our story

Who We Are

We are Sherif and Nadine Farag, and the Elephantine Bakery is our dream. How we got here is a journey with twists, turns, and heaps of serendipity. The short version is this: Nadine rebelled first. After earning a Masters and completing one year of doctoral studies in global health, both at Harvard, she left with a sense there was something different out there for her. A short while later, living in New York City, and working in management consulting at McKinsey & Company, Sherif too started asking the big questions: what matters, what is success?

The Elephantine Bakery is our collective answer. It is an endeavor that we believe in, one that reflects our deepest values: good food, a beautiful setting, the nurturing of community, and the art of living well.

Born and raised on the Seacoast, Sherif is a graduate of Ferrandi in Paris, where he studied bread and viennoiserie under the mentorship of Didier Chaput.

For the longer version, come by the Elephantine and we’ll tell you over a cup of coffee.

Elephantine Bakery

Bread is ancient. 4,000 years ago, on Elephantine Island in the Nile River, a bakery stood. Millenia later, we are still baking bread, still eating it. A testament to the fundamental place bread occupies in the human experience. For thousands of years, bread has mattered. Human beings have gathered around it, shared it, broken it. It has fed and nourished and sustained human life.

We are inspired by this history, by the timelessness of bread. Elephantine Bakery is an artisanal bakeshop serving fine breads, pastries, breakfast and lunch on the New Hampshire Seacoast. We are trained in the French tradition, but our curiosity and tastes are informed by the diverse and dynamic countries that border the Mediterranean Sea.  

Our Philosophy

We believe in making slow food, honoring the craft, and using exceptional ingredients. We make our bread and pastries using traditional techniques, and most of what we do is by hand. Everything at the bakery is made on site, from scratch, daily. We don’t intend for this to ever change.

We believe food is an experience, one shaped by the space you’re eating in and the music you hear and the intention of those making and serving your food.

If we had a guiding principle it would be this: the only things worth doing are those done well.

Everything we do starts with our team. We spend our days creating and laughing and learning with the most wonderful team imaginable. Elephantine is possible because of their spirit and energy. Meet them here.

Brittany

Brittany is a lightning bolt wrapped up in the sweetest package, a mastermind of operations who beams with curiosity and a passion for making things work better. At the bakery since its earliest days, Brittany pours of her imagination and brightness to craft our strategic and creative direction. She can do in a few minutes what takes the rest of us much more, does it always with a smile and with wit and with a sense of humor and so much grace. Her inextinguishable spirit is an endless source of joy to everyone who interacts with her, and especially to those of us fortunate enough to work alongside her.

Brittany is most at home traveling. She wants to see it all and try it all. Her adventures have taken her from Copenhagen and Hanoi, to Scotland and Norway. She has lived in five states and two countries. Her very favorite place is New Zealand. A photographer and writer, she documents her travels here.

Shauna

Shauna is our ray of sunshine—a bright light who illuminates our days with her positive attitude, boundless enthusiasm, and love of the journey. Her earliest baking memories, of chocolate chip cookies made with her mom as a little girl, nurtured in her a deep love of baking as a way of celebrating the simple moments that make a life full and meaningful. Shauna is most passionate about classic baked goods like cookies and muffins and banana bread because of the ability these time-honored pastries have to transport us to places that warm and comfort us. 

Prior to baking, Shauna worked as an account manager at experiential and digital marketing agencies, working with clients in a range of markets. Sherif and Nadine wined and dined and begged her to pursue her dream of baking professionally, which she did, joining our baking team in Elephantine’s early days. Outside the bakery, Shauna leads a rich life of family gatherings, entertaining friends, travel, and exercise. In December, she magically transforms into a Christmas elf.

Kate

Curious, compassionate, and kind—Kate is a dream. Originally interested in working in our front of house, Kate spent a mere few hours at Elephantine before Sherif pulled her into our kitchen, in a rare coup against Brittany that Britt has surely not gotten over, particularly as the extent of Kate's awesomeness has become clear.

