To think it's impossible to get a decent bagel or American muffin in this country?

[rollonretirementfgs]

Supermarket bagels are crap, the ones in the polythene bags. M&S did nice fresh ones but stopped selling them. American muffins... massive light fluffy muffins, as big as your head. Had one in France recently from Columbus coffee.... rubbish over here! Please enlighten me on any hidden gems.

Many thanks,

Desperate for carbs

Yeah supermarket bagels are trash. The best thing is if you get a fresh batch at Brick Lane Beigel Bake and have one still warm stuffed with salt beef, mustard and pickles.

Also loving the “just go to Brick Lane” or “just go to north London”. That could be a 8 hour drive.

Most American food is way too sweet for the British palate so that is really surprising!

People in the U.K. who want “a muffin” (meaning an American style one, not an “English muffin” style thing) tend to want the big sweet double chocolate things or sweet blueberry muffins. They also aren’t tending to eat them at 7:30am with orange juice and a coffee before work.

UK people seem to eat them more as a cake substitute at a coffee break, not instead of cornflakes.

Cornmeal muffins, bran muffins - these are a very common breakfast food in many parts of North America.

Or New Zealand. You get savoury ones there. Mmmmm.

I find the American ones bleugh (bland, spongy texture, over flavoured with vanilla). I’d rather just have a big fairy cake.

👏
Why? Because we do those well and they're native so easy to get. As much as I admire French patisserie, and it is amazing, I still prefer a good old British cake.
Btw I thought Carmelli had closed down, we used to go there regularly and Bloom's, but I could be wrong

Brick Lane mate.

@HorticusGreen derailing slightly, but could you elaborate on which gf items Warbutons have improved/changed please? I got to the point some time ago that I'd just rather not have any bread/bakery items at all rather than keep trying them all and just being disappointed (or repulsed; that awful sogginess that some have as soon as they get in your mouth! 🤢🤢), so it would be good if there were any genuinely nice products now.

Yeah but it's in this country, Americans drive ridiculous distances all the time and in the London area, they do deliver.

Oh right, yes, I personally have never heard of American muffins. I don’t have a problem getting good bagels as have plenty of family in North London and it is DH works with people who sometimes bring some to work.

I think the sweet muffin is probably seen like the equivalent to the afternoon tea cakes and scones. There is a scone shop in Notting Hill that is very good but doesn’t help with the Quest your on OP.

Plenty of Jewish areas in London where bagels are great, I imagine it’s the same in other parts of the country. Not sure about American muffins but I think that’s a bit strange. I wouldn’t go to the USA and complain about not being able to get a decent Yorkshire pudding or scone, for example.

I had a very good bagel for lunch yesterday from a place called B Bagel in Tottenham Court Road. They have all sorts of bagel (onion, poppy seed etc) and lots of fillings put on to order. Also sell cholla bread.

I'm sure it's the same in the US when trying to find British foods.

OP wasn't looking for the American muffin she tasted in America. She got it in France! Which arguably is worse. Going to the home of patisserie and eating an overly large cake made with processed vegetable oil!

They make cake with vegetable oil? Not butter?

I think American muffins are made with vegetable oil. I say ' think' as I don't like them but I seem to remember DS making them once and the recipe said vegetable oil.
Edited to say I googled and definitely made with vegetable oil.

Like what would you say? A decent Indian take-away? Decent ready-meal up to M&S standard?

I was going to suggest this place - the most NYC bagel I’ve eaten in the UK…

Scones? Crumpets? Black pudding?

People are too simple to realise this! American muffins are not a patch on the one I had in Akaroa, NZ, with raspberries and white chocolate, fresh from the oven. Just being 'American' does not make a food authentic, I have usually found American food disappointing, eg no decent cheese, butter or bread unless you go to places like Whole Foods and pay a fortune and other foods people consider authentic American is far too sweet, even their normal bread is sweet.

Don't they sell cheddar style cheese, sourdough bread, regular block salted butter?

Bakeries are always better than Supermarkets. I seem to remember reading NY bagels are so nice because of the water.

The orange one is gone now. So now it's murder bagels or nothing

You need to go to a kosher bakery (or brick lane) to get a proper bagel.

I’ve seen a few Americans say that Cohen’s bakery that you can get on Ocado are very good.
Back In the 90s there used to be a brilliant Canadian muffin shop in Guildford, no idea if it’s still there.