About Us

 

Rüdi's is a small batch artisan bakery. It was founded in beautiful Whangamatā, NZ, in 2021, and in August, 2023, opened its first flagship store in Kirikiriroa (aka Hamilton).

It's run by us - husband and wife duo, Stefan and Fern. We returned to NZ in 2021 after 10+ years abroad, living in France and the UK. Stefan was a professional architecture and interiors photographer, travelling the world for his work, and had a serious love for sourdough. Fern has a PhD in Chemistry, held leadership roles in textile innovation and product development, and is experienced in strategic planning and building and running a business.

When COVID hit in 2020, Stefan's work dried up completely. It was tough times! The silver lining was that it gave him the nudge to turn his passion into profession. He trained in London at E5 Bakehouse and spent 6 months working in artisan bakery Tough Mary's Bakehouse, Nottingham. There he really honed his skills in both bread and pastry. He's incredibly thankful for all he learnt from the amazing TM team.

On returning to NZ, instead of trying to recreate the life that we'd once had abroad, we decided to create something for ourselves. We wanted something that provided us both the mental stimulation and job satisfaction we were looking for, whilst also allowing us the time and flexibility with our young family. 

 Rüdi's was born.

With our complementary skills, Stefan manages all things baking, and Fern, all things business.

All of Rüdi's products are handcrafted in small batches and each day we bake we have a limited selection of sourdough bread and pastry items available.

Thank you so much for your support. It means so much as we grow this little business of ours.

Xx Stefan & Fern.