'Who's got the bagels?': Edmonton musicians trade stage for kitchen during pandemic

From the stage to the kitchen The pandemic gave two local musicians the chance to explore a different gig, in the kitchen. CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson reports.

From touring musicians to successful bagel makers, two Edmontonians are making their culinary mark on the community.

Luke Breiteneder and Lindon Carter are the masterminds behind Beb’s Bagels.

“It wasn’t going to be a business,” Breiteneder explained.

Touring less because of the pandemic, he and Carter were spending more time at home.

“We just started cooking a lot and experimenting and we just started making bagels because we were both craving a bagel,” he laughed.

It was a bit of a “science experiment” to get to this point, but the pair got feedback from their family and friends before taking the bagels to market.

It was July of 2021 that Breiteneder and Carter first started selling their bagels. But, without a mixer, they had to make their first batches by hand.

“We were kneading all the dough,” Carter said. “As many as we could make in seven hours and then go sell them for four hours.”

If you’re wondering where the name idea came from, Carter told CTV News Edmonton it’s a play on the word babe.

“It’s usually when I’m needing my bagel fix I’ll yell out to my house or whoever is around, ‘Who’s got the bagels, bebs?’” he laughed.

The pair have since bought a mixer and currently sell their product at markets, pop-up events, and take part in business collaborations and kitchen takeovers.

Most recently, Breiteneder and Carter have partnered with local restaurant Wilfred’s to curate a bagel sandwich menu for Feb. 19 to 21.

The duo have been spending their days doing test baking to ensure everything is “up to snuff” for the event.

“We’ve got a lot of timers going at all times,” Breiteneder said. “We bake them fresh everyday. It’ll be long days, but it’s very fun!”

Both Carter and Breiteneder are trained musicians and play gigs throughout the year. But right now, they’re finding a balance between their two loves.

“Music and bagels, they're not really money makers, that's for sure,” Breiteneder smirked.

“We do it because we love it,” Carter added. “We’re definitely doing what we love for the right reasons.”

The community and food industry have been incredibly welcoming, both Carter and Breiteneder noted. They credit a lot of that outside encouragement to their continued success.

“We worked our way up,” Breiteneder said.

“We just make bagels when we want to and people seem to like it and show up to support us even though we’re very new to this and feel like imposters,” Carter added. “They’ve taken a chance on us.”

“We’re just trying to have fun with it and keep it going.”