Piece of London’s Jewish East End feared lost as Beigel Shop shuts

The 24/7 Beigel Shop, which boasted it never closed its doors, was a magnet for generations of shoppers, clubbers and tourists. Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian

London’s best known bagel shop, which claimed it never closed its doors, has been shuttered after its Brick Lane premises were apparently repossessed by its landlord.

The Beigel Shop, an all-night eatery at 155 Brick Lane, known as “the yellow one” for it’s bright sign, and a magnet for generations of shoppers, clubbers and tourists, suddenly closed on Tuesday. A notice pasted inside appeared to be a repossession order.

Its website, which was live as recently as last month and promoted the shop as a “perfect spot for a light nosh, brunch, or midnight treat”, also appears to have been taken down. One of the owners of the building housing the store confirmed to the Guardian on Wednesday that he had instructed his solicitors to take back possession of the site.

Efforts to contact the Beigel Shop were unsuccessful. It is not clear whether the business, which promoted itself as “Britain’s first and best” bagel bakery, will reopen. A message to customers on its Instagram account says it will be “closed for a short period to conduct essential electrical maintenance” and promises: “we’ll be back before you know it”.

The apparent repossession of the bakery and retail outlet, which was first reported by MailOnline, appears to have brought to a halt 169 years of bagel making in London’s East End.

Before it vanished from view, the brand’s website stated: “Founded in 1855, the Beigel Shop was the original and first beigel bakery to open on Brick Lane. Since then, this landmark institution has continued to provide the historic tastes and traditions of the Jewish East End, mixed with the flavours of an evolving multicultural community.”

Open 24 hours a day, the current shop has existed in one form or another since two Israeli-born brothers took over what was then the Evering Bakery from the previous Israeli owners in 1987.

Its old website said the store specialised in hot salt beef, salmon and cream cheese and chicken and salad bagels and boasted: “That’s right, we never close!”

Despite the marketing claims, the shop has closed before.

In 2014, the London daily, the Evening Standard, reported how it had reopened “after closing temporarily in a family dispute”.

At the time, the paper added: “The Beigel Shop owners and the building’s freeholders are understood to be negotiating a financial settlement but agreed it was in everyone’s best interests to reopen the business.

“A ‘writ of possession’ from the high court sheriff’s office had been posted on the shop door and dated 12 May, which stated that it was an offence to try and enter the premises”.