Meet the Grainger Market Traders: King Baby Bagels
We chat to the team behind popular Grainger Market eatery King Baby Bagels
King Baby Bagels have come along way since first appearing at Tynemouth Market in 2019, setting up a permanent home in Newcastle’s Grainger Market in 2021 and getting nods from the likes of The New York Times and Esquire.
With a second store recently opening in Fenwick, we had a chat with owners Joss Elder and Gordon Colley about bagels, business and the future.
What inspired you to set up King Baby Bagels?
A combination of things - a fun idea turned into a hobby which turned into a weekend side hustle. The passion set in and people loved it, so we kept going and it progressed into what we have today. That and we were fed up with working for other people and decided we'd be happier to do it for ourselves!
How did you come up with the name King Baby Bagels?
It started as a name Joss's wife used to use for him when he was getting a bit hangry. We found it had a unique ring to it and it seemed to almost instantly stick. There is also a New York street artist whose tag is King Baby so that's cool.
What made you decide to make the leap from your Tynemouth Market stall to a permanent location at Grainger Market?
We gained quite a few fans and traction in a fairly short time while working at Tynemouth Market and during lockdown we both had time to re-evaluate what we were doing with our lives. We started making arrangements to leave our jobs and open a shop. Also, the opportunity to be in the great historic Grainger Market became available. The shop was the perfect mid-way point between a market that we were used to and a full-on shop.
What makes the perfect bagel?
Round for a start! Fresh, chewy but not too tough of a crust, fluffy but not too dense and a flavour that is subtle but still cuts through your filling.
If you had to recommend just one of your bagels to a first-time customer, which one would it be?
Our most popular bagel is the Baby Ru (a classic Reuben sandwich) but when asked we always go to the O.G - salmon and our signature mixed cream cheese but make it 'pimped', with added red onion, capers and bill.
Your stall is one of the most eye-catching in Grainger Market – what inspired its design?
Colour-wise, it's just a nice colour we like. The branding and style is influenced by our love for the tattoo industry, pop culture and our sense of humour.
What do love most about being a part of the Grainger Market community?
Mainly the relationships we have developed with the other traders here. We look out for each other, and it makes coming here every day a joy.
You recently opened another location in Fenwick Food Hall – how’s that going so far?
Great! Fenwick has been extremely hospitable and it's a great opportunity to be part of another great business with origins in the North East!
Do you have any more big plans for the future?
We could go on forever about what we would love to do and that would mainly be a bigger shop where we can do everything we could ever want. It would look really cool and be a destination stop for anyone looking for a great sandwich or deli-related goods.
But for now, we are working hard with what we have to do our very best to solidify ourselves as a Newcastle must-visit. We just hope everyone else continues to show support and tag along on our journey because we can't do it without them!
King Baby Bagels is located in Units 5 & 6 on Alley 1 in Grainger Market and is open from 10:30am to 4pm on Mondays and 8:30am to 4pm Tuesday to Saturday. For more information visit www.instagram.com/kingbabybagels/.
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