What Standard Baking does

Standard Baking Co. is a privately held, family-owned artisan bakery founded in 1995 by Alison Pray and Matt James in Portland, Maine. Operating from a single retail storefront at 75 Commercial Street, the company produces handcrafted breads, breakfast pastries, treats, rolls, and beverages using time-honored European techniques, including 3-day slow-fermented croissants made with high-fat European-style butter and naturally leavened sourdoughs built on organic starters. Its product portfolio spans naturally leavened loaves (Maine Miche, Pain au Levain, Sesame Spelt Loaf, Maine 5 Grain), hand-laminated pastries (Croissant, Pain au Chocolat, Morning Bun with Walnuts, Ham & Cheese Croissant), cookies and tarts, French and Italian rolls, and a small beverage program featuring Coffee by Design coffee and Rishi teas. Merchandise such as a branded cookbook and canvas tote extends the offering.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with three order paths: walk-in retail, online ordering with designated pickup windows, and phone-ahead curbside pickup, alongside a secondary wholesale channel supplying organic bread to local Portland-area restaurants and retailers. Pricing is unit-based across categories ranging from $1.25 rolls to $12.50 specialty loaves, with merchandise up to $32.95. The company emphasizes local sourcing through partnerships with Maine Grain, Blue Ox Malthouse, Coffee by Design, Rishi Tea, Allagash Brewing, and Cabot Creamery. It was a 2018 James Beard Award semifinalist and has received consistent regional press recognition.

Standard Baking Co. employs 15+ full-time staff including bakers, drivers, retail sellers, and office personnel, and is privately held with no institutional investors, funding rounds, or parent company. The technology stack is described as a standard WordPress e-commerce site with no public APIs or AI/ML components, and there are no patents, certifications, or regulatory actions on record. Marketing is conducted primarily through organic Instagram, Facebook, Yelp, and earned media coverage in regional and national publications.

Name

Standard Baking

Legal name

Standard Baking Co.

Website

https://standardbakingco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Standard Baking Co. is a privately held, family-owned artisan bakery in Portland, Maine, founded in 1995, producing handcrafted European-style breads, pastries, treats, rolls, and beverages for walk-in retail, online pickup, and local wholesale customers from a single storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Bakery

NAICS

Retail Bakeries (311811), Baked Goods Retailers (445291)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Artisanal & Craft Bakeries (CRAHAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Artisan & Specialty Bakeries (Sourdough, Heritage Grains) (THAFAFAD), Cafe-Bakeries (Bakery + Coffee/Foodservice) (THAFAFAG)

Keywords

• Artisan bread bakery
• Breakfast pastries
• Naturally leavened sourdough
• Retail bakery coffee
• Wholesale bread supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Bakery Sales: Direct retail sales of baked goods, pastries, bread, coffee, and treats to consumers visiting the bakery at 75 Commercial Street, Portland Maine. Customers can also order online for pickup.
2. Wholesale Distribution: B2B wholesale supply of organic bread to other businesses. Bakery offers wholesale inquiries for restaurants and retailers.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including cookbook ($32.95), canvas tote bags ($24.00), and insulated coffee cups

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Standard Baking Co. handcrafts artisan breads, breakfast pastries, treats, rolls, and beverages using time-honored European techniques and slow fermentation. The bakery produces naturally leavened sourdough loaves, hand-laminated croissants, and seasonal specialty items from locally and sustainably sourced Maine grains and organic ingredients. Sales occur primarily through a walk-in retail storefront and online ordering for pickup in Portland, Maine, with a secondary wholesale channel supplying organic bread to local restaurants and retailers.

