Woman's Way Feature Our Bagels

Woman's Way Magazine
By Aisling O'Toole

We all know that we eat too many artificial flavours in our day-to-day lives but it can be hard to break the habit and start seeking out products that are 100% natural - which is why we decided to do it for you.

Rosie's Broadway Bagels, which are made by native New Yorker Rosie and her Irish husband, are all handmade and completely natural. We've tried them and are giving them the big thumbs up!

Available nationwide, Rosie's Broadway Bagels are available in four varieties, poppy seed, cinnamon and raisin, the works (poppy and sesame seed, toasted garlic and red onion) and original lunchbox bagels.

John & Sally McKenna Praise Our Bagels

Bridgestones Guide Best Of Irish Food 2007

Des and Rosie Sheehan established their bagel company because Mrs Sheehan couldn't get the quality of bagel she was used to when growing up in New York. Since 2002 they have successful grown their business on the back of bagels that have true quality and typicity, "that are munchy with a malty taste" as Mrs Sheehan likes 'em. Look out for the poppy seed, sesame, red onion and toasted garlic - stores and supermarkets.

Producer's Profile In Food And Wine Magazine

Food And Wine Magazine

Rosie Sheehan's first ever food was a bagel, and she's eaten her share of them since. This Irish-sounding lady grew up in New York, but ended up living in Dungarvan with husband Des, where to her dismay her supply of authentic bagels dried up. She set about to make her own, with some determination (no New York baker was willing to divulge recipes so it was a case of trial and error) but soon hit on what they thought was a winning formula, using only natural ingredients found in most kitchen cupboards, and went ahead and opened a bagel shop. They soon learnt that Dungarvan wasn't ready for a bagel shop but, still determined as ever, they looked to wholesale as an alternative. The result? The bagels are now widely available in Ireland (Superquinn sell them in their bakeries as their own-brand bagels, as well as stocking the Broadway Bagel frozen, pre-sliced range, which are also available in Tesco, Spar and other multiples). They are also being exported to London's Wholefood stores, who are attracted to the fact that the bagels are E-free (one of the Sheehan kids had eczema so this was always important). Four million bagels later, and with seven staff manning the 2,500 square foot factory, you could say they made a go of it.

Broadway Bagels Featured At Enterprise Ireland's High Potential Start-Ups

Dungarvan Observer

Broadway Bagels, established by husband and wife team Des and Rosie Sheehan, produce authentic American style bagels. They returned to Ireland from the US three years ago and established a restaurant in Dungarvan. The business was moderately successful but they found that their American style products sold very well. They decided to close the restaurant and concentrate on producing bagels.

Bagels, while part of the bread family, are produced in a very different format. Authentic bagels are made of yeasted wheat dough which is boiled in water, or steamed, before it is baked. All the bagels currently available in the retail trade are produced in bakeries using a bread baking process, which does not deliver the dense, chewy, doughy interior which is characteristic of good bagels. They contain preservatives which allow them to be sold on the ambient shelves.

Broadway sells its product frozen, in multiple packs of four or six bagels. The bagels do not contain preservatives and this distinguishing message is clearly spelled out on the pack.

Main customers include Tesco Ireland, Superquin, Musgrave SVC, Dunnes Stores and a number of catering companies.

Very recently the company expanded both its range of bagels and into allied products ­ American brownies.

The business plan for the next two years is primarily aimed at establishing the company's position in the Irish market and developing a small sales base in Northern Ireland and Britain.

Photo Caption: Dungarvan Company 'Broadway Bagels' as featured at Enterprise Ireland's High Potential Start-Ups 'Class of 2006' showcase in Dublin recently. (l-r) are Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin, T.D. and Rosie Sheehan, Broadway Bagels.