The James Beard Foundation announced its 2024 winners Monday, June 10, with Portland's ZUbakery receiving the "Outstanding Bakery" award. ZUbakery founder, Barak Olins MFA '04, received his Master of Fine Arts from Maine College of Art & Design in 2004.
Barak Olins MFA '04
Olins started his business in a barn in Freeport in 2000, and after exclusively selling at farmer's markets in Brunswick for over two decades, opened ZUbakery at 81 Clark Street in Portland's West End in 2022. The bakery offers delicious rustic breads and pastries and has a minimalistic 650-square-foot space with an open kitchen. The menu includes morning pastries, bread in the late morning to early afternoon, and pizzettes and focaccia until closing at 5 p.m. They also offer housemade biscotti and granola, local honey, olive oil, wine, and ceramics made by Olins' wife, Mimi Olins '99.
"Thank you to my loyal and lovely customers, many of whom are now friends," Olins said in his acceptance speech. "Thank you to the nearby businesses for being part of a beautiful neighborhood cluster."
For the full list of winners and more information, visit The James Beard Foundation.