New Lewes cafe-bar secures drinks licence

On Friday (August 5), a Lewes District Council licensing panel granted husband-wife team Alistair and Noemi Bell a licence to serve alcohol and food within a soon-to-open business at 29 High Street.

The premises, set to trade as Apiary, has been given permission to operate between 8am and midnight, seven days a week, although the applicants said they were unlikely to fully use these hours.

Speaking about their plans for the business, Mr Bell said: “Ultimately what we are looking to open is a neighbourhood/community all day cafe-wine bar. We wish for it to be somewhere of quality and repute.”

He added: “We really want this to be a place where people come to enjoy and we wish to contribute not just to the neighbourhood, but to the street and Lewes as well.”

The hearing had been called in light of concerns from a number of neighbours, focussed on the potential noise disturbance from use of outdoor seating to the rear of the premises.

In light of these concerns, the Bells had offered to close the outdoor area no later than 10.30pm. At least one of the neighbours had called for the garden to be closed no later than 8.30pm, however.

After hearing from both neighbours and the applicants, the committee opted to grant the licence but to add a condition requiring the outdoor area be closed no later than 10pm. They also imposed a condition (initially suggested by the applicants) banning smoking in the rear garden.

While not a condition, Mr Bell also spoke of plans to partially screen the garden area using parasols.

As part of conditions agreed with Sussex Police, alcohol could only be served to seated patrons and should only be sold when food is available.

However, the business would also be able to sell alcohol for consumption off site.

According to the application form the premises is a former shop space on the high street with a ground floor, basement and garden. It added: “The current rear office space will be converted into a kitchen. We would divide the basement into part storage, part private dining room. We would also utilise the garden and place a few tables there for eating and drinking.”