Mike & Emily – Alpha Bottle Shop & Tap
“The support, advice and knowledge which we have received from the Outset team has played an integral role in helping us open successfully.”
Mike and Emily are founders, owners and operators at Alpha Bottle Shop & Tap, an exciting new venture which has been built upon the foundations of many years of hard work. They see themselves as a vision for the future of the hospitality and retail industries and ultimately have a love for great beer and quality independent products. They opened their doors in May 2021 on East Street, Bristol providing a one stop shop for the highest quality, most exciting range of craft beers on offer both from the UK and further afield!
At the beginning of 2020, when the world turned itself on its head and the pandemic began, they saw a gap in the market of people wanting to access great beers and carefully selected related products. Although the pubs and restaurants had shut their doors, they saw no reason why people couldn’t still access this via the comfort of their own back garden. They identified “a need for a business which merged the atmosphere of a craft beer bar with an epic selection of drinks from the best breweries and independent producers from around the globe”. Their mission was to act as a one stop shop regardless of an individual’s brewery needs. For example, delivery to your door anywhere in the UK, click and collect from a Bristol shop and when safe to do so, “sit in and drink beers straight from the fridge or fresh from the taps. And with that, the idea for Alpha Bottle Shop and Tap was born!”
They started their sessions with the Outset team through South Bristol Enterprise Support in the lead up to opening their doors.
“The support, advice and knowledge which we have received from them has played an integral role in helping us open successfully. We are so grateful for the advice which they have given, the connections they have helped us make and the overall encouragement which we have received whilst bringing our first business to fruition.”
Today, just a couple of months into their new venture, Emily and Mike are proud to say that they were able to secure “the perfect venue amidst a worldwide pandemic, complete a full shop fit out” and are now welcoming customers to “enjoy a freshly poured draught independent beer in a casual and welcoming, covid secure setting.”
To find out more about Emily and Mike, their journey as a start-up or their products, visit their website here or follow them on Facebook or Instagram
