Our story

Gustav - True to the taste

None of us should accept mediocrity – whether it’s a birthday cake, an important anniversary or a simple moment at the lunch table. That is why we have agreed that Gustav provides high quality you can trust. It is a decision to work at the highest possible standard at any time – even if it is difficult, inconvenient or costly – because this is how we show how much we care.

We care about authentic tastes, which is why we use only natural simple ingredients – fresh and unprocessed. Gustav’s pastries, cakes and confectionery are made from carefully selected local ingredients; eggs, cream and flour from Estonian nature.

Every last one of Gustav’s beloved recipes has been devised by our cake artisans who put a piece of their heart and soul into every delicacy. It’s both food and creativity, in which, in addition to the best flavours from around the world, you can always recognise the innovation and curiosity of our talented confectioners. Gustav is the most beloved Estonian cake brand of 2020!

Our history dates back to 2005, when Õie Pritson and Joel Ostrat decided to revive one of the oldest cafes in Estonia, Werner, on the corner of Tartu Ülikooli Street. It was already clear then that the passion for food that united Joel and Õie was bigger than one cafe – so they had to find a name that would also convey the quality and opulence of the food born in Werner’s cafe in stores and cafes. They didn’t have to look far for inspiration, and the new regal name was put after the founder of the University of Tartu, located across the street, King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden.

Rivo Sisas and Siim Liivamägi joined the team the following year, with whom Gustav’s true potential was discovered. The enthusiasm and curiosity did not let them wait any longer, and our first cakes sold in retail were carried to Tartu Department Store by Siim himself, decorated with labels that were printed and stuck on at home. A truly hand-crafted product! Thanks to this four-member core, Gustav has grown to how we know it today – a trendsetter in the food world bringing a slice of luxury to every day.

2005

Õie Pritson and Joel Ostrat revive one of the oldest cafes in Estonia on Tartu Ülikooli Street – Werner Cafe.

2006

The manager of Werner Cafe is Siim Liivamägi, who will be the third owner of the cafe next to Rivo Sisas and Joel Ostrat.

2008

Handmade confectionery delicacies now bear Gustav’s name and Siim Liivamägi takes them to our first retail client – Tartu Department Store.

2010

The interest in Gustav's confectionery products exceed our production capacity in the basement of Werner Cafe and we start manufacturing confectionery products in the manufacturing premises on Sõbra Street in Tartu.

2015

Joel Ostrat’s first ready-made meals are published in the ‘bake–enjoy–live!’ series.

2016

In January, Gustav Gastro Cafe opens at the Tartu Department Store, which is both a cafe and a world-class restaurant. Following the example of Tartu, Gustav Gastro Cafe with a similar concept opens in the Viru Centre and the Gustav Cafe in Mustamäe Centre begins operation.

2018

The expansion process, which began in 2017, is completed, resulting in 1557 square meters of free space for the production of Gustav’s delicacies.

2019

Cafes in Tallinn have become so popular that we open a new Gustav Cafe in Kristiine Centre.

2019

Our first confectionery products suitable for export are ready to take over the world.

2020

Brand products originating from Werner Cafe can be found today in all retail chains operating in Estonia. In addition to Gustav's confectionery and Joel Ostrat's ready-made meals, the group includes eight cosy cafe-restaurants and a catering service.

Our values
Our promises

JOY OF LIFE
The joy of life is the foundation of everything – it is the beginning of the love of life and work, which is one of the most important components of Gustav’s handmade pastries.

COURAGE
Without initiative and accepting new challenges, Gustav would not have new cafes, a range of ready-made meals or a cuisine academy today. We deliberately give ourselves challenges beyond our comfort zone, because that is where progress happens.

CARING
We believe that food is so much more than just a basic need. With our delicacies made with love, we bring care, appreciation and memorable moments in the company of those important to you to your everyday life.

CURIOSITY
The opportunity to do something new is the shared passion of everyone at Gustav – a curious attitude ignites and unites us.

INNOVATION
We hone our skills and constantly improve ourselves by bringing culinary trends from all over the world to Gustav’s product range.

HANDICRAFT
Every delicacy bearing Gustav’s name is made by world-class confectioners and chefs, not on production lines.

NATURAL COMPONENTS
We care about high-quality tastes, which is why we use only natural simple ingredients – fresh and unprocessed.

CLASSIC FLAVOURS AT A NEW LEVEL
We bring you the classics of the modern confectionery world, but in a new and exciting way. Life is too short to settle for mediocrity!

Õie Pritson has been the chief confectioner and creative director of Gustav Cafe since its birth in 2005, when Gustav’s first cafe, Werner, was opened in Tartu. Under the leadership of Õie, the whole world of handmade confectionery delicacies began from the basement with vaulted ceilings and magic, where every last one of the treats is approved by Õie before reaching you. In 2019, she was awarded the title of Wholehearted Worker by the Association of Estonian Food Industry for her long-term contribution and extraordinary dedication.

She calls her work a creative and pure artistic work – and she can harness her creativity in Gustav as much as she wants. In order to hone her skills and improve her knowledge, she constantly trains herself both in Estonia and abroad, bringing trends from all over the world to Gustav. This way you can be sure that all the best things in the world of confectionery and anything you can dream of is already in Gustav’s product range today.

Joel Ostrat is a valued top chef and an entrepreneur with long-term restaurant business experience. Who knows if without Joel, Gustav Cafe would be what it is now – 15 years ago, together with Õie, they revived the oldest cafe in Estonia on the corner of Tartu Ülikooli Street, which has since become a well-known brand both in Estonia and abroad.

Gustav Catering began from top chef Joel Ostrat’s long-term experience in Maitseelamused Catering. Its name is new, but every collaborative event is just as unique and memorable. In order for you to enjoy more moments to yourself, your interests and your loved ones, Gustav Cafe, under the leadership of chef Joel, offers ready-made meals with the familiar quality of Joel’s popular restaurants. According to Joel himself, his ready-made meals are meant for everyone who appreciates good taste, health and, above all, their time.

Siim Liivamägi is the CEO of the Gustav confectionery plant and a true patriot of the company from its beginning. Siim Liivamägi, with a background in economics and public relations, first started in 2006 as the manager of Werner Cafe, where he quickly became the spiritual father of the Gustav Cafe brand and one of the owners of the company. In his opinion, Gustav’s success is primarily based on the people who put their heart into their work, the well thought-out product development, very good cooperation with retail chains and certainly the choice of name for the brand that fits its values.

Siim has not only inspired the birth of the Gustav brand, but he has inspired our entire corporate culture and values: caring for people, always being honest and transparent and the country boy spirit reflected in our high-quality and natural choice in ingredients. His positive energy is contagious, which is why, under the leadership of Siim, Werner’s employees have been repeatedly recognised as the best waiters and Werner as the most acclaimed cafe.

Digital diagnostics project

Gustav Cafe OÜ (formerly Mattias Cafe OÜ) in cooperation with Flowit Estonia OÜ implemented the project “Mattias Cafe OÜ digidiagnostika” in the period October 2019 – March 2020.
The aim of the project is to map the company’s production areas and the development places of the IT services that support them, and to establish an action plan for the digitization and automation of the field. For the implementation of the project, support was received from the Enterprise Estonia measure for the digitization and automation of industry.

EAS tööstuse digitaliseerimise ja automatiseerimise toetus