Sure, you’ve heard of farm-to-table dining. But farm-to-bagel?
Equipped with a background in both bagels and farming, fifth-generation bagel maker Aaron Wagner and his wife, Julie, are leading the concept in Cape May with the Bagel Shop, now entering its second summer season.
“I’m trying to shoot for the moon in regards to being as sustainable and as honest with myself and with my customers as possible in regards to giving them the best quality of food,” says Wagner, 43, who grew
up in Cherry Hill.
The menu is deceptively simple, with authentic New York-style bagels, spreads, homemade salads and sandwiches. Beyond the taste, what goes into the food makes the Bagel Shop stand out.
The ingredients are top-notch, organic when possible. Much of the produce—lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions—is grown at the Wagners’ permaculture homestead (complete with 45 fruit trees and bushes, plus a greenhouse), where they live with their two young children. In the fall, they make pumpkin bagels and cream cheese from pumpkins grown there.
The Turkey Cali, with Wildwoods BBQ smoked turkey breast, organic center-cut bacon, avocado, tomato, organic lettuce and freshly trimmed organic micro greens, with a garlic aioli. Photo: Courtesy of the Bagel Shop
Other ingredients come from local farms like Terra Chimera Farm and Peabody Farms. Nearby Wildwoods BBQ provides smoked turkey and brisket for sandwiches.
Wagner’s family has a long history in the bagel biz, starting in 1890 when his great-great-grandfather emigrated from Warsaw to Brooklyn. Fast forward a few generations, and Wagner was in his 20s and working abroad on farms before deciding to return home to join his family’s business, South Street Philly Bagels, which he later rebranded as Philly Bagels and expanded to six locations.
Then, as he was starting his own family with Julie in 2023, the couple left Philadelphia for Cape May and planned to open their own venture.
The community is a huge part of their business, both as suppliers and customers, and Cape May, with its strong farming base, has embraced their farm-to-bagel motto.
“It’s a really beautiful thing that’s happening down here,” Wagner says.
