The Wegmans Bakery Item Some Shoppers Have Given Up On

Loyal customers know when something feels off at their favorite stores. And for those who stop by Wegmans for their weekly grocery run, the quality of the chain's bagels seems to have deteriorated at many locations. According to reviews for the "in-store fresh baked bagels" of various flavors on Wegmans' own website, something has changed.

"Like everything else from the national chain grocery store the quality is gone in favor of profits. [...] Not boiled and baked but coated. And the best flavors are long gone. No sourdough, no garlic, no onion," lamented one customer. Another said in their review, "I asked for a dozen garlic bagels, they told me they couldn't do it because the bagels come in frozen."

So, what's the deal with Wegmans bagels? Are they different than they used to be? Were they ever made in-store? The answers seem to vary by location and customer opinion, with little official word. One thing we do know is that Wegmans has its own offsite bakery facility in Rochester, New York, and bagels are listed as one of the products made there for the chain. We also know that under current legislation, bread products that come in frozen and are baked in the store are allowed to be called "freshly baked," which some customers may find misleading.

Many Redditors wax poetic about Wegmans' from-scratch bagels they enjoyed in days gone by. "I guess no more bakers coming in at 4 am to start baking anymore. Wegmans bagels went to average years ago when they stopped boiling them," said one Redditor. "I could have sworn years ago, maybe 10 or so, they used to boil them in kettles in-store. I thought they were great then," reflected another Wegmans customer.

Some alleged former Wegmans employees confirmed that the bagel-making process has changed. According to one commenter on Reddit, "Wegmans used to make their bagels in store, boil and everything. I worked in a couple different stores from 1997 until 2008. Right around then, then they got cheap and went to par frozen trash bagels. They're truly horrible." Another chimed in on the matter, saying, "My store actually [was] the last of the stores to get rid of the kettles, I was trained on them and then a week after, they removed them. This was back in 2020 or so."

As for most large-scale bakeries, switching to a frozen product helps reduce costs, increase efficiency, and cut back on food waste. Unfortunately, according to many Wegmans customers, it comes at the cost of taste and flavor selection. You might be better off hitting up a local bagel shop, like one of those on our best bagel shops in America list. (If they sell mini bagels, grab some to make our pizza bagel bite recipe!)