The original bakery

Bagelcat

Made of: A sesame bagel. The calm centre of the bakery.

Bagelcat is a cartoon cat made out of a glossy sesame bagel, baked a deep golden brown and dotted all over with pale seeds. The face sits in the bagel's hole, calm and content, with a closed-mouth smile that says everything is going to be fine.

Bagelcat is the calm centre of the bakery. When the ovens are roaring and the orders are piling up, Bagelcat is the one quietly getting on with things: always round, always grounded, and never short of a few seeds of wisdom. Mornings should be slow and well toasted, and Bagelcat sees no reason to rush them.

Favourite spot: the big wooden chopping board on the kitchen counter, next to the coffee pot, with the sunny window behind. It is the best seat in the house for watching the street wake up.

Quirks: blinks very slowly at anyone in a hurry, keeps a jar of jam nearby for emergencies, and gives the steadiest advice in the building.

For Christmas, Bagelcat is decorated as a wreath, with herb greenery, cranberries, a dusting of sugar snow and a red bow. That is the festive look shown here.