Baker Rob Alexander and TGM Bread have parted ways. As first reported by Eater , TGM's head baker ( and a 2016 James Beard Award semifinalist for outstanding baker ), is leaving that bread business to take up the executive baker position at H&F Bread Co.
TGM Bread, which launched earlier this year, is a venture from the General Muir team of Todd Ginsberg, Jennifer and Ben Johnson and Shelley Sweet. Located next door to the General Muir at 1540 Avenue Place in Emory Point, TGM Bread supplies bread for the group's restaurants (The General Muir, West Egg Cafe, Fred's Meat & Bread and Yalla) as well as wholesale accounts to Atlanta area restaurants and is open for retail sales on weekends.
Alexander cited multiple reasons for the move. He will be working at H&F’s new 50,000 square foot facility at 1500 Marietta Boulevard, a building triple the size of the bakery’s current space on Ellsworth Industrial. The location posits him very close to his home and it fords him the opportunity to work in a bakery of a vastly greater size than the 1,800 to 2,000-square foot facilities, including that of TGM, that he is used to. H&F is not new to Alexander. He spent time working there before moving on to Alon’s Bakery and later to The General Muir. Alexander noted that he looks forward to returning to work with H&F co-founder Joe Best, whom he called “an extraordinarily successful businessperson.”
Alexander came aboard The General Muir as its head baker in 2014. His 20-year baking career has included an apprenticeship with Lionel Vatinet at La Farm Bakery in North Carolina and with master baker Didier Rosada at the now defunct National Baking Center in Minnesota. In addition, Alexander has spent more than 18 months abroad learning French baking techniques and his resume includes a short stint in 2006 with Thomas Keller.
As for the bread-making at TGM, “You are not going to see a change in the quality of the bread,” said Jennifer Johnson. The operation will be overseen by Ginsberg and Sweet, along with bakery manager Logan Lockner. “We are in great shape to move on… We have our main baking team still intact,” said Johnson. She anticipated a decision regarding a head baker replacement in the coming days.
Johnson also clarified that the pastry department at The General Muir, headed by Pastry Chef Chris Marconi, “has always been and will continue to be responsible for bagels, pastry baskets, pastrami & cheese croissants, black & white cookies, cheesecakes, the gluten-free ‘black car’ macaron, and all other desserts served at The General Muir. TGM Bread is responsible for producing all other breads, such as sandwich breads served at The General Muir and breads sold by TGM Bread at markets and to other restaurants.”
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