Utopia Bagels To Receive 2026 Lifetime Award

Utopia Bagels will receive the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award at New York BagelFest on November 15 at Citi Field in Queens. The 45-year-old family business, founded in Whitestone in 1981, now operates four locations and produces more than 100,000 hand-rolled bagels per week during peak periods. The event is presented by King Arthur Baking Company and produced by BagelUp. Utopia will also take part in a 2:30 p.m. Industry Panel discussion with Christian Petroni.

Recognition For A Queens Bakery

Utopia won Best Bagel at BagelFest in 2024 through a blind tasting of plain bagels. It also placed third in the Best of the Borough competition in 2023 and was runner-up in 2025. The award places the company alongside previous recipients Ess-a-Bagel, honored in 2024, and Absolute Bagels, honored in 2025.

Jesse and Scott Spellman, partners at Utopia Bagels, said:

“Receiving this Lifetime Achievement Award is an incredible honor and a very special moment for everyone at Utopia. After 45 years, what means the most is knowing that the traditions we started with and the people who have supported us along the way are still at the heart of Utopia today. From our original home in Whitestone to our four locations today, we've been fortunate to become part of so many people's mornings, families, and lives. We're incredibly proud of how far we've come and even more excited for what's still to come!”

Traditional Production At Scale

Utopia cold-ferments its dough for 48 hours, then individually hand-rolls and kettle-boils each bagel before baking. Its original Whitestone shop still uses a 1947 Middleby Marshall carousel oven. The company also hand-slices its smoked fish, serves freshly baked bagels from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Whitestone, supplies wholesale customers including FreshDirect, and ships nationwide through Goldbelly.

A Wider Audience For The Brand

Scott Spellman oversees daily operations and traditional methods, while Jesse Spellman has helped expand the business and build its digital presence. Utopia’s baking process has appeared in BuzzFeed’s Worth It, Eater’s The Secrets Behind One of New York’s Best Bagels, and Action Bronson’s F*ck, That’s Delicious. The company was the first bagel shop to reach 100,000 Instagram followers and also publishes the Not Just Bagels podcast.

Sam Silverman, founder of New York BagelFest, said:

“Utopia Bagels is one of the most influential New York bagel shops of this generation. Under the leadership of the Spellman family, a neighborhood shop in Whitestone, Queens, grew into a globally recognized bagel brand, inspiring bakers and bagel lovers around the world. They are pioneers of the digital age, passionate and humble, and their bagels are among the best anywhere. We're honored to present Utopia Bagels with this year's Lifetime Achievement Award,”

BagelFest Panel And Tastings

Chef and restaurateur Christian Petroni will interview Scott and Jesse Spellman during the final BagelFest Industry Panel session. New York BagelFest will offer two tasting sessions, competitions, and meetings with bagel makers from the United States and elsewhere.