Hailing from Boone, NC, Kate graduated from UNH in 2022 where she studied Marketing and Sustainability. After high school, she took a gap year where she traveled and worked in Central America, an experience that profoundly shaped how she sees the world, and how she moves through it. She loves being outdoors, learning new things, and music, for which she'll travel far and wide to attend a music festival or a live show. At Elephantine, she heads our pastry program and serves as a leader in our kitchen, where she does everything with excellence and grace.

Jill

Always moving, learning, doing, Jill graduated early from high school and spent a gap year visiting 48 national parks. That same fun, eager energy now electrifies Elephantine where she has become our very own natural wonder. A true Renaissance woman who spends her time at Elephantine greeting, planting, designing, creating, mending, fixing, wiring, the list goes on. She possesses a rare combination of skills—a wildly imaginative faculty, and the technical skills to bring her visions into reality.

Jill’s mark starts with her ebullient laugh, which can always be heard at the bakery. Her role here has evolved over the years, from a part-time UNH student studying sustainable farming, to her present role as one of the leaders in our Front of House. Harnessing her many talents and passions, Jill’s imprint at Elephantine continues to expand. In addition to working front of house, making coffee, working on the cuisine line, and learning our pastry program and dough programs, she arranges the bakery’s flowers each week, plants our garden, designs the scenery for our special events, makes art, and serves as our handyman, working silently and magically to get everything working and tidy. From raising flower beds to rewiring the oven control panel, Jill always keeps us grounded. Outside of Elephantine, Jill sews, studies woodworking, dabbles in graphic design, and works at a local farm.

Adriana

Many qualities make Adriana special, but perhaps above all is that she is deeply connected to her joy, and radiates it to all around her. Perhaps nothing brings Adriana more joy than food, which she talks about with unbridled enthusiasm, always sharing what she cooked last, what she's baking next, and meals that left a mark on her. The opening line of her application to Elephantine reads,"My name is Adriana and I have an extraordinary sweet tooth." Food is so much more than nourishment for Adriana. It is also connection and simple pleasure and a way to find joy in the human experience.

Adriana studied hospitality and business at the University of Tennessee and then went to culinary school in New York City. Travels through France and Italy gave her an appreciation for the magic of French pastry, and of Italian espresso. Adriana enjoys gardening, beekeeping (and making honey), and all things food.

Kathleen

An integral part of our front of house team, Kathleen can most often be found doing one of the countless behind-the-scenes activities that enable us to care for our guests most holistically. Beyond this vital function, she entertains us with her quick wit and her sharp humor, peppered with occasionally sardonic remarks that have become a highlight for us all.

An artist and creative with a genuine appreciation for the power of culture, ambiance, food, and beauty, Kathleen connects with the soul of things. She finds meaning and inspiration in traveling, making art, and fostering community. She holds an MFA from Tufts and spends her free time painting and learning at her studio in Boston.

Emma

Art, nature, and community are Emma’s three pillars, her inspirational sources that motivate her to fully explore the world and gift it with beauty. Bursting with creativity, Emma loves working with her hands and getting them dirty as a potter, a sculptor, and a jewelry maker. She brings that same passion and creative vision to Elephantine where she leads our cuisine team in crafting our breakfast and lunch offering, and tackles every plate as an art project.

After two years working in New York City’s restaurant scene, Emma is thrilled to be back home in the Seacoast and to reintegrate with all that she missed —the beach, the park, the river. Emma loves jumping into the cold ocean water and beachcombing, even in the dead of winter. She also savors Portsmouth’s small-town feel, a place where everyone knows each other, even if they’re just coffee mates.

Karissa

Once Karissa joined the Elephantine team, it was only a blur before she went from new kid on the block to essential go-to person. With her enthusiastic, can-do attitude, brilliant mind, and insatiable desire to keep learning, Karissa has transitioned from cuisine to dough prep while also working in the pastry program and filling in in the front of house. In every role, her exuberant spirit and creative talent leave a fun and everlasting impression, whether she’s breaking into a dance in our kitchen, kidding with Sherif, or putting her own artistic spin on cake decorating,

A New Hampshire native with a degree in culinary arts, Karissa looks forward to beginning her world travels, with her first stop being South Korea to study its culture and baking techniques. Then, some day off to Greece to visit her family roots. Until then, you may catch her closer to home, playing tennis, working out at her gym, or enjoying time with her family’s three dogs. And always smiling.

