Chance encounter


When Rukhsana was planning her retirement from work as a consultant development and educational psychologist, she decided that, among other things, she would like to learn about bees and how to make their garden more bee-friendly. As so oſten happens, she fell in love with the bees themselves and very soon Mike, a retired teacher, joined her on a beekeeping course and thus their beekeeping experience began.


In December 2017, Mike and Rukhsana accompanied their son Tom and his wife Holly, to a birthday meal in the restaurant. Tom is a chef in London and during the meal at the Kitchen Bench was chating to John Freeman, the restaurant’s head chef. When Tom mentioned the bees, John was very interested and Rukhsana invited him to visit their apiary in the spring. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to get to the apiary but having tasted various local honeys, John decided he wanted to buy the whole of Rukhsana and Mike’s summer honey crop to use in the restaurant’s unique dishes. Sous chef and 2018 winner of BBC’s MasterChef: The Professionals, Laurence Henry, came to collect the honey and, aſter visiting the apiary, the discussion soon gravitated to bees and beekeeping.


Laurence reported back to Sat Bains and John, and Rukhsana and Mike were invited to discuss the feasibility of keeping bees at the restaurant, so they visited to investigate a suitable location for the apiary. However, none of the staff would be able to look aſter the bees. Step in our beekeepers and the arrangement was made with the hives set up in April and May 2019.


The hives and the bees belong to Sat, with Mike and Rukhsana managing them on his behalf. They extract the honey, which is then passed to the restaurant. The 2019 season was not without its challenges of erratic weather, lost queens and one colony being infected with chronic bee paralysis virus. Being right on the river put everyone on flood alert recently but thankfully this was a false alarm. With vigilant management and support and advice over the phone from the local seasonal bee inspector, Tim Roper, and local beekeeper friend, Tim Axe, the bees produced about 23kg of honey.


We went into the restaurant where I met Sat and John. As well as main dining rooms, the restaurant offers three


Bee Craſt April 2020


opportunities for guests to watch food preparation. The Chef’s Table gives a view of the savoury kitchen while the Kitchen Bench is within the main body of the pastry kitchen. The Nucleus (defined as “the most important part of an object, movement, or group forming the basis for its activity and growth”) gives two people the chance to watch and taste dishes being put through their paces before they make it onto the main menu.


A honey of a treat!


We sat at the Chef’s Table where I was served ‘Our 1st honey’. The dish was named in honour of the first honey crop from the restaurant’s bees. The restaurant wants all dishes to have their own story so, to represent the honey and the garden, the dish was presented in two parts: a bowl containing the ice cream and a plate with a glass dish of honey surrounded by seasonal flowers and foliage. The honey was drizzled onto the ice cream and I took my first mouthful. It was absolutely delicious! The honey was viscous and very tasty. It complemented the ice cream and crême fraiche perfectly. The bees have a wide selection of flowers right along the river including Himalayan balsam and lime, which no doubt contributed to the excellent taste.


Stay a while


As well as fine dining in the restaurant, Sat offers guests the chance to stay in one of their seven rooms which are managed by his wife Amanda.


FROM TOP John Freeman, Rukhsana Meherali and Sat Baines • Drizzling the honey


PREVIOUS PAGE FROM TOP ‘Our 1st honey’ dish • The owl bird scarer • Michael Browne and Rukhsana Meherali


This is a first-class establishment offering seven- and ten-course tasting menus. If you want a very special night out, you are unlikely to find anywhere beter as, in 2018, the restaurant was voted by Tripadvisor as the fourth best fine-dining restaurant in the world and best in the UK. As well as two Michelin stars, it has five AA rosetes and is graded nine out of ten in The Good Food Guide.


Sat himself has won a number of awards including the Roux Scholarship and Restaurant magazine’s chef’s chef of the year. He has appeared on BBC’s MasterChef, and on the BBC’s Great British Menu and Saturday Kitchen. His book Too Many Chiefs, Only One Indian has won eight international awards.


www.bee-craſt.com/shop


It is rumoured that, at the age of 18, Sat joined the catering course at Derby College only because it was the one with the most girls on it – but who knows where youthful decisions will lead!


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Photos: Claire Waring


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