A Dunmow couple is celebrating the success of their bagel business, which was founded during lockdown and turned into a shop earlier this year.

David Ludlow and Francesca Simmons bought their first trailer in 2019 to start a bagel food truck, and were ready to launch the business in March 2020 when the pandemic struck.

David said: "We nearly never went ahead with it after that but with some encouragement we had our first day in The Little Bagel Box food trailer in June 2020 and never looked back."

The food truck runs from Thursday to Saturday, and at the end of May this year David and Francesca opened The Little Bagel Box Shop in Ongar Road Trading Estate.

The Little Box Bagel ShopThe Little Box Bagel Shop (Image: David Ludlow) David and Francesca are both originally from East London, but relocated to Dunmow eight years ago.

Francesca worked in London at a brokers for 18 years, and David had a courier business, but they decided it was time for a change to be more in touch with their community.

David said: "We were leaving early for work and getting home late and struggling to make friends and be part of the local community.

"Our families have been going to the bagel bakeries in London since we was kids and noticed there was nothing like this locally.

"With the amount of Londoners moving here and Francesca's family background in food we decided to start The Little Bagel Box.

"What we thought would be a one day a week pitch soon grew into a full time business, and we began catering for lots of different events. 

The shop offers hot salt beef and smoked salmon bagels, along with breakfast bagels, coffee, salads, soup and cakes.

READ MORE

In the second week of November the shop will launch its festive bagel, with turkey, bacon, sausage meat stuffing, cranberry sauce and mayonnaise.

Speaking about the first few months of business, David said: "We have had a fantastic time so far.

"We have built up some fantastic regulars over the last few months which gives the shop a real family feel."