New York-style, hand-rolled bagels at Knead & Nosh in Topsham, which opened earlier this month. (Courtesy of Knead & Nosh)
The bagel shop Knead & Nosh opened earlier this month just off Main Street in Topsham.
The shop is located in an 1,100-square-foot space at 4 Bowdoin Mill Island, former home to Blueberries restaurant. Knead & Nosh has no indoor seats, but some outdoor seating. Owner and baker Jeff Mao said the previous restaurant’s seating area became food storage and workspace at his shop.
Knead & Nosh specializes in New York-style, hand-rolled bagels, offering about 12 flavors daily, from conventional flavors like poppy seed, everything and cinnamon raisin to Sichuan Dragon bagels with numbing Sichuan peppercorns. The shop also serves a wide variety of both plain and flavored cream cheeses, bagel sandwiches for breakfast and lunch, and Chinese specialties like roast pork or red bean paste bao buns, which let Mao lean in further to his Chinese heritage.
The shop’s beverage program includes coffee from Wicked Joe, as well as juices and local sodas.
An educator for three decades, Mao started his bagel business during the pandemic as an online bagel-making course. He later used shared commercial kitchen space so he could sell his bagels via subscription service and at area farmers markets.
In 2025, Mao won the award for “Maine’s Best Bagel” at the Maine Bagel Bake-Off, sponsored by Maine Grain Alliance, which motivated him to leave the education field and open a brick-and-mortar space.
Knead & Nosh is open Friday-Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mao said he’s looking to open more days later this year after he adds more staff.
