Type and hit ENTER

Commonly used tags...

Brighton Festival Brighton Fringe Brighton Pride British Sea Power Cinecity Lewes Psychedelic Festival Locally Sourced Lost & Found Love Supreme Festival Mutations Festival Nick Cave Poets Vs MCs Politics Rag'n'Bone Man Record Store Day Save Our Venues Six Of The Best Source Virgins Streets Of Brighton Street Source Tattoos The Great Escape Tru Thoughts Unsung Heroes
  • Home
  • News
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Food
  • Tickets
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Advertise
  • Home
  • News
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Food
  • Tickets
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
Features

Anthony Prior, Unsung Hero No.39

Apr 30, 2013
-
Posted by Stuart Huggett

Ex Stompa Phunk boss Anthony Prior took over Brighton’s Bagelman chain two years ago, after running nightclubs like Audio and Coalition for many years. He’s now planning more branches around and beyond the city.

Why move from club promotion to bagels?
I’d been a customer of Bagelman for years but never imagined I’d end up owning it. The guy who was running it was looking to move on and I was looking for a business to invest in, so my wife and I did a deal and took over. I’d been running venues, club nights and live music, which involved working all night, all week and all weekend. One of the main things I wanted to get away from was that lifestyle burden.

What attracted you to Bagelman?
It’s a trusted local brand and something I felt I could work with and develop. Although it was quite a big gamble I knew that part of what we were investing in was all the know-how within the business and we needed to protect that.

How are you planning to develop the business?
We’re working on a rebranding project and we’re about to start redesigning and refurbishing the existing shops. We’re also looking at a couple of interesting new sites around Brighton and then we’re going to take it into other towns. We have a bakery that serves our local shops, so we could replicate that model in other areas: set up another bakery and open shops around it, and probably work on a franchise model as well.

What are Brighton’s favourite bagels?
My favourite, which I had for lunch today, is still the Reuben, which is pastrami, dill pickle and tomato. That and the Lox Deluxe, which is smoked salmon and cream cheese, are the two best sellers. Over in Hove we’ve had things like the hot salt beef doing well, so we thought we’d bring it over to Brighton. The minute we introduced it in Bond Street it was a success.

How much free time do you have these days?
It’s a seven day a week business, but not a seven day job. I try to keep my work and home life separate and have time off as much as possible. I’ve got two babies so my time’s quite taken up hanging out with the children before I think about other things, but I go sailing and do a lot of running now.

More Unsung Heroes: Click Hereunsungx

Unsung Heroes
Apr 30, 2013
Email
Stuart Huggett
Stuart Huggett grew up in Hastings, writing fanzines and blogs about the town’s underground music scene. He has been a regular contributor to SOURCE, NME, The Quietus and Bowlegs. His huge archive of magazines, flyers and vinyl is either an invaluable research tool or a bloody pain. He occasionally runs tinpot record label Dizzy Tiger, DJs sporadically and plays live even less.
← PREVIOUS POST
AK/DK Review
NEXT POST →
Brighton’s Best Tea & Cake
Mailing List

Recent Posts
  • Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts Review
    Oct 21, 2025

    Expectations are high with a new Inspector Morse story on stage, sadly this is more a ghost of a Morse story, although die hard fans might enjoy it for the nostalgia.

  • The Lovely Eggs Interview
    Oct 15, 2025

    The Lovely Eggs tell us about their 20th anniversary, the new album and tour with Polite Bureax and some comedy legends supporting.

  • Ocean Film Festival Review 2025
    Oct 11, 2025

    A selection of beautifully shot short films covering diverse ocean lovers' passion for interacting with the sea.

  • Fractured Album Launch, Saturday 20th December
    Oct 10, 2025

    Fractured celebrate the release of their new album supported by Amelia And The Housewives.

  • 2:22 A Ghost Story Review
    Oct 7, 2025

    An evening of two couples having dinner together has never before been so gripping and enthralling, filled with tension, with the ultimate question: is their new house haunted or not?

  • Richard Hawley Review
    Oct 5, 2025

    As Coles Corner turns 20, Richard Hawley dazzled and delighted an up-for-it Worthing crowd with a 2 hour-plus set.

  • Brighton Psych Fest 2025 Review
    Sep 26, 2025

    The second Brighton Psych Fest was a beauty as we got down with Getdown Services as the evening sunlight glowed through the Concorde Stained Glass.

  • David Devant & His Spirit Wife, Friday 12th December
    Sep 23, 2025

    One of Brighton's greatest live bands returns for a pre-Xmas homecoming party.

Website developed in Brighton by Infobo
Copyright © Brighton Source 2009-2023
Anthony Prior, Unsung Hero No.39 - Brighton Source