Two Portland bakers were recipients of the prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards at the organization’s annual awards ceremony on Monday, June 10, in Chicago. Atsuko Fujimoto of Norimoto was awarded Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.
A veteran of Portland restaurants Fore Street, Standard Baking Co., and Miyake, her first business was Ten Ten Pié. She describes her bakery as “European baking, Japanese sensibility, Maine ingredients.”
Barak Olins of Zu Bakery won for Outstanding Bakery. Since 2000, he has used Maine-grown grains milled in-house to create fresh loaves of bread and pastries. The annual James Beard Foundation Awards are part of the nonprofit James Beard Foundation that recognizes the country’s best restaurants, bars, bakeries, chefs, and operators.