New York BagelFest 2025 Crowns This Year's Best in Bagels at a Sold-Out Weekend of Global Competition and Community at Citi Field
NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New York BagelFest 2025, presented by King Arthur Baking Company, wrapped an extraordinary weekend of celebration, competition, and community-building, solidifying its status as the epicenter of modern bagel culture. More than 2,000 attendees, world-class bagel makers, dozens of leading food brands, and media from across the globe convened for a full lineup of programming on November 16th, during Sunday's sold-out festival at Citi Field.
Competitors traveled from as far as Madrid, Honolulu, Montreal, Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Chicago, joining local legends across New York City to compete for the industry's highest honors. This global participation underscored New York BagelFest's ongoing evolution into an international culinary landmark. BagelFest has emerged as a launchpad for rising talent, with past winners seeing explosive growth: Connecticut's PopUp Bagels leveraged its two-time wins into plans for 300 locations, while Starship Bagel (Dallas), a past Best Bagel and Schmear of the Year winner, made history as the first bagel shop to become a James Beard Award finalist. This year's competitors arrived keenly aware that a BagelFest victory can change the trajectory of a business overnight.
"BagelFest feels like a party, but for the makers, it's a high-stakes moment. Winning an award can propel a small regional shop into the national culinary conversation. Our 25 exhibitors were hand selected because they are leading the bagel boom in their cities, and when they go head to head, the creativity and craftsmanship reach levels most people never imagined possible for a bagel." said BagelFest founder Sam Silverman. "The pure elation the award winners feel is unmistakable."
On Sunday, the Heineken Diamond Lounge at Citi Field transformed into a lively culinary playground as guests enjoyed unlimited tastings from bakeries representing the best of today's bagel landscape. Local icons such as Utopia Bagels, Ess-a-Bagel, and Town Bagel shared the spotlight with innovators like Tilly Bagel Shop (Chicago), Flour Moon Bagels (New Orleans), Si Si Bagels (Madrid), and Tali's Bagels (Honolulu). The inclusion of Modern Bread & Bagel, one of the world's leading gluten-free bakeries, made the festival more inclusive than ever. Beyond bagels, leading national brands elevated the tasting experience with accompaniments from Acme Smoked Fish, Mike's Hot Honey, Brooklyn Seltzer Museum, and favorites like Peter Pan Donut, a curated lineup showcasing the diversity and creativity of today's culinary culture.
Attendees cast votes using BagelFest's signature token system while expert "Breadhead" judges conducted blind tastings to determine the year's most prestigious awards. Additional juried categories, including Schmear of the Year, Most Creative, Best Showmanship, and Best Bialy, were evaluated onsite by an expanded panel of expert judges comprising leading chefs, authors, food journalists, bakers, creators, and culinary historians. The World Bagel Rolling Championship once again packed the main stage, with crowds cheering as competitors attempted to set a new record for the most uniform bagels rolled in one minute, a BagelFest tradition beloved by families and industry pros alike.
This year's festival offered its most robust family programming to date, including a full Kids' Section featuring all-day bagel-themed craft stations led by Miss Pop Nails and multilingual storytelling sessions by author Arianna Brooks, whose reading of "My Mushy Matzah Ball" was an audience favorite. Families enjoyed discounted youth tickets, and All-Access attendees received exclusive perks such as limited-edition BagelFest shirts and behind-the-scenes Citi Field tours.
It also included BagelFest Industry Talks series, a dynamic four-panel program designed to support the growth, innovation, and professional development of the global bagel community. Throughout the day, some of the most respected voices in baking, hospitality, and food entrepreneurship took the stage to share insights on craft, culture, and business. The first session, "The Key to the Perfect Bagel," moderated by Chrissy Traore of See and Be Kitchen, brought together Joe Savelli of Malt Products Corporation and Jeff Yankellow of King Arthur Baking Company for a deep dive into technique and ingredients. Journalist Andrea Strong, founder of The Strong Buzz, led the second panel, "A Warm (Bagel) Welcome," featuring Tompkins Square Bagels' Chris Pugliese and Brooks Tanner of Fearless Restaurant Group in a discussion on hospitality, guest experience, and cultivating community through food. In the afternoon, "From Toasted to Thriving," moderated by Karen Bornarth of The Bread Bakers Guild of America, highlighted the entrepreneurial journeys of Ben Suh of Between the Bagel, Joshua Pollack of Rosenberg's, and Bridget Odachowski of Holey City Bagels, offering practical perspectives on scaling with integrity. The final session, "How to Scale Your Bagel Business," moderated by Craig Hutchinson of Olmo Bagels, featured Ethan Marks of Apollo Bagels and Matt Kliegman of Black Seed Bagels in a candid conversation on growth, brand-building, and operational strategy. The Industry Talks series was widely praised as an invaluable addition to the festival, reinforcing BagelFest's role as both a cultural celebration and a vital professional hub for the future of bagel-making.
