NEW YORK — New York BagelFest, created by BagelUp and presented by King Arthur Baking Co., announced that Utopia Bagels will receive its 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award during its event, which will be held at Citi Field on Nov. 15th. The award recognizes Utopia’s 45 years of traditional bagel-making and cultural influence that extends beyond New York City.
Utopia has grown from a neighborhood shop into a four-location business with an internationally recognizable name. The bagel shop has also taken home many accolades from BagelFest.
At the 2024 iteration, Utopia earned the Best Bagel title in a blind tasting of plain bagels, and the year prior, placed third in the Best of the Borough competition. Utopia was also named runner-up in 2025, demonstrating its consistent standing among New York City’s top bagel makers.
“Receiving this Lifetime Achievement Award is an incredible honor and a very special moment for everyone at Utopia,” said Jesse and Scott Spellman, partners at Utopia Bagels, in a joint statement. “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.”
The proof is in the details
Utopia cold-ferments its bagels for 48 hours, a time-intensive process that develops their nuanced flavor, distinctive chew, and thin, crackly crust. Utopia hand-rolls and kettle-boils every bagel before baking. At its original Whitestone shop, a 1947 Middleby Marshall carousel oven remains part of the operation. In peak periods, Utopia hand-rolls more than 100,000 bagels each week.
At the Whitestone location, freshly baked bagels are available throughout the operating day, from its early 5 a.m. opening until its 4 p.m. closing. Its reach now includes neighborhood customers, wholesale partners such as FreshDirect, and nationwide shipping through Goldbelly.
“Utopia Bagels is one of the most influential New York bagel shops of this generation,” said Sam Silverman, founder of New York BagelFest. “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.”
The 2026 honor places Utopia alongside previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Ess-a-Bagel (2024) and Absolute Bagels (2025).
Kicking off the event
As part of the celebration, the Utopia Bagels team will sit down with celebrity chef and restaurateur Christian Petroni for the capstone discussion of the New York BagelFest Industry Panel series. The conversation will explore Utopia’s 45-year journey and how it became a nationally recognized name in food and digital media.
For more information on the event, visit the BagelFest website.
