FISHBOWL + FRIENDS FT. MASSES BAGELS

When we did our first farmers market in Carlton! The turnout was crazy, the feedback we got was amazing, and we sold out pretty quickly. It was a nice feeling after years of planning and trying to launch the idea.

The first time I tried olive oil on a yoghurt dish. That moment inspired the honey whipped quark and olive oil bagel – which has been on the menu since day one.

Mainly down too a bit of luck and good timing! We had been looking for a space for some time all over Melbourne, and this spot happened to pop up when we got back from a trip to Vietnam – where we had finally decided we were ready to take the plunge into a brick and mortar after two years at the farmers market. It really helped that it was a pre-existing cafe, so lots of the essentials were already there which was great. Our budget was pretty slim but we were determined to make it work. With a lot of hustle, learning to D.I.Y and help from very talented friends – luckily we did!

We started with a weekly concept but it's evolved into a monthly special — that way there is time for everyone to get down and try it, and we have enough time to to fine-tune the next special. I'm hugely influenced by talking to the producers we work with and seeings what at it's best at the moment. A lot of flavour combos come from my experience as working as a chef at some great venue. We eat out a lot, and read heaps of cookbooks, I'm always taking note of what flavours work well together, then putting my own spin on that.

Pickled green tomato, for sure – its become a crowd favourite bagel by a long shot. I like it because it is quite different to what you would expect from a bagel shop, and it combines savoury and sweet elements with out being too overwhelming. Balance is key when using such big flavours!

By chance we got chatting when Nick and the team where filming out the front of Masses a while back. We got along really well straight of the bat and chatted about trying to tee up a collab in the future. We were really excited when we where approached to help with FISHBOWL's first breakfast offering at the AO it was a great opportunity to be involved in!

It varies a lot depending on what we have on for the week to be honest! Although, it always starts with a Market Lane batch brew at home, and a chat about what needs to get done for the day ahead. We're both pretty slack on breakfast if we're starting early – but if we are working from home I always like to start the day with a smoothie. And I still eat a lot of bagels – haha I never will get sick of them. We try to get in the habit of balancing work thoughts with things we enjoy outside of work – camping, getting away for the weekend or snowboarding, cycling. We have always believed in a balanced outlook on life and that's a huge part of the Masses philosophy.

Carmen and I are very detail orientated, very obsessed with bagels and with people having a good time in our shop. Everything we try to do has a lot of thought put into it. Carmen has a background in fashion, and I've always been into fashion and design too, so we try to fuse the two worlds as much as we can. Our goal is to make a community of people who enjoy our bagels, our space, and appreciate all the effort and small details that go into making Masses what it is.

Everything to be honest – we talk about this all the time. It just wouldn't work without the other person. There is a lot of trust and respect in our relationship, and this helps when making big decisions. Carmen has lots of experience managing front of house and working in specialty coffee, where as I have lots of experience as a chef and baker. Between the two of us, there's a lot of experience when it comes to running a cafe, and we like to bounce ideas of each other and solve problems together.

Braised beef, brown rice side of chilli jam.