Whether you prefer to keep it simple with just a schmear of cream cheese or you’re all about the toppings, UE Bagels in Varsity Lakes is guaranteed to fill the bagel-sized hole in your stomach. The venues owners Emily and Mitch are pretty passionate about bagels, a love that was forged when they lived in Lake Louise in Canada and bagels became a part of their daily diets. When Covid put an abrupt end to their travel plans, Mitch (a chef by trade) and Emily (who has previously worked in hospitality roles), decided their bagel itch needed to be scratched. So they procured a food truck, which rolls into Helensvale Farmers Market every Saturday. Late last year, Mitch and Emily took over the industrial space that was formerly occupied by Street Food Cartel to create a bricks-and-mortar home for UE Bagels. One of the main things that sets UE apart is that its bagels are made fresh daily. Mitch and Emily begin their work day at 3:00 am baking and boiling their beloved bagels. The flavours and topping combinations are constantly rotating depending on what they can get their hands on at the time. The pumpkin bagel topped with grilled haloumi and pesto aioli is an ode to chilly mornings, but the ‘Breaky Bagel’, which is loaded with a sausage patty, egg, cheese, leafy greens and lashings of house-made chipotle and barbecue sauce, is undoubtedly their best-seller. If you’re in need of a little pick-me-up, you’re in luck, UE Bagels has Burleigh’s Social Espresso on pour.