Betty's Bagels, a newly established bagel shop at Saltburn Railway Station, has become a sensation within seven days of its full launch, with customers already queuing out the door. The shop sold 300 bagels on its first complete day of trading.
From Travel Plans to Bagel Dreams
Owner Rebecca Cole, 27, had originally planned to open a café in Newcastle before going travelling. But when the Saltburn unit became available, she decided to turn those ambitions into reality. The shop is named after her grandmother, Elizabeth, which is also Rebecca's middle name.
Betty's Bagels offers a range of specially baked super-sized bagels, produced in London during the early hours and driven up to the North East in time for opening. Three varieties are available alongside numerous fillings, including breakfast options for early arrivals.
Local Success and Regular Customers
Rebecca explained that all produce is fresh and, wherever feasible, obtained from local suppliers. She said: "Some people came on the first day and have been back every day since, so we already have regulars, which is great."
Rebecca, who hails from Hinderwell in North Yorkshire and set up her own recruitment company four years ago, had lived in Newcastle for the past ten years. She said: "I went travelling for two years and it was then that I saw this unit had become available and I just thought it was the perfect space. The plan was to open a café next year, but when I saw this I cut the travels short."
A Niche Addition to Saltburn
Rebecca added: "There are lots of cafes, so I decided I wanted something a bit different, a bit niche, a specific thing that we could do really well. I had been staying in Poland and basically lived off bagels and decided that was something that could do really well here."
With help from relatives and acquaintances, Rebecca managed to prepare Betty's sufficiently to take part in the Saltburn Food Festival at the end of July, before closing temporarily to complete renovation works.
