The Minneapolis-based artisan bakery adds Rath as director of bakery development to its world class team of baking professionals. 


New French Bakery, Minneapolis, named James Rath as director of bakery development, bringing 22 years of expertise with one of New York’s top wholesale artisan bakeries. Rath led the manufacturing, R&D and quality teams at Tom Cat Bakery from its inception as a tiny 1,300-sq.-ft. bakery with 10 customers to a $32 million company employing 260 employees and providing service to more than 900 clients.    

Rath also spent six years in aerospace engineering, which required precision and quality operational practices. That experience served him well in bringing efficiency and high standards of quality to the baking industry to ensure efficiency and consistency in both product and business practices.  

Rath also loves great bread. His intricate knowledge of baking ingredients and Artisan techniques allows him to bring customer concepts to reality in the kitchen and develop products that look good and taste even better.  

According to Peter Kelsey, owner and head baker at New French Bakery, “James Rath brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from his years of Artisan baking. His addition to the New French Bakery team gives us a great advantage over the competition in developing new products and delivering on the high standards that customers expect from New French Bakery breads. Mr. Rath is also a long time friend and collaborator, and I am excited to see what we will be able to create together.”