The chefs at a new bagel restaurant and deli in Stokey have learnt from the world’s best.
Launched by The Good Egg team, the Good Things Deli occupies what used to be Namaste on Stoke Newington Church St, and is serving up Montreal bagels packed with exciting fillings and many of their signature sauces and dips.
Their foray into bagels started years ago, when they teamed up with world-renowned Russ and Daughters in New York and Joe Beef in Montreal – using their methods and recipes to serve bagels at a special event.
Through lockdown, it was the sale of bagels for takeaway which kept the Good Egg going.
Alex Coppard, who founded The Good Egg alongside Joel Braham and Oded Mizrachi eight years ago, has been working hard getting Good Things ready for launch.
He said: “Bagels have always been on the menu in the Good Egg but we really enjoyed serving them up for takeaway in lockdown – they were really successful. To put it simply, serving bagels during the pandemic kept people in work and was a real lifeline.
“It showed us there’s a market for a really good bagel deli. We’d been looking for a suitable site and were so excited when this building became available.”
Armed with a paintbrush, Alex has been dedicated every spare moment to renovating the restaurant and he hopes soon to turn his attentions to the garden there. The chefs start work at 7am, handmaking every bagel.
Alex added: “Montreal bagels are poached in a sweet liquor – they’re denser than New York bagels and the hole is bigger. They’re traditionally served dipped in cream cheese but we find filling them works really well.”
Among the fillings are Egg and Smoked Cheddar, Hot Salt Beef with Sauerkraut, Chicken Schnitzel with Tahini Ranch Slaw and Pickled Cucumber as well as Matzo Fried Fish. There’s a big move towards sustainability. Any bagels not sold are turned into chips (similar to crisps), they’re sourcing high-welfare meat and fish and organic flour.
Good Things also sells merchandise and interesting sauces, which you’d usually find on the menu at their sister restaurants. They include labneh humous, tahini, Amba sauce and more.
Before launching The Good Egg, Alex was a jazz saxophonist - performing with bands including the Bombay Bicycle Club.
He added: “Deciding to run a restaurant with friends took me by surprise but I’ve no regrets.”
The Good Egg has restaurants in Soho and Stoke Newington.
Alex added: “We are very much still a small business – I’ve the paint on my hands to prove it!”
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