October 2023 bagel buzz

Oct 1

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Welcome to the "Bagel Buzz,” your go-to source for bagel industry news! In this edition, you’ll find September’s best stories, BagelFest 2023 lineup of vendors and Expert Judges, and our new NYC Bagel Passport that takes you on the ULTIMATE bagel adventure.

And we’re still feeling the love after our Perfect Bagel Baking Classes were featured last month as the lead in The New York Times and on Fox 5 New York as an interview & demo between myself and Christal Young. If you haven’t joined us yet for a class, it’s a truly unique & immersive experience.

-Sam Silverman, Founder of BagelFest

7 BEST BAGEL STORIES FROM SEPTEMBER

Oui want free bagels:
Take a free DNA test to find out how French you are and win a 12 month-supply of bagels!
(Timeout)

The plain bagel rule:
How naked bread is the ultimate test of a bakery (NPR)

An adoughable pop-up:
Lucy Sparrow Brings Her Fully Felted Bagel Shop to the Lower East Side (WWD)

Entering the ring:
When photographer Dan Martensen failed to find his favourite New York-style in London, he founded a bakery to make the things himself (Financial Times)

A legacy of endurance:
The Old-School Seattle Bagel Shop That Refuses to Die or Change (Eater Seattle)

J-Bagels on the rise:
Break fast, the big meal at the end of Yom Kippur, might feature a fresh dish on the platter this year (The Takeout)

Essa banana bagel!:
The collab ran last month and was a dessert lover's dream come true. (PIX11)

Let's see what Sam had to say!

BAGELFEST 2023 ANNOUNCEMENTS

We’re less than a month away from the 4th Annual New York BagelFest, taking place October 21 & 22 at the Starrett-Lehigh Building!

We have a full lineup of incredible bagel shops from NYC & beyond, including Starship Bagel & Ruby's Bagels, both of which were featured in Bon Appétit's best bagels in the U.S. list, and a real-life bagel-off between NYC bagels & Montreal-style bagels from the one & only, St-Viateur Bagel. We’ll have lox, cream cheese, coffee, and everything else in between! Look out for our final lineup announcement VERY soon!

We also have our trusted lineup of Expert Judges, including journalists from The Today Show, Infatuation, and The Nosher, content creators, professional bakers, and passionate bagel enthusiasts, who will have the VERY tough job of crowning bagel royalty in multiple categories at this year’s event.

And speaking of the competition, check out the hardware the select few bagel shop winners will be awarded (in addition to bragging rights, of course!).

Don't miss this one-of-a-kind culinary celebration that celebrates New York's most beloved breakfast staple.

BUY TICKETS HERE

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

CLOSINGS

After 2 1/2 years of business, South Philly’s Koshak Bagels has closed. Owner Phil Koshak cited changing processes and an unshared vision amongst staff as a few reasons for the sudden closure. Check out Sam’s recent post about it.

26 months and 250,000 bagels later, Rollyholers of Exeter, NH hung up their iconic jerseys. We loved getting to know co-owner Robert on this episode of The Bagel Buzz.

A BAGEL PASSPORT FOR
THE ULTIMATE BAGEL ADVENTURE

In case you missed it, we just announced the launch of our NYC Bagel Passport in collaboration with Yelp! That’s right, for only $30 ($72 value), NYC Bagel Tours & Yelp are sending you on the ultimate bagel adventure to 22 of the best bagel shops (across 12 bagel brands) to claim a free bagel & schmear.

Jet off to some of our favorite shops, including Liberty Bagels, Kossar's, Tompkins Square Bagels, and more. Travel with friends or go on a solo journey to collect a stamp at each location, and if you get all 12 stamps, you’ll be eligible to win limited-edition merch at BagelFest!

PURCHASE HERE

National Pizza Month - Two of lifes greatest gifts – pizza & bagels – and when you combine them to make a pizza bagel, it’s NYC bagel bliss.

National Dessert Month - Who says dessert needs to be cookies, cupcakes, and ice cream?! Indulge in a blueberry, chocolate chip, or french toast bagel or a bagel sandwich with nutella, cookie dough cream cheese, or triple berry tofu to satisfy your sweet tooth
Halloween (10/31) - Get ready for a frighteningly flavorful month of Halloween-themed offerings from bagel shops like the ones here from The Bagel Nook. Bagels shaped like pumpkins, black & orange bagels, pumpkin cream cheese. We’ll let you know where to go for more of these drop dead delicious items!