Alison Pray

Coming Up

At Two Fat Cats, Alison Pray worked as co-owner in a formative stretch that shaped the working habits behind her later bakery life. The job demanded the daily mechanics of ownership and production: showing up, keeping standards steady, and building a point of view through repetition rather than theory. That kind of shop-floor consistency is what carried forward into the rest of her career. Since 1995, she has been co-founder and owner of Standard Baking Company. The role has kept her tied to a bakery built on continuity, where the work is measured in steady output and the discipline to keep methods intact over time. In that setting, Alison Pray’s name is attached to a business defined by long-term practice, not short-term display.

Where They Are Now

Standard Baking Company’s focus is old world-style breads, rolls, and pastries. The category points to a bakery grounded in texture, timing, and precision, with products that depend on careful handling and repeatable technique. The appeal is in work that stays close to tradition while remaining immediate at the counter.

Signature

Alison's signature dishes include baguettes, financiers, croissants, almond croissants, and butter cookies. The list covers a baker’s range from lean dough to enriched pastry, from laminated work to straightforward cookies. In each case, the craft lies in control of structure, finish, and consistency.

In Their Words “This connection to tradition is a huge part of it and that informs our work every day.” The quote is direct about the bakery’s operating logic: tradition is part of the daily method, not a slogan. In Alison Pray’s work, that means technique and continuity are treated as working tools.

Honors

Alison's honors include James Beard Foundation Award, Outstanding Baker finalist and James Beard Foundation Award, Outstanding Baker semifinalist. Those recognitions place her work within a broader trade conversation, with peer acknowledgment for the standard she has maintained at the bakery.