Joseph's Brot vom Pheinsten – Joseph’s finest bread

With his passion for food and marketing know-how, the young Austrian Joseph Weghaupt has created a brand that is very popular in Vienna: Joseph Brot. The bread boutique, his first shop selling the cult bread in the Naglergasse, is booming. But the products from his bakery in the Waldviertel region are also available in many other outlets. Within two years this young company has had to increase its staff to nearly 40 to satisfy the huge demand. The concept is clear evidence that quality and taste are always in demand. (Picture: Entrepreneur Joseph Weghaupt created the brand Joseph Brot)
“Are you Joseph?” asks a customer in his late forties in the little baker’s shop in downtown Vienna. When Weghaupt nods, the customer congratulates him on his successful products with a handshake. “Congratulations, you’ve got everything just right. The bread and the pastries are excellent and I like your shop. Please carry on the good work!” Joseph Weghaupt thanks him. He creates a rather shy impression; he’s not keen on being the centre of attention himself but he does know how to draw attention to his brand. Bread as a work of art, bread as something to be enjoyed and as a valuable food. Within a short time the brand Joseph Brot with its slogan “vom Pheinsten” – bread at its best - has become well known in Vienna. (Picture: Bread as a work of art and an exhibit)

At 31, Joseph Weghaupt is a young entrepreneur. Two and a half years ago, at the end of 2009, he followed his dream and turned an idea that expressed his passion for food into reality. He quit his executive post in the marketing and sales department of a big bakery. Together with master baker Fritz Potocnik, Weghaupt, who trained as a butcher and also studied food technology, began experimenting with an artisan organic sour dough bread. Gastronomy presented the first opportunity to market the results of their efforts. Three restaurants belonging to the Austrian Motto Group (restaurants, catering) showed interest and they were supplied. News of the bread with a great taste spread. More enquiries came in and they had to find a bakery to meet the many orders, so they invested in ovens and bakery equipment in Vitis in the Waldviertel region. “The first year was hard,” Weghaupt admits. “Then came the hype – Joseph Brot had a huge impact.” (Picture: Delivery of bread from the bakery in the Waldviertel region. Rolls and pastries are baked in the shop in Vienna)

The artisan bread and pastry creations are sold not only in Weghaupt’s own shop – the bread boutique in the Naglergasse – but also at weekly markets, by a box scheme run by Adamahs Bio Kistl, gourmet restaurants, organic supermarkets (Basic, Denn's), organic shops and health food shops. Weghaupt has succeeded not only in producing a taste that many people like but also in creating the right marketing for his products and making his own outlet itself into a brand. The refined restrained style of the shop and of the packaging are popular with customers, as are the contrasting statements like “Audrey had just one reason to breakfast at Tiffany: in those days there was no bread boutique.” With more than 4,000 Facebook friends (Phacebook), lots of people are talking about Joseph Brot vom Pheinsten. (Picture: The bread boutique is in the very busy Naglergasse)

The products appeal to many generations and customer groups: preservationists (“bread like it used to be”), gourmets, organic customers who similarly value good taste and shun the additives of the bakery industry, bobos, yuppies, lohas and the ordinary man in the street. After converting and redesigning the premises, Weghaupt opened his first bread boutique at the end of September 2011 in the former Cosmethecary branch of the Saint-Charles-Apotheke – a prime location in the centre of Vienna. The shop is only about 50 m² in size, although it doesn’t feel cramped because of the minimal but high-quality fittings. The focal point in this bright space is the principal article - bread. You almost have the impression of a gallery. (Picture: Customers appreciate the offer)

“We’re concentrating on our core competence – bread and bakery goods made from the finest organic grain that we subject to artisan processing,” says Weghaupt. Organic quality is not a major issue in our marketing because it is taken for granted. He points out, however, that organic and high quality mean that they can’t consider enquiries for large-scale supplies. “We don’t want to fall into the trap of industrial scale production,” he explains. He says he is not against high turnover but he insists on maintaining high quality, and artisan production cannot be subject to time pressure. (Picture: Product ranges for breakfast and evening meals, plus lunchtime snacks)

The bread and bakery goods range has now been supplemented by the Joseph Finefood Range. In the shop in the Naglergasse you find organic milk, organic muesli, juices, finefood salads in cooperation with Francois LaLiberté, sweet spreads and pestos. On a recently created market stall that is placed in front of the boutique on Fridays and Saturdays you can buy all manner of specialities to eat on bread. Cheese, sausage, ham, spreads and oils produced in the region are on sale here. (Picture: Selection of jams in the bread boutique)