Product overview

Standard Baking Co. is a traditional artisan bakery offering handcrafted breads, breakfast pastries, treats, rolls, and beverages. The product portfolio centers on European-style breads including baguettes, naturally-leavened sourdoughs (Pain au Levain, Maine Miche), and specialty loaves (Sesame Spelt Loaf, Maine 5 Grain). Breakfast pastries feature hand-laminated croissants, Morning Buns, and various scones. The treat category includes brownies, cookies (Chocolate Chip Cookie, Sea Salt Chocolate Pecan), tarts, and macaroons. Rolls span French Rolls, Italian Rolls, Brioche Rolls, and specialty Fougasse varieties. Beverage offerings include coffee, tea sourced from Rishi, and cold brew. Merchandise includes a cookbook and canvas tote bags.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Baguette Slow-fermented, hand-shaped French baguette with a thin crisp crust and creamy open crumb, sold by the loaf.
• Sesame Spelt Loaf Naturally leavened bread with toasted sesame seeds complementing the nuttiness of spelt flour, sold by the loaf.
• Maine Miche Naturally leavened bread made from 100% Maine-grown organic wheat with highly hydrated dough, yielding a moist open crumb and deeply caramelized crust.
• Pain au Levain Naturally leavened sourdough loaf with mild acidity developed through a long fermentation technique.
• Maine 5 Grain Naturally leavened bread using pre-soaked stone-ground whole grains for a moist, nutrient-dense loaf.
• Croissant Hand-rolled croissant made with high-fat European-style butter and slowly fermented over 3 days to create hundreds of flaky layers.
• Pain au Chocolat Classic buttery French pastry with bittersweet chocolate tucked into flaky laminated layers.
• Morning Bun with Walnuts Most popular breakfast pastry, made with laminated croissant-style dough rolled with brown sugar and cinnamon swirl and topped with walnuts.
• Blueberry Oatmeal Scone Cake-like scone with Maine wild blueberries and a touch of lemon zest.
• Cranberry Walnut Scone Tender, cake-like breakfast pastry with cranberries and walnuts.
• Ham & Cheese Croissant Croissant dough wrapped around black forest ham and gruyere cheese with a touch of dijon mustard.
• Lemon Tart w/Fruit Shaker lemon tart made with whole lemon for deepest citrus flavor, topped with fresh seasonal fruit.
• Brownie Quintessential brownie with a fudgy center and a glossy paper-thin crinkly top.
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Classic chocolate chip cookie with toffee-like flavor, bittersweet chocolate chunks, crispy edges and a chewy center.
• Sea Salt Chocolate Pecan Cookie Elevated chocolate pecan cookie with Valrhona chocolate chunks, toasted pecans, and flaky sea salt.
• Coconut Macaroon Gluten- and wheat-free macaroon, chewy and crunchy with a pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon, sold 6 per bag.
• Chocolate Sablé Sandy-textured cookie made with dark cocoa and chocolate flakes, sold 8 per bag.
• French Roll Crusty dinner roll made from baguette dough, seasoned for sauces or small sandwiches.
• Italian Roll Crusty roll with open crumb ideal for meals or as a sandwich roll.
• Brioche Roll Classic egg- and butter-rich yeasted roll from France.
• Asiago Fougasse French flatbread with chewy crumb, crusted with Asiago cheese and black pepper.
• Seeded Fougasse Slow-fermented, chewy savory flatbread from Southern France, crusted with seeds and olive oil.
• Marinated Olive Roll Northern Italian-style dough with house mix of marinated olives, open and airy crumb with a firm crispy crust.
• Raisin Pecan Roll Chewy, slow-fermented roll with raisins and pecans, suitable as a breakfast treat or energy snack.
• Coffee Freshly brewed coffee in small/large sizes, including Bakery Blend Medium Roast, SBC Dark Roast, Decaf Medium Roast, and Bard Light Roast varieties from Coffee by Design.
• Hot Tea 16oz of tea selected and blended by Rishi, available in English Breakfast, Earl Gray Lavender, Mystic Mint-Ginger, Chamomile, and Jade Cloud Green.
• Cold Brew 16oz cold brew coffee made from Coffee by Design beans.
• Coffee by Design Whole Beans 1lb Whole bean coffee from Coffee by Design, available in Bakery Blend Medium Roast, SBC Dark Roast, and Decaf Medium Roast, sold by the pound.
• Standard Baking Cookbook Published collection of pastry recipes enabling home bakers to recreate favorite Standard Baking Co. treats, retail-priced at $32.95.
• Canvas Tote 100% cotton, generously sized natural canvas tote bag featuring branded artwork, retail-priced at $24.00.
• Wholesale Bread Supply B2B wholesale supply of organic artisan bread and select baked goods to restaurants, cafes, and retailers in the Portland Maine and Northeast US region, with daily fresh delivery.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Blue Ox MalthousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of floor-malted barley grains from Lisbon, Maine. Used in the Malted Barley Bread product. The floor malting process involves sprouting and gently hand-raking grains to create natural sweetness.
• Maine GraincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of local whole wheat, spelt, and rye flours from Maine. Used across multiple bread products including Sprouted Multigrain which utilizes local whole wheat, spelt, and rye from Maine Grain.
• Coffee by DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Portland Maine coffee roaster supplying whole bean coffee for retail sale. Offers Bakery Blend Medium Roast, SBC Dark Roast, Decaf Medium Roast, and Bard Light Roast varieties.
• Rishi TeaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTea supplier selected and blended for hot and iced tea offerings. Provides English Breakfast, Earl Gray Lavender, Mystic Mint-Ginger, Chamomile, and Jade Cloud Green tea varieties.
• Allagash Brewing CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaine craft brewery whose ale is used as an ingredient in the seasonal Cheddar Ale bread product.
• Cabot CreameryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDairy cooperative supplying cheddar cheese used in the seasonal Cheddar Ale bread product.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Panera Bread: National bakery-café chain combining breads, pastries, and coffee. Provides a broader incumbent benchmark for the cafe-bakery category, even though its positioning is mass-market rather than artisan.
• King Arthur Baking Company: Vermont-based, employee-owned baking brand with a national bakery café, retail flour and baking products, and a baking school. Operates in a similar artisan/craft baking space but at vastly greater scale and with a broader product portfolio.

