how it started
Faria (pronounced like Maria) is named after a California beach. The first years were bootstrapped together by Chris (founder), his college friend (and his van), the amazing Grace (of BlackwallBakery), and a few extraordinary family members. Defined by pure grit, we stayed up every Friday night, baking through the dark, and transporting racks of fully proofed croissants across town just to increase our yield. Said van windshield was smashed and the house almost burned down, but week after week, we delivered hundreds of loaves and pastries to the Folsom and Midtown markets. It was at the markets, under the easy-up canopies standing shoulder-to-shoulder with farmers for years, that the local farming relationship we have today were formed.
today
the bakery is co-run by myself and my partner Natalie. Natalie joined as a barista right after we opened our brick and mortar in 2019. She lasted maybe a day in that role—her intense discipline and creative eye made her growth as a chef immediate and instrumental to our growth. Natalie directs the pastry, coffee, and front-of-house, while I lead the bread and kitchen teams. Together, we also lead our teaching program where we share over a decade of professional baking experience.
what drives us
We live four blocks away with our ten chickens, three labs, three cats, and eleven fruit trees—our testing ground for the regenerative loop we preach. Chris brings a background in environmental science and mapping, providing the "paint-in-the-lines" technical structure of our culinary ecosystem. Natalie’s vision, defined by her Chinese heritage and a degree in industrial design, ensures we are as beautiful and thoughtful of the land as we are respectful.
By blending a production mindset with artistry, we’ve created a space where heritage shines through bread and pastry. We believe a rising tide lifts all boats; by investing in our farmers and this community, we work to make the world around us not only more sustainable, but kinder and more compassionate.
what we value
what we value
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what we value what we value 〰️
let’s make rain whole grain
We see bread and pastry as more than a vehicle for food; it’s a way to bring nutrition to our community. Using whole and ancient grains isn't just a health choice—it’s a culinary one. These grains offer a complexity you simply cannot get from sifted white flour. The same is true for naturally leavening all of our breads; by using a long fermentation process with wild yeast and bacteria, we neutralize phytic acid and break down gluten proteins, making the bread easier to digest and the nutrients more bioavailable.
Because we are obsessive about our sourdough program, we work with the wildness of these living organisms to create a unique depth of flavor in every bake. The results shift with the specific wheat crop, the Sacramento weather, and the temperament of our starter on any given morning. We don't fight these variables; we manage them to ensure our commitment to local grain and nutritional integrity results in the best-tasting product possible. Some of our favorites include Durum, Einkorn, Rouge de Bordeaux, Spelt, Rye, and Yecora Rojo, sourced from millers like Cairnspring Mills, Full Belly Farms, and Central Milling. If you want to know exactly what’s in your loaf or pastry, ask for our handy handout that breaks down which grains are used in each product.
sustainable food systems
We view "Farm-to-Fork" as more than just a tagline for the City of Trees; it is a conscious, difficult, and largely economic decision. To us, a local food economy mirrors Kevin Morse’s vision at Cairnspring Mills: a decentralized, regional system that restores the link between the field and local consumer. It is about moving away from a commodity system that exploits the land in a "race to the bottom," and moving toward a system that reconnects and reinvests through local food businesses. Last year, we had over a million dollars in expenses, with the vast majority of that spend going directly back into the regional economy. It takes years to build these relationships, and sourcing this way costs significantly more than a standard supplier—like, a lot more. We choose that cost because we believe in the ethos of partners like Cairnspring Mills and Full Belly Farm, who are building a sustainable food system that actually rewards the people who tend the earth. Last year, we serviced over 35,000 unique customers. Every loaf we sell is a deliberate investment in a kinder, more profitable, and more resilient future. We are deeply conscious of our impact on our Oak Park neighborhood and Sacramento as a whole.
Thank you for being here, for supporting our local farmers, and for actually giving a shit.
Our Sourcing Philosophy
The integrity of our bake begins in the soil. At Faria, we don't just "buy ingredients"—we build relationships. We believe that sourdough bread and pastry should be a transparent reflection of the Sacramento Valley and the global artisans who set the standard for their craft. From the identity-preserved grains of the Skagit Valley to the citrus groves of Lindcove, every component on our menu is chosen for its flavor, its story, and the stewardship of the people who grew it.
The Millers & Grain
Full Belly Farm | Guinda, CA A true farm-to-loaf partnership. While legendary for their organic produce (hi dru!!), Full Belly is also the source of our fresh-milled Rouge de Bordeaux. They stone-mill this heritage grain on-site and deliver it to us weekly, ensuring the flour in your bread retains the volatile aromatic oils and living nutrients that are lost in commercial shelf-stable options.
Cairnspring Mills | Skagit Valley, WA A revolutionary mill that is redefining the future of flour through "Identity Preserved" grains. We rely on Kevin Morse’s vision and stone-milled flours—like the distinct Expresso and Yecora Rojo varietals—to give our sourdough its signature hydration, aroma, and deeply caramelized crust. They are the benchmark for regenerative agriculture in baking.
Central Milling | Petaluma, CA An institution in the American organic grain movement, Central Milling provides the consistent, high-protein organic flours that form the structure of our daily bakes. Their commitment to pure, unbleached, and untreated grain ensures that our long-fermentation process is never compromised by industrial additives.
