Mamoosh is recognised in Newhaven, Sussex and beyond for its dips, pastries, breads and more – including its flagship artisan pittas. Having started out as a wholesale business, the company has grown its offering and has opened Mamoosh Riverside at the Marine Workshops, which has gone down a storm with locals and visitors.
We spoke to founder Einat Chalmers about how the business has evolved, what’s coming up for Mamoosh and what she loves about Newhaven.
Main photo credit: Emma Croman
Tell us about how Mamoosh began – when did you set up the bakery and what inspired you to start the company?
Mamoosh began as the culmination of a long-held dream to create something of my own. Growing up in a family immersed in the restaurant industry – my father was a successful restaurateur and my siblings also had their own businesses – I always knew I wanted to follow a similar path. With a background in catering, I had a particular passion for learning the craft of baking artisan bread.
In 2013, I started experimenting with baking, sharing my creations with friends and family. Their positive reactions and repeated requests to buy the bread sparked an idea. One evening, after watching the documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, I was inspired to take the plunge and turn my hobby into a business. That was the moment I decided to go for it, and Mamoosh was born.
What does the name ‘Mamoosh’ mean?
The name Mamoosh comes from the word “mummy” and is used in Israel as an affectionate term, much like “honey,” “sweetie,” or “darling.” I actually call my sister Mamoosh, and that’s how the name for the business came about.
What kind of food does Mamoosh offer? Tell us about the different aspects of the business (wholesale, catering, etc.).
Mamoosh offers a range of delicious Middle Eastern-inspired foods, with a strong connection to my heritage. Our business operates through several different channels:
- Wholesale: Our flagship products are our white and wholemeal signature pitta bread, which we sell across the country to restaurants, pubs, hotels, bistros, cafes, fast food and street food outlets, independent food shops and to outside catering companies
- Farmers’ markets: We take our Middle Eastern dips, pitta breads, sweet and savoury treats, to local farmers’ markets in Lewes, Shoreham, Arundel and Wallington, Surrey.
- Online orders: Our online pitta orders have been growing steadily, with many repeat customers. We send pittas across the country from Cornwall to Scotland.
- Newhaven Cafe, Deli and Takeaway: Having only opened in June 2024 at the Riverside, Newhaven, we have been delighted by the response to our high-quality food. Our customers drop by and pick up their pittas, fresh bread and pastries, Middle Eastern dips, manakish and savoury snacks as well as great artisan coffee. Our new hot lunch menu is proving very popular with the local community, businesses and visitors to Newhaven.
- Catering: More recently we have started offering outside catering for business lunches, which is still in the early stages but growing steadily.
- Click & Collect: We have also just launched a Click & Collect service. You can order 40 fresh products online at mamooshbakery.co.uk and select a day and time to collect them at the Riverside.
Tell us about your own background as a baker and cook.
I grew up in my dad’s restaurants and developed a deep passion for food and hospitality from a young age. I worked in restaurants for as long as I can remember, mostly in front-of-house roles. After an internship in a pastry shop in New York City, I decided I wanted to transition into the kitchen. With the support of my parents, I enrolled at the prestigious French Culinary Institute (FCI) and graduated as a trained chef. Since then, I’ve worked in both kitchens and bakeries in Israel and the UK, learning a lot along the way.
Mamoosh is well known for its signature pitta breads. What makes them different?
What sets our pitta bread apart is the traditional baking process and the techniques we use. We take our time with a long fermentation period, which helps develop a rich, authentic flavour. We don’t rush the process or use any additives or preservatives—it’s all about working with natural ingredients to achieve the perfect result. Early on, we experimented with different flour blends to find the right balance for our pitta, which has helped us create a product that’s consistent and packed with flavour.
What made you decide to set up your business in Newhaven? What do you think makes Newhaven a great place to base a business?
My husband and I moved to Newhaven 18 years ago and started our family here. As a mum, it was important to me to have my business in a place that allowed me to balance family life with entrepreneurship. Newhaven has been the perfect place to start Mamoosh. It allowed me to take things slow, build the business at my own pace, and benefit from the local support through grants and programmes. The town is like a blank canvas—there are plenty of opportunities for businesses like ours to grow both locally and nationally.
What has been the biggest challenge since you launched Mamoosh?
In the early days, the biggest challenge was finding and retaining good staff, but over time we’ve managed to create a stable team. Nowadays, the biggest challenges are the rising costs of goods and energy. It’s tough for small manufacturers to remain competitive in this climate, especially while trying to keep investing in the business.
Did Newhaven Enterprise Zone support you?
Yes, absolutely! The support we’ve received from the Newhaven Enterprise Zone has been instrumental in our growth. Without their help, we wouldn’t be where we are today. They assisted us in finding the right location, provided grants to help build our bakery and helped us purchase the machinery we needed to scale.
Last summer, you opened Mamoosh Riverside, a deli, café, and takeaway at the Marine Workshops. How has it been going? Tell us about what’s on the menu.
The move to Mamoosh Riverside has been received incredibly well by the local community and beyond. We moved our deli from another location, keeping the same great food, but now we’re expanding and refining the menu. We’re introducing new items like Middle Eastern-inspired toasties and meat dishes. We also have plans to add breakfast items, a Friday fish special, and a Saturday brunch offering to further grow our menu.
Apart from at Mamoosh Riverside, where else can people buy Mamoosh products?
You can find our pitta bread in local shops and independent supermarkets across East and West Sussex, Brighton and Hove. There is a list of outlets on our website. We also sell our pittas nationwide through our website.
We’re regularly at farmers’ markets and are looking to expand to more markets in 2025 and to strengthen our partnership with the Sussex Peasant.
Do you have any exciting plans for Mamoosh that you can share with us?
Yes! We’re planning a couple of community events in collaboration with Hospitable Environment. The Riverside location is still in development, and we have a lot of exciting ideas for 2025.
How would you describe Newhaven? What do you love about the town?
Newhaven has a wonderful sense of community, and a lot of beautiful things happen here. It’s a working town with a vibrant and diverse population which is also very supportive. People genuinely care about one another.
There is a vibrant eclectic mix of art and business which gives it charm but the strong sense of community is one of the things I love most about living and working here.
Read more of our Q&As here.