Direct peers

• Bouchon Bakery: Thomas Keller's bakery concept serving French-style viennoiserie, breads, and pastries in a café-retail setting. Comparable in craft techniques, premium positioning, and European baking heritage.
• Dominique Ansel Bakery: New York-based artisan bakery known for handcrafted viennoiserie and signature pastries, with international expansion. Comparable in European-inspired craft baking, premium pricing, and a brand built around founder expertise and press-driven demand.
• Balthazar Bakery: New York bakery adjacent to the Balthazar restaurant, offering French-style breads, pastries, and sandwiches. Directly comparable in producing European-style artisan baked goods for both retail and foodservice customers.
• Tatte Bakery & Café: Boston-origin artisan bakery and café chain offering European-style pastries, breads, and coffee with a similar handcrafted, locally-sourced positioning. Closest comparable in product mix (croissants, pastries, artisan loaves) and cafe-bakery operating model, though at significantly larger scale.
• Levain Bakery: Iconic New York-based artisan bakery famous for handcrafted cookies and breads, with a premium brand built on craft quality. Highly comparable in product mix (breads, pastries, cookies) and in leveraging a single strong brand to drive multi-location growth.
• Amy's Bread: Manhattan-based artisan bakery producing handcrafted European-style breads and pastries for both retail and wholesale customers. Closely comparable in combining a retail storefront with a wholesale bread-supply business, mirroring Standard Baking's dual-channel model.

Regional players

• Two Fat Cats Bakery: Independent Portland, Maine bakery producing pies, whoopie pies, and other baked goods. Operates in the same city and competes for overlapping local retail and tourist demand, though the product mix skews more toward pies than artisan breads.
• Hi-Rise Bread Company: New England-based artisan bakery producing stone-mill, naturally leavened breads, sold through retail and wholesale channels. Comparable in craft philosophy, natural leavening, and wholesale-to-restaurants distribution model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/standardbakingco
• Instagraminstagram.com/standardbakingco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Standard Baking