Finding and retaining sufficiently qualified staff in the long term has been a challenge for many bakeries in particular for years. Now a shortage of staff is forcing a traditional business in the municipality of Münsing, which has existed for more than a hundred years, to close for an indefinite period.
The Ammerlander bakery Graf was initially only open until last Saturday. After that, the company will be closed for the usual time of year. What is certain so far is that Hans-Joachim Kunstmann and his former wife and business partner Michaela Kunstmann will take over the branch in Beuerberg.
Regina Graf speaks of closure. With enough staff, operations will continue
“We are taking a company holiday,” says Regina Graf very briefly on the phone. She and her husband Hubert are the third generation to run the family-owned Ammerlander bakery. The owner explains that her business has lost several employees, but new staff have been recruited at short notice. Regina Graf is talking about closing the business for the time being. “When we have the people back, we will carry on.” Filming will also continue.
Graf is alluding to the fact that her bakery has been one of the central locations of the ARD crime series “Hubert and/without Staller” for many years. In the television episodes, the business becomes the Rattlinger bakery. This has made the business known nationwide. Fans sometimes travel from far away to have a look around in person – and perhaps even see actor Christian Tramitz live, who plays the police officer Hubert Staller in the series and lives in the Münsing community.

In Ammerland, however, the Graf bakery is a real institution. In the sales rooms, customers can find much more than just bread, rolls and sweets. For local residents in particular, the business is a general store that covers all of their daily needs. The range includes sausages and vegetables as well as household and sanitary items from toilet paper to toothbrushes.
Almost 120 years ago, Josef Graf founded the Ammerlander bakery
Josef Graf opened the bakery in 1905. Under Hubert Graf senior, the business also operated under the brand name Edeka. The son of founder Josef Graf was active on the supervisory board of the food company. Hubert Graf senior was also active as a local councilor between 1966 and 1990 and was still behind the counter of his business at the age of 80, shortly before he died in 2010. Hubert Graf junior and his wife Regina Graf are the current owners.
In Beuerberg, all current employees are to continue
The couple only took over the sales rooms of the Grünwald bakery in Beuerberg (neighboring municipality of Eurasburg) in January of this year. The rental contract for this has been terminated. When asked, Hans-Joachim Kunstmann confirmed that he wants to continue at the location from October 1st. He is chairman of the Wolfratshausen shopping town advertising group. With his ex-wife, he runs four hotels in Germany, the “Da Nonno” trattoria in Pupplinger Au. The business area also includes the “AehrenWert” confectionery and bakery with the locations of the Weidacher Backstube, the Wolfratshauser Rathauscafé, the Giesinger Backstube in Munich and, most recently, Beuerberg.

The Kunstmann family will have production for their four sales outlets in the industrial park on Wolfratshausen’s Bürgermeister-Finsterwalder-Ring. “We built in Wolfratshausen with reserves,” says Hans-Joachim Kunstmann. “We need to grow a little so that the investment is worthwhile.” Gentle expansion is necessary in order to operate profitably.
For Beuerberg, Kunstmann announces that he wants to rehire all of the current employees. The range of products available will be the same as at the other locations, including cakes and tarts. Beuerberg is an ideal additional location because it is only ten minutes from Wolfratshausen. The business in the monastery village will also offer coffee and other drinks as well as high-quality bakery and confectionery products. This means that the people of Beuerberg will keep their baker, says Kunstmann. That is the good news. “But you have to go there and shop if you want to keep your shop,” he makes clear.