Beam Me Up Bagels

Beam Me Up Bagels is a cult classic here in Dunedin. What started as a stall at the farmers market in 2014 has turned into a two-location carbohydrate empire, without losing even a smidge of that small operation feel. At Beam Me Up’s central city location, expect to enjoy the same handcrafted, New York-style bagels that they’ve served since the start.

Owners Ellen and Chris started Beam Me Up simply because they “loved eating bagels,” and they’ve kept that at the core of the business. Every bagel is made with a slow fermentation process that begins with a special yeasty starter, which is then left to rise overnight before being hand-rolled, boiled and dressed with tasty toppings.

Their bagel flavours range from jalapeño cheese to blueberry to classics like sesame seed. Their spreads and pestos are equally exciting and are all named in the same fashion as the shop itself. C3P0 is code for ‘just butter’ or Nuttelex; Boba Feta = whipped feta, oregano, chives, lemon, garlic and cream cheese; Red Dwarf is sun-dried tomato pesto with hummus, sprouts and pickles while Yoda is green pesto made with cashews, spinach, coriander, lime and lemon juice. One of the most popular spreads, Vulcan, features hot-smoked Stewart Island salmon and organic cream cheese with lemon juice and dill.

For a more substantial meal, the savoury sandwich combinations include Darth Bacon (streaky bacon, tomato relish, cheese, aioli and lettuce), Ham Solo (ham, cheese, pickles, sprouts and dijonnaise) and Men in Black (Cajun chicken, pickled red onion, pesto, aioli and lettuce). Many of the ingredients used are sourced locally from vendors whom Ellen and Chris know from years spent trading at the Otago Farmers Market.

Sweet bagels like the Obi Wan (Bay Road peanut butter, chia, fair-trade bananas and maple syrup) and Bananageddon (fair-trade banana, dulche de leche caramel, crumbled Tim Tams and cream cheese) make for a solid treat, any time of the day. Pair with any of the barista coffees on offer to round out the experience.

Locals love Beam Me Up for quick lunches on the go and chilled-out brunches with mates, and soon you will too.