Our History

1980's-1990's

La Brea Bakery opens the first retail store in Los Angeles.

The store offered six archetypal artisan breads - Sourdough Baguette, Country White Sourdough, Whole Wheat, Normandy Rye, Olive, Rosemary Olive Oil.

"Passion and love are baked into each loaf of La Brea Bakery bread."
  • The founding year of La Brea Bakery
  • La Brea Bakery wins "Best French Bread" in Los Angeles in a blind taste test hosted by The Food Paper.
  • We open a larger bakery in central Los Angeles to serve the growing demand for our breads and pastries from stores and restaurants from Santa Barbara to San Clemente.
  • We begin developing a par-baking process and this enables us to distribute our breads throughout the country for final, on-location, personal baking.
  • In a taste test conducted by the San Francisco Chronicle, La Brea Bakery's par-baked Sourdough Baguette wins the competition against local sourdough breads to the surprise of San Francisco residents, consumers known for their community allegiances.
  • La Brea Bakery opens a baking facility in Van Nuys, California to support the decision to take the breads nationwide.
  • La Brea Bakery Café opens at Downtown Disney of Anaheim, California.
  • In another taste test conducted by the San Francisco Chronicle, La Brea Bakery's Olive Bread wins.
"A baker's touch requires skill and dedication; it takes this touch, this special passion to make great bread."
2000's
  • The Washington Post awards La Brea Bakery's Sourdough Baguette with first place in their artisan bread round-up.
  • La Brea Bakery opens a baking facility in Swedesboro, New Jersey in order to keep up with demand for its 35 varieties of artisan breads.
  • Oprah Winfrey features La Brea Bakery's Granola on her talk show as one of "Oprah's Favorite Things for Spring."
  • Forbes magazine writes, "La Brea [Bakery] offers the best potential for upside surprises as IAWS cranks up output to meet heavy demand."
  • The Los Angeles Times declares La Brea Bakery its bread-winner in the "Best of Everything" issue.
  • The baking facilities in Van Nuys, California and Swedesboro, New Jersey receive the highest ratings possible from the American Institute of Baking and NSF-Cook & Thurber.
  • The Whole Grains Council gives four La Brea Bakery breads, Wheat Baguette, Whole Grain Loaf, Wheat Loaf, White Wheat Petite Loaf, it's "Good Source" stamp.
  • State-of-the-art production lines are added to the New Jersey location in order to meet growing business.
  • La Brea Bakery's breads are now available in ten countries: Singapore, Korea, Japan, China, United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland, Taiwan, Canada and the United States.
  • Bon Appétit names La Brea Bakery's Rye Loaf the winner with five-stars in a taste test of European-style rye breads.
  • La Brea Bakery is chosen "Baker of the Year" by Sosland Publications' Baking & Snack and Baking Management.
  • La Brea Bakery is ranked 13th in the U.S. among all fresh bread sales according to AC Nielsen's US Branded Fresh Bread Sales Report, 52-weeks ending March 31st 2007.
  • Organic product line is introduced, featuring the Organic French Baguette, Organic Rustic French Loaf and Organic Wheat Loaf.
  • World leader in travel dining and shopping, HMSHost Corporation, announces the opening of the very first airport outposts of La Brea Bakery in LAX's Terminals 1, 2 & 7.
  • Our new line of Take & Bake frozen breads provides consumers nationwide access to our signature breads for an authentic, bake-at-home experience.
  • La Brea Bakery and BelGioioso Cheese will host tasting demonstrations the weekend of December 18, 2009 at 40 Weis stores throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland.
  • Just in time for the holidays, we launch our Artisan Bread Stuffing - the first of its kind to be sold in the in-store bakery.
  • The Perishables Group ranks La Brea Bakery 1st in the U.S. among all artisan bread sales for 52 weeks, ending September 25th, 2010.
  • La Brea Bakery is ranked 11th in the U.S. among all fresh bread sales according to AC Nielsen's U.S. Branded Fresh Bread Sales Report, 52-weeks ending September 4th, 2010.
  • Soft Flour Tortillas are introduced into our retail segment.
  • Introduction of Artisan Place - a new center for concept development located within the east coast bakery in Swedesboro, NJ. Our resident artisan bakers are able to replicate a wide range of operational environments.
  • La Brea Bakery Artisan Chocolates are introduced into the retail segment.
  • Opening of our newest licensed kiosk at McCormick, bringing the total count to 14.
  • Structure of Aryzta North America is announced and La Brea Bakery partners with other Aryzta North American businesses to operate as a single entity.
  • Though we continue to expand, we don't forget where we've come from.
  • It's not about expansion, it's about quality breads and foods; it's about the people that make these foods and how passionate they are about creating them. Bread is passion; it is unity, it is happiness. That is La Brea Bakery.

 

"The key factor is that while we grow, we don't deviate from our original process." - Mark Loera

 

  • 2016 La Brea Bakery becomes Non-GMO Project verified on nearly all of our breads
  • La Brea Bakery launches La Brea Bakery Reserve - Breads made from single origin heirloom wheat grown in Big Sky Country, Montana
  • Released Fortuna Demi-Baguettes 
  • Non-GMO Project Verification