2025 NEW YORK BAGELFEST AWARD WINNERS
Best Bagel (Breadhead Expert Judging Panel. Blind Tasting)
Winner: Starship Bagel (Dallas, TX)
Runner up: Fantzye Bagels (Kingston, NY)
3rd Place: Potchke Bagel (Knoxville, TN)
Best Bagel Sub-Categories
New York Style: Starship Bagel (Dallas, TX)
Sourdough: Fantzye Bagels (Kingston, NY)
Montreal Style: St-Viateur Bagel (Montreal)
People's Choice Award
Winner: Baltik's Bagel (Richmond, VA)
Runner up: Curley's Bagels (Queens)
3rd Place: Town Bagel (Long Island, NY)
Expert Judge Awards
Schmear of the Year:
Winner: Fantzye Bagels for their Charred Leek and Lemon Caper Schmear
Runner up: Starship Bagel for their Garam Masala Schmear
3rd Place: Oído x Olmo for their Sikil Pak Schmear (Mexico and New Haven, CT collab)
Most Creative:
Winner: Potchke Bagel (Knoxville, TN)
Runner up: Starship Bagel (Dallas, TX)
3rd Place: Oído x Olmo (Mexico and New Haven, CT)
Best Showmanship:
Winner: Starship Bagel (Dallas, TX)
Runner up: Emerald City Bagels (Atlanta, GA)
3rd Place: Tali's Bagels (Honolulu, HI)
Best Bialy:
Winner: Potchke Bagel (Knoxville, TN)
Runner up: Tali's Bagels (Honolulu, HI)
Attendee-Voted Awards
Best of the Boroughs:
Winner: Ess-a-Bagel (Manhattan)
Runner up: Utopia Bagels (Queens)
3rd Place: Bagizza (Manhattan)
Best Beyond the Boroughs:
Winner: Potchke Bagel (Knoxville, TN)
Runner up: Flour Moon Bagels (New Orleans, LA)
3rd Place: Fantzye Bagels (Kingston, NY)
Best International:
Winner: St-Viateur Bagel (Montreal)
Runner up: Bagel Belly (Copenhagen)
3rd Place: Si Si Bagels (Madrid)
Rising Star:
Winner: Tali's Bagels (Honolulu, HI)
Runner up: Bagizza (Manhattan)
3rd Place: Backyard Bagel Co. (Seattle, WA)
Bagel Rolling World Champion
Tied for First Place: Alex Baka (Bagizza) and Vince Morena (St-Viateur Bagel)
Number Rolled: Each rolled 27 bagels in 1 minute
Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented to Absolute Bagels, honoring decades of craftsmanship, mentorship, innovation, and cultural impact in New York City's bagel community. They will be awarded in absentia.
"Bagel makers play an important role. They feed people, create comfort, and build careers. But the work can feel lonely because the challenges are so specific. BagelFest brings the community together so no one has to navigate it alone, and so everyone can learn from those who've already lived it," said BagelFest founder Sam Silverman.
Learn more about New York BagelFest at www.bagelfest.com.
About New York BagelFest.
The New York BagelFest is the ultimate celebration of the city's culture. Sample unlimited bagels and schmears from the best bakeries in the world, meet the makers, and experience bagel culture like never before with hands-on programming, one-of-a-kind competitions, and family-friendly activities for all ages. BagelFest is produced by BagelUp, the team behind NYC Bagel Tours and the Bagel Ambassador platform.
About King Arthur Baking Company
King Arthur Baking Company has been dedicated to spreading the joy of baking since its beginning in 1790. Proudly certified as a B Corp and 100% employee-owned, King Arthur stands as the premier baking resource for both home bakers and professionals. Committed to excellence and innovation, King Arthur delivers unparalleled quality flour and technical support to bakery, foodservice, pizzeria, and culinary customers, ensuring impeccable results with every bake. Explore products, support, and resources tailored to bakery and foodservice customers at KingArthurBaking.com/pro.
SOURCE BagelUp
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