Family-run Devon bagel brand Harman Bagels to open in Totnes

A popular Devon bagel business is expanding with the launch of a second site in Totnes later this month.

Harman Bagels will open at 12 Ticklemore Street on Friday 20 February, taking over the former Taguchi-Ya restaurant. The family-run company, previously known as The Hutong Bagel Co., has built a strong following at its original premises on Cremyll Street in Plymouth’s Royal William Yard, where queues regularly form at weekends.

The business is run by brothers George and Jack Harman, alongside Jack’s wife Emma. All three founders were born and raised in Devon and say Totnes felt like a natural next step because of their personal connections to the town.

George Harman said: “Totnes has always been a really special place for me. I previously worked at The Almond Thief, and my wife Mel worked at the Waterside Pub, which is actually where we met. Since then, I’ve spent so much time here with family, and Totnes has always felt like a second home. Bringing Harman Bagels here felt like a really natural step for us, especially as a family-run business that’s all about community.”

Renovations are currently under way at the Ticklemore Street site, with the founders and their families closely involved in transforming the space.

Jack Harman said: “We’d had family dinners in Totnes’ famous Taguchi-Ya restaurant before, and I’d always admired the interiors – especially the big, bright windows that let in so much light. More recently, I was actually having Japanese lessons there when I found out the restaurant was closing.

I reached out to the owners to express my condolences, but also my interest in taking on the lease and creating our own business legacy from the building Taguchi-Ya leaves behind. They couldn’t have been kinder, and before we knew it, the place where we’d shared family meals had become the Totnes home of our family-led business.”

Emma Harman added: “We know and love the Totnes community and have so many friends and family here. When it came to choosing a second location, it had to be somewhere rooted in who we are. We’re so excited to bring our bagels to Totnes and can’t wait to see how they’re received.”

Harman Bagels offers a range of fillings, from classic cream cheese to its bestselling salt beef, alongside a rotating selection of creative specials. Previous menu highlights have included a Singapore Chilli Crab Bagel, featuring Devon crab with pickled daikon and carrot, oyster sauce egg patty, pandan leaf mayo and bird’s eye chillies, and a Porchetta Bagel made with Dart Farm roast pork, salsa verde and artichoke cream.

To mark the Totnes opening, the team plans to give away free tasters to customers on launch day.

Founded in spring 2017 as The Hutong Cafe, the business shifted its focus during a major refurbishment in 2020, inspired by what the founders describe as a memorable first experience of eating a salmon lox bagel in New York City. They went on to build a bakery at a second site in Stonehouse, Plymouth, developing what they call a distinctly British-style bagel using local produce and flavours inspired by childhood tastes.

Since then, Harman Bagels has become a well-known name in Plymouth for its inventive menu and family-led ethos. With the launch of its Totnes branch, the founders hope to bring the same community-focused approach to a town they say already feels like home.

Harman Bagels Totnes will open at 8am on Friday 20 February.