Izzy

Introspective and thoughtful, Izzy navigates each step of her life’s journey with the question, how can I bring happiness to others? Izzy fell in love with baking as a child, when she discovered that the simplest joys often came out of the kitchen. She loved helping her grandmother whip up magical delights, and she still breaks into a radiant smile whenever she thinks about her grandma’s special fudge. Today, Izzy relishes showering friends and family with her baked gifts and touching their hearts this way—with nourishing and unexpected kindness.

A recent transplant to the Seacoast, Izzy does dough prep at Elephantine and recently began doing the early morning bake. While her new schedule is keeping her away from the Sunday family dinners that she grew up with, Izzy says that working at the bakery is “like a dream.” When she’s not baking, Izzy loves to read, play soccer, and hang out with her six-year-old chihuahua, Dixie. Looking down the road, Izzy plans to have her own bakery…and nail down her grandma’s fudge recipe.

Molly

After spending her earliest years in Sag Harbor, New York, Molly moved to Portsmouth where she has scooped, ladled, blended, and brewed in local restaurants since she was fifteen years old. In each position, she’s been struck by the sense of community that flourishes in these culinary gathering spots. It is that human interaction, that source of social connectivity, that drew Molly to hospitality, where she can foster meaningful human connection in ways, big and small—by offering a warm hello or a reassuring smile. Kind, sensitive and sincere, Molly, a member of our front of house team, has an unquestionable knack for making Elephantine’s guests feel at home. If she looks familiar, you may have passed her on the banks of the Piscataqua when she worked for the Gundalow Company, or perhaps on a neighborhood sidewalk during her former dog walking days. Now, she focuses her attention solely on George and Olive, two lovable basset hounds who belong to her family, all of whom she adores.

A self-taught artist, Molly has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of New Hampshire. She is absolutely brilliant, and can be found rather casually taking on subjects such as quantum physics, the nature of human existence, and questions of social evolution and anthropology. She invites conversation on a wide spectrum of topics anytime—just say the word!

Bernadette

A powder keg of energy, Bernadette is constantly seeking new opportunities to learn, to lead and to leave a positive impact. Kind, empathetic, and attentive to all, Bernadette fell in love with Spanish during a two-week exchange program in high school where the language enabled her to understand and connect with a broader swath of humankind. Profoundly moved by our commonality—our shared humanity—Bernadette is eyeing a career in foreign service that will ultimately lead to an embassy position in a Spanish-speaking country, where she can raise her voice on behalf of others.

Always active and involved, Bernadette was president of her high school freshman class, participated in student council, played soccer, ran cross-country, and ran her first half marathon at age 16. Now at the University of New Hampshire where she is pursuing a double major in Spanish and economics and a minor in global studies, Bernadette leads hikes for the UNH outing club (she’s climbed 33/48 of NH’s 4,000 footers) and dances in the university’s hip hop group, The Wildcat Dance Crew. You can find her working in our front of house team on Fridays—please say hello when you do.

Marlee

In her consummate quest for excellence, Marlee approaches life all-in, embracing her mother’s philosophy: if you’re going to do something, do it well. Finding intense fulfillment in the details (yes, she loves Excel!), Marlee throws herself into facts and figures, soaking up knowledge that she shares eagerly with others. A nutrition graduate from UMass, with a huge, genuine, caring heart, Marlee is passionate about health and wellness, and recently became a certified integrative nutrition health coach. Her mission to improve everyone’s well-being is boundless, much to the delight of Birdie, her four-year-old lab mix, who feasts nightly on Marlee’s homemade dog recipes. 

