Wauchope’s Phat Phuc bakery owner says he’s only had a couple of complaints about ‘rude’ name

Pie-lovers have been getting a hearty chuckle out of the “rude” name of a new bakery, including its “dad bod” owner, even if the corporate regulator found the joke in bad taste.

The "rude" name of a new Wauchope bakery has upset some crustier types, the owner says

A bakery has been well received despite a couple of complaints its name is “a bit rude”.

Matthew Reid opened the Phat Phuc bakery in Wauchope on the state’s Mid-North Coast less than two weeks ago and a photo of the Phat Phuc neon sign that hangs inside the store, which also features the image of a jolly rotund baker, has gone viral on social media.

“Most of the feedback I have had has been pretty good,” Mr Reid said on Thursday.

“The demographics are different in a smaller regional town compared to a larger regional town or a city.

“I’ve just had a couple of older people come in and say ‘that’s a bit rude isn’t it’ and I say take it in your stride, I don’t care what you think, this is my business, get over it you know.”

Mr Reid said he came up with the name late at night while trying to register the name of his new business with corporate watchdog the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

“I had to come up with a business name straight away and sitting there at night I tried to register it and it just kept rejecting it straight away,” he said.

“It knew exactly what I was doing whatever bots they use and that’s why I went with The Double P Bakehouse”.

A Facebook post from The Australian Meat Pie Appreciation Society featuring the Phat Phuc neon sign has attracted over 10,000 likes and other approving reactions.

“Classic name, great to see someone having some harmless fun! Bet the pies are great too!!,” reads the first comment.

It is not Mr Reid’s first bit of risque branding.

Phat Phuc pies are made on the premises.

“The bakery I just sold was called WI Pies and the slogan was “Wrap your lips around a chubby guy”, so I was thinking I had to top that.

“I upset a few old people with that one.”

Mr Reid, whose wife is Vietnamese, said the name has positive connotations in the South East Asian language as it can be translated to mean “Happy Buddha”.

“Used together in that sequence it is actually good karma and a blessing,” he said.

“I could probably argue it with ASIC.”

He said his stepdaughter runs the Wauchope and would not have much time for people who think the name is offensive.

“She has picked up my sarcastic a--e-holish behaviour,” he said.

“She is an exact replica of me, so she gives it to people just as much as I do.

“We are not one of those shops where the customer is always right, we speak our minds. If you are going to abuse my staff I am quite happy to throw you out.”

Mr Reid owns a second bakery store in Port Macquarie and said between his two businesses he sells around 800 pies a day, all of which he makes himself both the pastry and the fillings.

He cuts, minces and smokes the meat used in his pies.

“If it’s a smoking day I have my smoker on from 5am and I have my meat on by 5.30am,” he said.

“We are selling out every day so for a one-man operation it is pretty exhausting. My wife makes all the cakes for us at the other shop.”

Mr Reid is a boilermaker by trade but found himself running three burger shops when living in Newcastle before his family moved to Port Macquarie four years ago.

His wife’s uncle who is a baker showed him how to make pies and he decided to give that a try because “he was sick of burgers”.

Asked if there was any self description in the name Phat Phuc, Mr Reid said it was entirely inappropriate.

“I have a dad bod, I am quite happy to admit that,” he said.

“Being in burgers and now I have a bakery keeping fit and healthy with the hours I do doesn’t really work.”

Originally published as Wauchope’s Phat Phuc bakery owner says he’s only had a couple of complaints about ‘rude’ name