Oak Park Brewery | Sacramento, CA (Oak Park) Our neighbors and collaborators in the truest sense. We reclaim their spent pilsner and stout grains—rich in fiber and flavor—to mill into flour for our cookie creating a zero-waste loop that tastes like the neighborhood.
The Farms (Produce)
Riverdog Farm | Guinda, CA Located in the fertile soils of the Capay Valley, Riverdog provides us with dynamic, certified organic produce grown with deep respect for the ecosystem.
Saetern Farms | Sacramento, CA A staple of the local farmers' markets, the Saetern family grows some of the most vibrant berries and produce in the region.
Azolla Farm | Pleasant Grove, CA A small-scale, two person-owned of Scrivner and Rosie, farm dedicated to biodiversity and soil health. Their specialty herbs, edible flowers, and unique vegetable varietals provide the finishing touches and complex flavor profiles that make our savory items stand out visually and culinarily.
Patrick’s Garden | Sacramento, CA Hyper-local sourcing at its finest. Brian represents the tight-knit community food web of Sacramento, providing us with unique, small-batch produce that you won’t find in broadline distribution, often harvested just miles from the bakery.
Lady Hawke Farms | Sacramento Valley Known for their meticulous care and high-quality specialty crops and eggs. it has been incredible to watch Melissa’s growth as farmer - spectacular!
Good Humus Produce | Capay Valley, CA Pioneers of the organic movement in our region, Good Humus has been farming with "earth-first" principles for decades. We look to them for the stone fruits and orchard harvests that find their way into our jams, galettes, and seasonal preserves.
Lindcove Ranch | Exeter, CA When citrus season hits, Lindcove is our obsession. Their family-run grove provides the lemons, oranges, and specialty citrus that drive the zest and acidity in our glazes, curds, and cakes, offering a brightness that defines our winter and spring menus.
Dairy, Eggs & Proteins
Rancho Los Encinos | Sacramento Valley The secret behind the golden structure of our pastries. Jose’s pasture-raised hens produce eggs with rich, vibrant yolks that provide the custard-like crumb in our brioche and the structural integrity of our cakes.
Straus Family Creamery | Marin County, CA The first 100% certified organic creamery in the United States. We use their organic cream-top milk and yogurts exclusively, ensuring that the dairy in your latte or your scone is as sustainable as it is delicious.
Sunh Fish | Sacramento, CA A legendary Sacramento institution. We are proud to source our seafood—specifically our smoked salmon—from Sunh Fish, ensuring that our savory toasts and sandwiches feature the freshest, most respected catch in the city.
Coffee & Tea
Camellia Coffee Roasters | Sacramento, CA The heartbeat of our morning service. Ryan isn't just a vendor; they are Sacramento royalty and close friends who understand that great coffee is the necessary partner to great pastry. We proudly brew their ethically sourced, meticulously roasted beans because their attention to detail matches our own.
Song Tea | San Francisco, CA Curated by Peter Luong—a sourcing legend we are lucky to call a friend—Song Tea represents the pinnacle of single-origin tea culture. Peter personally travels to China and Taiwan to find leaves that express true character and terroir, treating tea with the same reverence we treat heritage grain. His collection is rare, clean, and deeply aromatic, offering a tea service that rivals the complexity of fine wine.
faria in the news
“This compact bistro comes from the team at Faria Bakery, namely Christopher Beattle and Natalie Quach, who have brought Sacramento some stupendous artisan baking. Faria is very much about the local bounty of the Sacramento delta and nearby.”
The Resy 100: Restaurants Around the Country That Define Dining Today By Jon Bonné, Resy’s managing editor, author of “The New French Wine” and other books, and a two-time James Beard Award winner.
“head baker & owner Christopher demonstrates how he first mixes the flour and sugar with melted butter before incorporating the warmed milk and finally adding the eggs. I'd never seen this method before”
Kitchen Projects #99 Canele by Nicola Lamb is the author of the Times Best Selller & pastry-science bible SIFT and the voice behind the "Kitchen Projects" newsletter, celebrated globally for her rigorous, ingredient-first approach to technical baking
“Faria began as a cottage project in Christopher Beattie’s Oak Park home in 2018 and evolved into the Sacramento region’s preeminent bread store with a pair of brick-and-mortar locations. Beattie and Co. show their love of naturally-leavened ancient grains such as durum, einkorn and spelt by pairing the resulting products with first-rate area fruits and vegetables”
-Sacramento Bee
Sac Bee
“Just a couple dollars per item but it’s a rare site to see these days!!
-a person on Reddit
Sac Bee
“When you take that bread knife to the loaf the first time — and it’s kind of like shattering as you cut through the crust, and there’s just crust exploding and going all over the place and it makes this mess — yeah, it’s a beautiful thing - Chris Beattie”
Randall White wrote the piece for NPR All Things Considered Captiol Radio
“Naturally-leavened bread with rave reviews coming to Oak Park’s Broadway Triangle”
-Sacramento Bee
“Bread and croissant lovers, get excited. Faria Bakery, currently a cottage operation producing some of the best breads in Sacramento, is opening a permanent space that will bring the cult-fave naturally leavened breads from baker Chris Beattie to everyone.
Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/food-drink/article229920674.html#storylink=cpy”