Continuing our ON Takeover Week, we hear from ON Ben Gibbins (96-00) who tells us more about where life has taken him since leaving Norwich School and why he has just launched a new bottle shop here in Norwich...
What are you doing now for work?
I have just launched a new bottle shop on St Benedicts Street called Melville&Mayell, named after the mothers of the two owners: after also successfully relaunching The Cottage Pub & Kitchen after lockdown 1.0.
Explain your company to us in 50 to 100 words.
Melville&Mayell aims to be an exciting bottle shop that provides consumers in Norwich with a variety of unusual and taste-driven wines, alongside a carefully curated selection of spirits produced how they should be, usually by real characters! With the pop-up venue running on St Benedicts until the end of May, we will then move to a permanent premises; on top of this we are also offering nationwide delivery and planning a series of interactive tasting events once restrictions are lifted. The Cottage offers a take on a traditional pub, drawing on years working in London we offer great beers, decent cocktails (my business partner owned Norwich’s best cocktail bar), fantastic fresh-cooked ‘pub’ food, and a slightly over the top wine list at approachable prices.
What is your greatest professional achievement?
It’s been a varied career so far but running a national training and development team in which, I got to work with a number of Michelin star restaurants training the staff and helping to guide and develop their offering to guests was pretty good.
What are your greatest challenges?
Motivation is hard to pin down, with ambition sometimes getting ahead of real planning, but as long as there is still balance between home and work with enough time to relax that’s good for me.
Tells us what changes and challenges you have faced to working in a COVID-19 World:
At the moment I think we are all still staring down the barrel of Covid, trying to negotiate our way out the other side. COVID-19 changed everything, including destroying my consultancy business working with fledgling drinks brands in London and further afield; it delayed the takeover of The Cottage, but the response since relaunch in August has been huge. It also opened our eyes to gaps in the market in the city, such as a bottle shop that was adaptable and tailored to the consumer’s enjoyment rather than just the bottom line. Fantastically, the interest in and patronage of independents in Norwich only seems to have grown in the pandemic so I believe businesses like ourselves that offer a personable, quality service will thrive in the future.
If you could go back in time, what would you tell yourself starting out?
Do something that you enjoy, don’t chase the money, keep some perspective and balance on your life. I’m fairly confident that starting out most of us didn’t but have come round to this approach as we’ve aged.
How have you got to where you are today?
Good timing to be honest! I’ve always worked hard, and my career has been focused around hospitality and the drinks industry; but a lot of breaks came purely from nurturing relationships, which then surprised me with an opportunity down the line.
If you could offer one piece of business advice to a new start-up company, what would it be?
Plan, budget, add another 25% to the budget, probably add another 25% on that just in case; and don’t get put off if the first few weeks/months feel a little sketchy - if you’ve got a well-researched and delivered concept people will come.
What is your most memorable work experience?
As a young teenager I did some work experience in a very rural solicitors' firm, having thought for a long time perhaps that would be a career for me, skip to four hours in and I had already realised sitting in an office was never going to be for me.
What couldn’t you work without?
It’s a little sad but my iPad - juggling all the businesses means I have to have it all in one place. Although a close second is pen and notepad as I can only take notes and plan in ‘real-time’ not on a screen.
What makes Norwich School special to you?
I think everyone that went to the School has fond memories of the majority of their time there from school trips to Greece; rowing at Whtilingham; friendships that started there; and even the mere location in which we were taught. It’s still great to this day to wander the close in the summer.
What is your favourite Norwich School memory?
Too many to list.
How do you think Norwich School helped you to get where you are now?
Norwich helped put a lot of foundation blocks into my life in business, helping me understand how to articulate, analyses and debate - skills invariably used day in and day out.
What is your favourite Norwich School memory?
I think everyone that went to the School has fond memories of the majority of their time there from school trips to Greece; rowing at Whitlingham; friendships that started there; and even the mere location in which we were taught. It’s still great to this day to wander the close in the summer.
What hobbies/interests do you have outside of work?
I still try and sail, although the chances are limited now and I’m trying to start rowing again and hoping to be better than I was at school; plus, all your stock answers - walking the dog at the coast, eating out, seeing friends.
What might someone be surprised to know about you?
At university I used to help teach disadvantaged and disabled children to sail on a Tall Ship.
Would you be willing to offer career advice or work experience/leadership skills to the Norwich School community?
Always happy for ONs to reach out for career advice, leadership skills etc.
SPECIAL OFFER AT MELVILLE & MAYELL
We are also putting an ON discount in place on the website for Melville&Mayell of 10% - just enter the code ONSPECIAL.