Master pastry chef continues to share his expertise and sweet confections at age 92

To many Marion residents, a pink pastry box can only mean one thing − Andrew’s Pastries. The business has brought decades of joy to the city through its treats and very established community presence.

On occasion, one who visits Andrew’s might find themselves in the presence of a special guest − Tony Weibl, a 92-year-old German pastry chef and former Galion baker owner. For a little over a decade now, Weibl has been paying regular visits to Andrew’s Pastries, carrying with him his delicate craftsmanship and his unique story.

Hailing from Yugoslavia, an old European state now known as several Balkan states that border Germany, Weibl grew up familiar with hardship. In 1944, his small town in Yugoslavia was evacuated as the Russian military closed in. He and his community fled upward toward a small town in southern Germany, where he would end up spending the latter part of his childhood.

Path begins with apprenticeship at German bakery

Weibl was around 13 years old when he migrated to Germany. This was the same time when children in Germany were expected to leave primary school and continue to apprenticeships, comparable to trade schools.

“The education system was very different there," he recalled.

Weibl chose an apprenticeship at a bakery − both an opportunity to learn the craft of pastry but also to survive.

“The war was still going on, and you couldn’t get anything to eat. … You get plenty of baked goods to eat [at a bakery]," he noted.

Weibl originally planned to be an attorney, but out of necessity chose baking, which he soon fell in love with.

In 1951, Weibl and his family immigrated to Mansfield,. Tony went on to serve in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, where he made use of his cooking skills and learned English. After his time in the military, he opened Tony’s Pastry Shop in Galion, where he would make his claim to fame.

Tony's Pastry Shop was known for it variety

In nearly three decades of operation, Tony’s Pastry Shop became known around the state for its variety of cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, breads, rolls and other treats. While the shop regularly made wedding, birthday and graduation cakes, Weibl noted his store was unique because of its variety.

“You don’t have bakeries that make everything [anymore] … That was my advantage as a business,” he said.

Weible retired and closed the Galion bakery about 30 years ago.

Among those recently visiting Andrew's Pastries was Bob, a long-time patron of Tony’s, who said he came from Delaware when he heard Weibl would be in the shop.

“Nowhere else in Ohio has an old German guy making Austria rolls like Tony,” he said.

Austria rolls are simple yeast rolls that, according to Bob, are good as hamburger buns. He also touted Tony's sugar brownies, a recipe that Weibl said, “you can’t get no place.”

“Every time he comes I learn a new technique,” said Andrew Swartz, owner of Andrew’s Pastries, “It’s just pure craftsmanship.”

Marion baker, Weible meet at baking convention

Schwartz met Weibl nearly 15 years ago at a baking convention. Curious about Weibl's techniques, Schwartz invited him to his pastry shop − and the rest is history.

As Weibl weighed and rolled dough with the rest of Andrew’s staff, his cup of black coffee never left his side. He zipped and whirled naturally throughout the kitchen, not needing a timer or any recipe as he baked cakes, cupcakes, rolls and breads.

To honor Weibl and his impact on his community, the Galion History Center unveiled an exhibit dedicated to Tony’s Pastry Shop. Before its unveiling to the public in March, Weibl was invited for a surprise reveal party. The exhibit is viewable to the public at The Galion Historical Center, 132 S. Union St., Galion.

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Galion bakery owner Tony Weibl bakes up a storm at 92 in Marion