Beigel Bake. Brick Lane’s Jewish deli.

Beigel Bake can be found on London’s famous Brick Lane. We visit it on our Eat the East End food tour.
Here we talk about the famous Beigels and the story behind the shop.

What is a beigel?

Firstly let’s look at the strange spelling. Most people are familiar with the spelling Bagel. Whilst the word describes the same thing the original Jewish spelling is slightly different. Here in the East End of London we like to keep with authenticity, hence Beigel Bake.
The Beigel is made using a traditional family recipe from the Cohen family, who own the shop. What makes these Beigels so special is that they are boiled first and then baked in the oven. This gives them their crisp outside and soft inner.

Beigel fillings

At Beigel bake they are just as famous for their fillings as they are for their beigels. The must try is of course their salt beef beigel. This is served with a healthy dollop of english mustard and a pickle. Delicious. The guests on our food tour love this and it’s always a classic London instagram dish.
Another filling we love is the smoked salmon, also known as Lax.

The story of Beigel bake.

In 1974 brothers Asher Cohen, Amnon Cohen and Sammy Minzler set up a beigel business after arriving in London from Israel. At that time Brick Lane was a popular Jewish area. In 1976 2 of the brothers Asher and Sammy branched out and moved a few doors down to open what we now know as Beigel bake. Since then the shop has gone from strength to strength. Famous faces including Prince William and Kate have visited the shop. The place is know for it’s queues but no one is put off joining them.

The beigels themselves are made in the kitchen at the back of the shop. A large dough machine mixes all the ingredients and then creates the round shape. The dough is then slowly boiled and then cooled in mesh baskets. Before the dough is baked it is arranged on wooden planks called Shebas. This helps stop any burns the chefs might get when using the hot ovens.

How to visit Beigel Bake

You can visit the Beigel Bake 24 hours a day. 159 Brick Lane. It is a go to late night bite for many Londoners. Many taxi drivers like to come here at the end of their shifts. And we all know, the best people to ask about food are taxi drivers.

If you’d like to try one the famous beigels yourself, why not come and join our Eat the East End food tour. We explore Brick lane and the surrounding area, tasting some of the best bites in London. Find out more at www.londonbitestours.com