Before joining our front of house team, Marlee was a frequent customer who possibly holds the record for five visits to Elephantine in a single weekend. Thanks to Sherif’s persistence, Marlee jumped on board and now graces our Saturdays with her goodness, sincere love for hospitality, and dedication to creating a seamless guest experience. During the week, Marlee works in data analytics at a pharmaceutical company. Outside of work, Marlee loves spending time with her nieces and nephew and running with Birdie at Ogunquit Beach, her all-time happy place.

Gabbie

Flexible and fearless, Gabbie has viewed the world from all possible angles – lunging forward, springing backward, twisting upside down. An accomplished gymnast, she began tumbling at age four and never wanted to stop. Disciplined, resilient, and good natured, Gabbie gives testament to the full body-mind-spirit connection. Competing through college as an undergraduate, she loved the camaraderie and teamwork she found in the sport while also excelling in the classroom as a sports-medicine student and a writing tutor. As a pillar of our front of house team, Gabbie continues to demand the very best of herself, whether she’s greeting a customer, serving a pastry, or performing her favorite role as a barista.

Gabbie holds a master’s degree in integrated medicine from Georgetown University. With her gymnastics days behind her, she now has more time to enjoy her many other interests which include yoga, baking, reading, surfing, hiking, and getting together with her large brood of cousins at family get-togethers. An all-around champion in all she does!

Ceci

Ceci is a classic, quite literally. Passionate about history and languages, Ceci graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in classics and an intense interest in cultural evolution. How did humanity get from there to here? Reflective and detail-oriented, Ceci has a magical way of making the universe feel more intimate—the past more present, the distant more familiar. In addition to speaking Portuguese, Spanish and German, Ceci also understands ancient Greek, ancient Latin, and Mandarin. She’s lived in Germany for four years, studied in Greece for one month, and always dreamt about working in a small, cozy coffee shop. As part of Elephantine’s front of house team, her natural warmth encapsulates a hometown feel, while her graciousness and gift of language enchant customers from every corner of the map. Hailing from Vermont, Celi loves speedskating, snuggling with her two new kittens, and spending time with her family. Back at UNH, she is currently pursuing an accelerated master’s degree in National Security Intelligence Analysis.

Drew

Genuine, open-minded, and sincerely positive, Drew has quickly become a magical piece of Elephantine’s front of house team. She possesses that rare gift of altering time—one brief chat, and it’s like you’ve known her forever. Her natural warmth, easy-going nature, and friendly smile spark an immediate, upbeat connection that puts our guests instantly at ease.

As she weaves through the big choices of life, Drew stays true to her own path, guided by the question, what matters most to me? That personal journey has taken her from family summers at York Beach; to Salve Regina University where she studied psychology; to work in behavioral health, where she cared for children with disabilities; to Washington D.C, where she jumped into hospitality; to Elephantine, where she excels in extending a spirit of warmth and welcoming to our community. Passionate about movement, Drew studied dance for 11 years, played shortstop on her high school and college softball teams, and loves swimming year-round in the ocean.

Mary

A warm, down-to-earth Mainer who conquered Manhattan, Mary finds community wherever she puts down roots. After graduating from Fordham University with a bachelor’s degree in American studies and a master’s in urban studies, this self-described city person continued to make New York her home for another nine years, working for a fashion e-commerce company, a non-profit, and an international organization focusing on sustainable transportation. Curious and outgoing, she loved the city’s history, its architecture, and its magical, everyday features that draw strangers into each other’s lives—the busses that move people around so efficiently; the sidewalks that are the ecosystem of everyone coming together; and the coffee shops where neighbors connect in a New York minute.

That same vibrant communal energy attracted Mary to Elephantine when she returned to New England, first as one of our afternoon regulars and now as an invaluable member of our Front of House team. Whether she’s greeting one of our guests or wearing her barista hat, Mary’s joy at the idea of turning strangers into friends makes Elephantine an immeasurably better place. An ardent fan of summer, Mary loves working in her garden and spending time at the Peirce Island pool. She also sits on Portsmouth’s Housing Blue Ribbon committee which focuses on supporting the city council’s efforts to bring affordable housing to Portsmouth.

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