By Sharon Wilson
Bross Bagels has opened the doors of its biggest venue to date – a shop, 30-cover dining space and in-house bakery at the former bank building at 177 Portobello High Street, across the road from its very first premises which opened in 2017.
The aim is to transport customers to Montreal, with the tastes, scents, sounds and interiors of the city's iconic café culture. High stools and wood furnishings meet metallic finishes that frame an open kitchen and a traditional deli-style counter. Bold pops of neon pink identify the bagel brand.
The bakery is open Monday to Sunday 9am – 5.30pm - and will be licensed. You can sample Mama Bross’ take on a Bloody Caesar - ‘The Bloody Bross’, alongside local Leith brewers Pilot Beer and a selection of wine from vegan brand 'Nice', once hospitality venues are permitted to offer indoor drinking in line with Scottish Government guidelines.
A Morretti-Forni stone-fired oven and open-plan space brings to life the passion, craft and care that goes into individually hand rolling and boiling the traditional Montreal bagels.
The new premises will allow Bross to produce all of its bagels in-house, serving all four of the brand’s other city venues and baking around 15,000 bagels a week. This capacity has also facilitated nationwide next day delivery.
The menu includes Bross’ classic hot and cold bagel collection such as hot breakfast favourite, The Goy, beloved lunchtime bagel, The Mama Bross Club , Buffamayo on an Everything Bagel and The Porty alongside street food favourites with a twist including Hot Dogs and Filthy Fries (£6.00).
The bakery opened following an initial crowdfunding phase, with more than £125,600 raised by Bross Bagels ‘shareholers’.
Larah Bross said:
“Before I opened our first Bross Bagels shop, I set out to create authentic Montreal bagels that reminded me of a taste of home – something I just could not find here in the UK. I had to get my mum to send me bagels all the way from Canada so I could work with our bakers to perfect the flavour and consistency. I’m so proud we’re now producing authentic bagels as good as I could find in Montreal, here in Edinburgh - in our very own dedicated bakery.
Teaming Montreal bagels with the best New York deli fillings, made with the best Scottish ingredients is hard to beat, but now we’ve added our own signature Bloody Caesars, beer and Hot Dogs, it’s a summer hole-stuffing stop you won’t want to miss.”
Bross Bagels is also set to open Bross Deli - a brand-new concept and their biggest shop yet, in St James Quarter later this year.
