In Malmö there is a unique bakery called Chef Mama that specializes in American bagels and is operated by an American.
How did this bakery come about? The owner, Emily Fowler, originally from Seattle, Washington, said she could not find proper American-style bagels in Malmö. This led her to start baking bagels out of her own kitchen as a hobby for herself and friends.
Her friends loved the bagels. She asked if they would be interested in paying for her bagels and they said yes. This planted the idea in her head of developing her hobby into an actual business. To her benefit, she had 20+ years of experience under her belt working as a professional chef in Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Malmö. So launching a bakery was right up her alley.
After baking out of her own kitchen for two years and gaining a larger customer base, in 2023 she moved her bakery into a public location in Malmö where customers can drop in during business hours and eat on-site. She also started to offer other delicious food items such as pastries, desserts and specialty sandwiches.
“I think the best and unexpected thing about managing Chef Mama is seeing how incredibly popular it has become. Between Swedes, non-Swedes, Americans, whomever,” Fowler said when reflecting on her business. “Chef Mama has been so well received. We are so busy and it is just a real joy to come to work every day!”
Fowler noted tons of Americans have dropped into Chef Mama and many have returned. They love the space that has been created there where walls are filled with American memorabilia. Many comment that they feel like they are home in the US.
A great feature about her business is that she ships orders throughout Sweden so customers do not have to travel all the way to Malmö to try her wonderful baked goods. Her website has a user-friendly online store where items can be directly ordered and delivered by mail.
For more information about Chef Mama, visit her website chefmama.se and check in on Facebook or Instagram.
