Fairway Market to Hold Bagel-Making Classes
Fairway Market has teamed with BagelUp, creator of NYC Bagel Tours and the New York BagelFest, to bring interactive bagel-making classes to the upscale grocer’s 74th Street Café on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The classes, which start in May, will be led by BagelUp’s award-winning bagel baker, Reva Castillenti, and give attendees the chance to roll, seed, boil and bake their own bagels from scratch.
“Bagels and Fairway – two things New Yorkers take very seriously – and for good reason,” noted Amanda Fischer, the food retailer’s marketing manager. “Fairway has always been a hub for real food lovers. Bringing bagel-making classes into our store continues that tradition, offering something meaningful, hands-on and uniquely New York.”
Castillenti’s bagels have earned second place at the World Bread Awards two years in a row. She brings both deep expertise and a warm, engaging teaching style to her classes, combining hands-on instruction in traditional bagel-making methods with stories about the history of the bagel. Attendees will learn the process using ingredients sourced from Fairway.
“Fairway is part of the fabric of New York food culture,” said BagelUp founder and President Sam Silverman, who has been dubbed New York’s “Bagel Ambassador.” “We’re thrilled to bring our classes into a space that so many New Yorkers already love and trust. Whether you’re a local looking to fill the void left by Absolute Bagels’ recent closure or a tourist seeking an authentic New York experience, this partnership makes bagel-making more accessible than ever.”
Two-hour classes will take on Sundays at 10 a.m., accommodating up to 24 attendees. Tickets are $150 per person and include hands-on instruction, tastings and bagels to take home, as well as the know-how and confidence to make bagels at home. Additionally, private classes for as many as 35 guests will be offered throughout the week during morning, brunch and lunchtime hours.
Springfield, N.J.-based Village Super Market currently operates 30 ShopRite supermarkets throughout New Jersey, New York and eastern Pennsylvania, as well as four specialty markets under the Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market brands in Manhattan. The grocer is a member of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative based in Keasbey, N.J. The company comprises nearly 50 members that independently own and operate 365-plus supermarkets under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage, Fairway Market and Di Bruno Bros. banners. Wakefern is No. 31 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
