." Because one thing is clear: it won't be the same for Illnau without its own Dorfbeck.