CLIFTON — In 1958, two German immigrants, Hilda and Hans Morgenstern, opened the Allwood Bakery. A short while later they moved it to up the road a bit to 70 Market St., and it’s been there ever since.
The Morgensterns sold the bakery to new owners in 1968 and it changed hands several times before Joseph Putc bought it in 1986. An immigrant from Germany, Putc started out as a baker in 1972 and has done no other work since.
Last month he sold the bakery to new owner Ron Craft, but said he will keep baking cakes and cookies for the bakery.
Putc said he learned baking in his native Germany, starting out as an apprentice to a baker and becoming a full-time baker after graduating from high school. He can still remember his mother baking, especially on Saturdays, when she would make a cake for Sunday.
When he arrived in America at the age of 22, he worked as pastry chef for Gene Boyles Restaurant which was at that time located in Passaic. After awhile the owner tipped him off to an opportunity where he could make more money and start a good career. That began his career as baker for the Allwood Bakery.
Despite the changes within the ownership of the business, the Bakery boasts the same faithful customers throughout its 50 years.
Those customers have been going back over and over for the Brown Derby and Strawberry Shortcake, the fruit-topped cakes, the Sacher Cake, which is a chocolate cake with raspberry filling and mocha butter cream icing, topped with chocolate drippings and much more, but especially the crumb cake and strudel.
The crumb cake and strudel have been made following the original recipe brought to the Allwood Bakery by its original owners, the Morgensterns.
Putc said business might have dropped a little over the years due to one-stop shopping at supermarkets or wholesale stores, but at holiday time the bakery is extremely busy with special orders, and customers buying their fresh breads and rolls. He estimates that the bakery currently sells about 150 cakes and 200 pounds of cookies per week.
When asked about hiring young bakers, he said many aren’t interested due to the long hours and hard work involved. The typical life of bread and roll bakers is baking from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. The cake bakers come in at 6 a.m. and work until 2 or 3 p.m. Some of the employees, Putc said are there as long as he’s been, while others are high school students who start working as soon as they are able to, then leave upon graduation to go to college or start careers.
The bakery is known for its generosity to the community, donating to churches items such as sheet cakes to feed the homeless at Eva’s Soup Kitchen, or to their local carnivals and fundraisers. If they don’t give cakes or pastries, they donate gift certificates or advertisements for local school boosters. Putc feels that donating is the least he can do to pay back for all he has received from the community.
Putc, still enjoys baking after 42 years in the business, because it gives him a chance to "create everyday and it’s not a boring job."
This month area residents and regular shoppers will see a change at the bakery. The new owner will change the bakery sign and name.
Putc, who is 57 years old, said it is time to enjoy life, travel a little, and ride his motorcycle. Perhaps, he says, he might one day retire altogether with his English Spaniel, Chelsea and move up to Stowe, Vermont with the original owners of the Allwood Bakery, the Morgensterns whom he has kept in touch with over the years.
