A husband-and-wife team hope to create a buzz around their new café and bar which puts honey at the forefront of the menu.

Apiary in Western Road, Brighton, aims to have honey, honeycomb and beeswax on the menu and feature it throughout the business when it opens later this spring.

The concept comes after Alistair and Noemi Bell began beekeeping in lockdown – and they now want to transfer their love of honey into their business.

Bartender Alistair, 37, who previously worked at The Flint House in Hanningtons Lane Brighton and currently works at Tutto in Marlborough Place, said: “We were trying to find an alternative opportunity to raise some money in lockdown and out of nowhere Noemi did a beekeeping course at Plumpton.

“She absolutely loved it and straight after that we went and got our first set of hives.

“We will be incorporating different honeys in different cocktails. We will also be putting a big focus on mead [a form of honey wine].”

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Alistair and Noemi, also 37, began making their own honey in lockdown and are now looking to branch out into business.

Apiary will open on the site of the old Velvet Jacks bar opposite Norfolk Square which closed last year.

The bar will operate as a café in the day serving food and a drinks venue in the evening serving honey-based cocktails.

It will also serve food which incorporates honey into the menu.

Alistair and Noemi aim to use some of their profits to re-invest into re-wilding projects.

Alistair said: “We want to be able to contribute a little further afield. We want to be involved in rewilding projects and we want to be a central point for the community.”

The bar is now under construction and it is hope Apiary will be open by April.