Josh Russ Tupper

Josh Russ Tupper may have been dubbed “The Babka Baron” in a profile for The New York Times’ Sunday routine, but fish is his birthright. The grandson of Anne Russ Federman, one of the original Russ daughters, Josh is a fourth-generation torchbearer and innovator of appetizing, everything that goes on a bagel. 

Lox wasn’t always his calling, though. A previous career path as an engineer speaks to his technical and creative acumen that has enabled Russ & Daughters to expand one shop into an appetizing empire that honors its roots as a New York family-owned business. Under his direction, traditional flavors have taken surprising, but familiar-tasting twists, like the Super Heebster, a bagel sandwich he coined on the Martha Stewart Show that’s now a bestseller at Russ & Daughters.

Josh has also appeared in Louis CK’s Louie, in the feature film Lola Versus, and in publications and media outlets including NPR, Food Network, The Travel Channel, Forbes, The Cut, Kinfolk, Lucky Peach, The New Yorker, Vogue, and W Magazine. He is also one of the subjects of The Sturgeon Queens, a documentary about Russ & Daughters that has aired at film festivals worldwide and on PBS. He has spearheaded collaborations with cultural icons that align with the brand, including Jake Gyllenhaal, Puma, and SHUT skateboards. As an authority on herring and caviar, Josh has instructed courses for the YIVO Institute of Jewish Research and Astor Center.