Thomas’ English Muffins have been an iconic breakfast staple in American kitchens (and toasters!) for more than a century. To celebrate the signature Nooks and Crannies goodness crafted by Samuel Bath Thomas in 1880, several of America’s favorite Thomases will gather today, April 23, where the baking began—The Muffin House in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York.
To commemorate the 135th anniversary of the Thomas’ English Muffin, six celebrities with the first or last name Thomas will hand out breakfast sandwiches outside The Muffin House to passersby all morning from 6 a.m. to noon. “Team Thomas” officially includes Philip Michael Thomas (Tubbs from “Miami Vice”); Richard Thomas (John Boy Walton from “The Waltons” and now Frank Gaad on “The Americans”); Larry Thomas (The Soup Nazi from “Seinfeld”); Thomas Ian Nicholas (star of “Rookie of the Year” and Kevin from “American Pie”); U.S. Olympic figure skater Debi Thomas; and Sean Patrick Thomas (Derek from “Save The Last Dance”).
Samuel Bath Thomas created his original English Muffin using a secret process that included griddle baking to create a muffin filled with Nooks and Crannies goodness. He later opened his own bakery in New York City in 1880. The building is now a converted apartment building, and the original oven that Thomas used still sits behind a wall in one of the apartments at 337 W. 20th St.
“We’re excited to celebrate an American icon with American icons,” says Jon Silvon, category director for Thomas’ Breads. “We're also honoring the lasting legacy of Samuel Bath Thomas in the place where he first baked his signature English Muffins. We hope that his original Nooks and Crannies English Muffin can be enjoyed at breakfast tables for generations to come.” Thomas’ is a Bimbo Bakeries USA brand.