In 1989, Nancy Silverton founded La Brea Bakery in Los Angeles, contributing to the growth of the artisan bread movement in the United States. During her time with La Brea, the bakery gained national attention for its old-world baking techniques.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of its introduction at La Brea Avenue in L.A., Silverton is working with La Brea Bakery to develop new, special edition breads. The La Brea Bakery Founders line is set to launch later this year and will include items featuring ingredients like sprouted grains, alternative flours, and Nancy’s original sourdough starter developed during the bakery’s early days.

“I originally opened La Brea Bakery because I wanted to create authentic artisan breads – the artisan bread movement hadn’t yet arrived in the United States,” says Nancy Silverton. “Within a few weeks of opening, we were selling out of our baguettes and loaves before the end of the day. I didn’t anticipate the bakery would get such a strong fan following so quickly – it was such an amazing opportunity to be in the kitchen with people I loved making great bread, and I’m very much looking forward to revisiting my roots and partnering with La Brea Bakery for the 30th anniversary.”

Today, La Brea Bakery sells its artisan breads across the country. The bakery’s archetypal breads – which included the French Baguette, Rosemary Olive Oil, Country White Sourdough, and Whole Grain – have grown to include more varieties and new flavors.

“We’ve grown tremendously over the last 30 years – not only in distribution, but also in our bread selection,” says Jonathan Davis, Senior Vice President of Research and Development at La Brea Bakery. “While our core breads remain our biggest sellers, we’ve expanded the bread program in recent years to include gluten-free breads, take & bake varieties, and our Reserve program, which is our farm-to-table portfolio. It’s been a remarkable experience to have witnessed the bakery evolve into what it is today.”