The Pioneer of Pastry and Loaf Bread in Hatay: The Story of Tevfik Usta

At the beginning of the 19th century, Hasan Usta, a native of Çamlıhemşin who went to Moscow to work abroad, learned the art of pastry making there and opened his own patisserie. By training his son, Tevfik Usta, alongside him, he turned him into a master pastry chef. After losing his father post-1910, Tevfik Usta took over the business and began running it alone. However, during this period, communist movements in Moscow gained momentum. With the uprising of the people and soldiers, Nicholas II was dethroned, and the Tsarist rule came to an end. Following the October Revolution, the communist regime came to power. In this environment of political turmoil, Tevfik Usta, together with a friend and the help of Russian acquaintances, managed to cross the border and return to Turkey using an agricultural aircraft. He brought with him the Manats (Tsarist currency) that he and his father had saved for years. However, since the Soviet regime did not recognize the Manat, these savings no longer held any value.

Tevfik Usta decided to live in his village in Çamlıhemşin, Rize. He rolled up his sleeves to complete unfinished work in the village. During this period of scarcity, he planted fruit trees, sowed corn (a staple food of the Black Sea region), tended to the gardens, and revitalized tea cultivation. At the same time, he completed renovations on the house. The approach known today as “zero waste” was actually already a part of life due to the conditions of that era; nothing was wasted, and everything was utilized.

After staying in his village for about 5-6 years, Tevfik Usta learned that there was great wealth and cultural development in Iran during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi. Since pastry making was not yet known in Turkey, he decided to take his savings and go to Iran. He opened a pastry shop there. Due to the oppression he had faced in Moscow for being a foreigner, he named his shop “Tehran Patisserie” to avoid attracting attention in Iran. The quality of his products quickly gained fame in Tehran, eventually reaching Shah Reza Pahlavi, and he began serving the palace.

After spending seven years in Iran, Tevfik Usta decided to return to Turkey out of homesickness. He transferred his patisserie to an Iranian for a good fee. Thanks to the lessons learned from his experience in Russia, he converted his money into gold before returning to Turkey. He spent a few years in his village to satisfy the longing for his family that had lasted for years.

By 1939, Hatay had joined Turkey. Tevfik Usta, wishing to continue his profession, was looking for a place to work away from home. When he mentioned this at a gathering of friends, a friend present told him there was a bakery for sale in the Iskenderun district of Hatay and asked if he would be interested. Tevfik Usta’s first question was, “Is Iskenderun a hot place?” because he had been exposed to the harsh cold of Moscow since the age of 14 and was deeply affected by that climate. He decided to buy the bakery with a friend who was at the table. They purchased and began operating the bakery located on Şehit Pamir Street in Iskenderun. At that time, only Aleppo bread and tırnaklı pita were available in Hatay; Tevfik Usta became the first person to introduce loaf bread (somun) and cakes to the region. Although his profession was pastry making, since they had purchased a bakery, they operated it as such from 1939 to 1942.

On May 19, 1942, he opened his first patisserie in Hatay with only four tables and 16 chairs, returning to his original profession.

Today, this patisserie continues to be operated by the fourth generation as a family tradition. Until the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, the patisserie had six branches in Hatay, but three of them were destroyed and swept into the sea, becoming unusable. Currently, it has branches primarily in Hatay, as well as in İzmir, Trabzon, and Osmaniye.