An Interview with Mike Fowler, Co-Founder of Real Bagels
Lauren: Mike, I think the people are wondering—what’s with the spreads? I’ve had your spring onion cream cheese and I still think about it.
Mike Fowler: [laughs] Thanks Lauren. Honestly, the spreads are just as important as the bagels. They’re part of the experience. But let’s be clear: the bagel is the hero. Always.
Lauren: So you’re not a sandwich shop?
Mike: No, and that’s deliberate. We’re not trying to be your average sandwich-and-coffee spot. We believe the humble bagel—with a generous spread—is a perfect meal. You don’t need to dress it up with fancy fillings unless you want to. That’s where the spreads come in: they give people options to keep it simple and delicious.
Keep in mind, we also do spreads like Maple Bacon and Cookies n' Cream (Cheese), Smoked Salmon ... Honey Jalapeño. There's a lot of room to experiment.
Lauren: Tell me more about those spreads.
Mike: We make them fresh daily. Same way we roll our bagels—with care and intention. Right now, we offer plain and spring onion for Saturday deliveries. Simple, but classic. Personally, one of my favourites is smoked salmon cream cheese—we’ll definitely bring that back when we open our first store.
Lauren: You mentioned expansion?
Mike: Absolutely. When we have our first permanent home, we’re planning a full spread bar—up to ten different options. Everything from veggie and vegan to that honey jalapeño, roasted garlic, beetroot, maybe even an Aussie-inspired one like whipped vegemite (butter). Something for everyone. I've even been tossing up nut butters too. Vegan creame cheese from cashews is super popular!
Lauren: Why not just do loaded bagels?
Mike: Look, we love a good egg and bacon bagel, or brisket with gooey Swiss. We enjoy those as much as anyone—especially when you’re up at Red Gum BBQ on the hill. But at Real Bagels, we want to give people a bag of fresh, honest bagels, a few killer spreads, and let them create their own thing. Pick up some smoked salmon or turkey from Tully’s Corner, invite your mates, and you’ve got yourself a feast. It’s about sharing. Simplicity. Purity.
Lauren: It sounds almost… communal?
Mike: Exactly. There’s nothing better than gathering around a table with people you love, tearing open our paper bag full of real bagels, cracking open a few tubs of fresh spreads, and digging in. That’s why our tagline is “Spread Some Love.” It’s not just a saying—it’s what we believe.
Lauren: Final question: are bagels better with spreads?
Mike: [smiling] Depends on who you ask. But in my opinion? A real bagel demands a copious amount of cream cheese. I'm a globber and not a thin spreader.
Real Bagels. Real Spreads. Real Simple.
Bagels are the hero. Spreads just help them shine.
#SpreadSomeLove
