From Strudel to Crodough – Rinkoff Bakery, our June talk
In a story involving a chunk of the world and a slice of the East End, Esther Rinkoff treated us to the story of a Jewish family business founded in 1911.
Ray Rinkoff, Esther’s husband, started in the bakery at 15. They met when Esther was 17 and Ray 21. He would leave two doughnuts on the doorstep for her…
But the story starts with Hyman Rinkoff, one of three brothers in Ukraine. Their village bakery would have its doors open at the back to let out the flour dust and one day, Hyman, Abraham and Benet were called in to learn how to bake. If they could bake, they were told, they would always have a living.
Hyman and Abraham came to East London escaping the Pogroms. Abraham and Hyman found work at bakeries. But testing positive for typhus, Benet had been turned back – his ship sailed for Brazil. Hyman and Abraham went all the way there to look for Benet. But Benet had died. Hyman and Abraham never left the East End again. Their language was Yiddish, a mixture of Hebrew and old German. Hyman was matchmade with his wife, Fanny. They established Lindy’s, related to Rinkoff and Sherrards. Hyman started the first Rinkoff bakery on Old Montague Street.
Hyman and Fanny had seven children. After World War II, Barney Rinkoff wanted to expand the business, Hyman was happy with what he had, there was a Broigus (Yiddish for row) and Barney opened his own bakery in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Hyman’s youngest son Max joined the business. As a teenager, he met Sophie Perlmutter, the daughter at the butcher's shop in Old Montagu Street, Fanny did not approve and his little brother would deliver messages between their shops. Hyman died at 64, his health damaged over time by flour dust. Fanny died in 1953.
Back to Ray, a very naughty schoolboy but he loved baking and he wanted to become a patissier. He was found a job with a bakery with the Royal Warrant that made Princess Margaret’s wedding cake. Max asked him to come and work at Rinkoff.
When Ray and Esther got engaged, Esther went to work at the bakery. Ray's brothers Derek and Lloyd joined when made redundant from jobs in fashion and advertising, bringing their knowledge with them, Derek's son Lloyd started as a little boy and Esther has brought her two daughters into the business, Jennifer, on marketing and new products, including the Crodough, and Debs, who runs the wholesale side of the business. And now there’s Lloyd’s eldest son Ben.
In the pandemic, they kept serving, delivered to those who couldn’t get out and found themselves on the BBC with their short videos on baking.
Five generations, two world wars; two pandemics, 300 products, new and original recipes and an international, multi-ethnic staff of 90, at this Jewish, yet not Kosher, venerable, yet modern, East End family bakery.
Crodoughs were tasted (delicious) and praise given for Heather’s wondrous mini Victoria sponges.
A big thank you to Esther for a fascinating talk.
Find out more about the bakery here and Esther's Walk Talk Bake walks here.
We’ll be visiting Rinkoff Bakery for our next coffee morning: Friday 23 June, 10.30am (ish), 242 Jubilee St, E1 3BS, nearest tube station: Stepney Green, or buses 25 and 205. Rinkoff’s is through the arch under the flats.
