Atsuko Fujimoto was a journalist for 8 years in Tokyo before she moved to Maine with her husband. Out of curiosity, she took her first kitchen job at Fore Street restaurant in 2002.  She has never worked outside Portland, ME since then.

Fujimoto further honed her skills at Standard Baking Co. and Miyake before co-founding Ten Ten Pié with Markos Miller in 2014. After nearly five years, the beloved bakery and café closed its doors in March 2019.

Fujimoto is now the owner of Norimoto Bakery in Portland. The bakery is best known for its authentic ingredients, European baking techniques and Japanese-inspired sensibility within its weekly selection of artisanal offerings. In June 2024, Fujimoto won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker. Learn more about Atsuko’s baking journey in this article by Tim Cebula.

Barak Olins

Photo by Kelsey Kobik

Barak Olins is the founder and head baker of ZUbakery in Portland, which took home the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bakery in 2024. He is originally from Tennessee, and moved to Rockport to build boats.

In 2000, Olins launched his business in a barn in Freeport. After spending over 20 years exclusively selling at farmers’ markets in Brunswick, he opened ZUbakery in Portland’s West End in 2022. The bakery serves a variety of rustic breads and pastries in a minimalist 650-square-foot space featuring an open kitchen.

Read more about these James Beard Award winners in this article by Kay Neufeld.