National Bagel Day with Lift Bridge Bagels
Meet Lexy from Lift Bridge Bagels
To celebrate National Bagel Day, I wanted to introduce you to one of my favorite people and fellow female entrepreneur, Lexy Land from Lift Bridge Bagels.
Lexy creates all the bagels for Lift Bridge Bagels by hand. They have the most delicious flavor and texture, which I think is due to her high quality ingredients, and the amount of care and attention to detail that can't be replicated by machine production.
Lexy's love of baking started when she was growing up with her mom's homemade cinnamon raisin bread--a Saturday morning treat! In high school, she started making her own bagels and bread recipes. After a trip to New Zealand where she experienced an amazing bagel, she started making bagels regularly at home before she received a nudge to turn her bagel baking into a business. In December of 2020, she launched bagel and cream cheese box pre-orders and has grown the operation to include multiple wholesale accounts, vendor markets, and regular customers who come back time and again for their favorite bagel!
Asiago bagel
Lexy and I have also collaborated with this amazing Everything Bagel seasoning, that she uses on her bagels (they are the most popular flavor!), and sells on her website. This Everything Bagel seasoning is lower is salt than other varieties, which means you get more flavor! Grab your own jar of this high quality seasoning here! You can also get a bonus recipe e-book filled with exclusive recipes to use this Everything Bagel seasoning.
Lexy has the most incredible story about why she started Lift Bridge Bagels and what her mission is. So I did this quick interview with her to share her story with you. I hope you find Lexy, and her business, as inspiring as I do.
My Interview with Lexy
Renata: Where did your love of high quality, healthy food come from?
Lexy: I was blessed to have an aunt who was passionate about organic and high-quality foods while I was growing up. Her influence really became part of my lifestyle after I suffered a rare hemiplegic migraine. The doctors recommended I stay away from artificial sweeteners and other chemicals found in foods and cleaning products, as those things are thought to trigger migraines. The switch to organic and high-quality has had a huge impact on my life and health, and I want others to experience the same benefits!
Renata: Why did you want to start Lift Bridge Bagels? What is your mission?
Lexy: My husband and I visited New Zealand in 2018 and ate at an amazing little bagel shop in Dunedin on the south island. At home in Duluth, MN, there wasn't a comparable bagel place, so I began to make my own. I started Lift Bridge Bagels because I believe it fills a void here in the northland, and I've always been passionate about feeding people. My mission is to feed people with high-quality food products made with love, and inspire them to live with purpose.
Renata; What makes Lift Bridge Bagels different to what you can buy at the grocery store?
Lexy: Lift Bridge Bagels are bagels that are rolled by hand, boiled, topped, and then baked. Bagels found at the grocery store are made commercially with machines. There are preservatives added to the dough to extend shelf life, and I believe the resulting product is dry, tough, stale, and flavorless.
Renata: What are some of your favorite bagels, and how do you like to use them in recipes?
Lexy: The classic Everything Bagel is one of my favorites, and I love straight out of the oven with cream cheese! I've also used my Cranberry Wild Rice Bagel to make French Toast!
Renata: What are your dreams for Lift Bridge Bagels in the future?
Lexy: I'm currently operating out of a shared commercial kitchen space, which I am super grateful for. This year, my dream is to expand the wholesale side of my business. One of my 2022 pursuits is to move toward opening a Lift Bridge Bagel location where I can serve fresh bagels as well as breakfast and lunch items.
If you are in the Superior, WI area, be sure to order some Lift Bridge Bagels, and of course, get some of our Everything Bagel seasoning too.
Please connect with Lexy on Instagram and visit her website.
Yummy Bagel Recipes
Looking for recipes with the delicious bagels that Lexy creates? Check out this IG live we did with French Toast Bagels and Pizza Bagels!
You can also find the recipes here:
Bagel French Toast
When you purchase the Everything Bagel seasoning, you can also get a bonus e-book of recipes that show you more ways to use this delicious spice blend. Some examples are this Cream Cheese and Scallion Filled Puff Pastry topped with Everything Bagel Seasoning.
Or these Everything Bagel Roasted Nuts.
Get your Everything Bagel Seasoning E-book today by ordering Renata's Everything Bagel Seasoning here!
