Meet Alistair and Noemi Bell

Meet Alistair and Noemi Bell, the passionate duo behind the newly launched Apiary, located on the Brighton and Hove border. The idea for Apiary was sparked during one of the lockdowns when Noemi rediscovered an old beekeeping book from Alistair’s time in Canada. After reading it, she felt an immediate connection and decided to enrol in a beekeeping course at Plumpton College.

This newfound love for bees quickly led them to take a hive-building course and order their first three Nucs (starter hives). And as they say, the rest is history.

Alistair and Noemi Bell had long dreamed of opening a café/bar but struggled to pin down the perfect concept. However, once they delved into beekeeping, the pieces fell into place. They decided to merge their newfound passion with their business idea, creating something truly unique. Apiary isn’t just a café/bar; it’s a celebration of bees. The Bells not only keep their own bees but also incorporate the honey they produce into the menu. Their offerings have expanded to include beeswax candles, BeeBombs, bee-themed homeware, and, naturally, mead.

 

 

Tell us about your partnership together?

Noemi is our creative director, primarily responsible for the beautiful interior design of Apiary, and also the aesthetic of our brand and online presence.

With a background in events, Noemi is also overseeing the development of our basement area, which we hope will become a private dining and tasting room.

Noemi also liaises with our wine suppliers to curate an exciting and innovative wine list.

Alistair is responsible for the rest of the drinks programme, primarily focussing on the cocktail menu; ensuring it is accessible, imaginative and all round delicious. He also oversees the day-to-day running of the venue, accounting and recruitment.

Are you personally involved in the production of honey, or do you work with local Sussex beekeepers?

We currently have seven hives located in Peacehaven, which once we get our Summer harvest will supply us with some of the honey we need for the running of the venue. We also partner with local beekeepers to stock both local honey, and also international honey from countries such as Mexico, Spain and Australia.

Are you trained beekeepers?

Noemi did her beekeeping course at Plumpton. Alistair an introduction to beekeeping in Vancouver, Canada.

We were also assigned a mentor through the local beekeeping association who guided us through our first 18 months or so, teaching us on the job as it were.

His name is Nigel and he is fantastic.

Are there other honey-led venues like yours that you know of?

Not really…not to the the same degree that we are.

What do your customers love about Apiary?

I think a lot of people just love the concept.

Everyone loves bees, realise their importance in the local environment, and to then enjoy a venue that produced delicious cocktails, food, wine and mead, that showcases the best of the bees is something that a lot of people can get on board with.

I also think that as we are a husband and wife operation, starting our first business in Brighton, joining the ranks of independent operators in the city is something that a lot of locals get on board with.

The fact that the venue looks stunning and creates a very relaxed and inviting atmosphere doesn’t hurt either!

What do you like about the hospitality industry in Brighton and Hove?

The range of cuisines and styles on offer, and that just about everything is within walking distance of each other. There is also a tight-knit community that is great to be a part of.

Tell us about the sharing dishes on your menu and how were these delightful dishes designed?

Ultimately we wanted to be a cafe and bar, that just happens to serve amazing food.

We noticed that in general, if you go to a restaurant that has an excellent bar, you feel there is an obligation to order food. Likewise, if you go to a bar, and then decided you need some food, for the most part your options are nuts, olives, cheese or charcuterie. We wanted to be the place where you can come in for a couple of cocktails or a bottle of wine, and then if you need something to eat afterwards, we have a whole menu designed around really good bar food.

Where we have been really impressed, is that the chef we got onboard, Ruth Barkley, (who Alistair worked with previously at Flint House), has produced a menu that far exceeds our expectations.

Now we have a menu that not only satisfies the “elevated bar food” brief, but is of such quality, that people now come to us for a full meal in their own right, as you would a restaurant, which is excellent.

How does sustainability fit in with your business?

Drinks-wise, we have only chosen products that are either organic, bio-dynamic (or in conversion), carbon neutral or negative, or b-corp.

On the food front, we have sourced products locally where possible, and follow the seasons when selecting produce.

Where would you like to go and eat next?

Papa Dumpling looks great.

Dilsk as we have never find the time yet but on the top of our list!

What has been your biggest challenge with Apiary?

Finding time for it all – from daily operations to accounting and raising two little girls. Balancing family life.

We knew it was going to involve a lot of work, but trying to maintain a work, family balance has been the tricky part to navigate.

What plans do you have in the next 6 months?

• Convert the lower ground floor space into the private space we mentioned earlier.
• Harvest this seasons honey and get it into Apiary.
• Continue to adjust and improve our food and drink offering.
• Be prepared for our first Christmas season, and how that will look for us.
• Now that we have an off licence, to get word out there that we are a shop too for mead and wine.
• We also have an application in to become a mead wholesaler, so watch this space on that front!

Photography provided by: Wilem Hendrik