Baker Ergin leaves fireworks terror behind him: ‘Now playing with dough again’

It is very busy in Bakery Asya in the Gageldonk district in Bergen op Zoom. While sweet pastries and deliciously fragrant rolls fly over the counter, owner Ergin Yilmaz (39) is working overtime. In between baking and serving, he tells how he managed to rebuild his business, which was destroyed by fireworks bombs last year.

“We have been closed for a year, so we are very happy to be open again. For ourselves, but of course especially for the customers who have missed us. We have recently started operating again and it may be even busier than before,” says Ergin with a broad smile on his face.

How different it was around the turn of the year in 2024. The Turkish bakery in Gageldonk-West was pelted no fewer than three times with fireworks bombs in a short period of time. The heavy fires that followed caused more than a ton of damage.

The bakery is located at the intersection of Kamperfoeliestraat and Ericalaan. Young people regularly hung around on the small grass strip next to the business. To calm things down, the mayor imposed a ban on gatherings around the bakery and temporarily installed camera surveillance.

“Of course I was sad. That’s not surprising when you consider that I put my whole heart and soul into this. Fortunately, I received a lot of support from customers. Now things are calmer again. Still, I would like the municipality to put the cameras back as a precaution,” says Ergin.

After the destruction of his business, he and his employees did not give up. They worked for over a year to rebuild the bakery. A few weeks ago he was able to open the doors of his completely renovated shop and restaurant again.

He prefers not to think back about the period of the fireworks terror. He tries to leave that far behind him. He prefers to focus his attention on making baklava, pizza rolls, glazed treats and of course Turkish bread, his great specialty.

“I come from a real baker’s family; my brothers are also in the trade. Playing with dough, or making good and tasty bread, is still my favorite thing to do. But I just as much enjoy chatting with the customers in the store,” says the Bergen baker.

The perpetrators of the fireworks bombs were never found. For safety reasons, Ergin has now installed a large number of cameras in and around the bakery, with which he keeps an eye on every corner of his business. He hopes he never has to experience something like this again.