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It was just six months ago that The Bean Jar first threw open its doors in the Arcade, in what its owners describe as a "leap of faith"... So, how have things gone?
As part of a new series celebrating the value of Guernsey's small businesses, Express will each week sit down with the owners of one of the many places that makes the island a unique place to live, work and shop to find out: What makes a small business tick? What issues do they face, and why do entrepreneurs choose to launch in Guernsey?
Today, we catch up with Sofi Noakes and Reece Carter...
Sofi’s background is in hospitality, where she developed her marketing, PR and customer service skills, initially in Scotland for large hotel groups. During this time, she earned the prestigious Brand Ambassador award for Holiday Inn Express.
Sofi arrived in Guernsey in 2016 and after an initial period spent in fiduciary, returned to her roots by running The Streat in The Inner Market and then set up The Bean Jar, in the Commercial Arcade, last year.
Reece, Sofi’s partner, is an experienced graphic with skills in web designer.
When not baking and creating at The Bean Jar, Reece uses his creative skills in other ways through the couple’s other business – Grathicks Media and Design – offering services in social media, website building, web hosting and web design.
Our doors opened on 1 December 2023. Any new venture is of course, a leap of faith, but with our combined experience of over 20 years, we believed we had the ideas, dedication, and confidence to give this a try.
We also have a saying: "Family is not always the one we are born into, but the one we create and cultivate in our surroundings through our community," which I believe sums us up perfectly.
From our store in the Arcade, we create authentic bean jar, gâche mélée, Guernsey gâche, home-made cakes and sausage rolls, along with milkshakes made with ice cream and a range of great coffees plus our toasties are extremely popular.
We also provide outdoor catering so visit islanders’ homes with our extensive menu, which is fun and fulfilling.
Recently we were awarded a five star rating for hygiene so hope to open a stall at the popular Seafront Sundays in Town this Summer.
Retail is very varied and we get to meet and interact with lots of great people, many of whom have become regulars.
As I have history in customer service, I also enjoy creating beautiful things and seeing the satisfaction this brings to our customers.
Running your own business begins and ends with you, this of course, can be mentally challenging but also extremely rewarding.
As a couple who work together, we are actively encouraged by our family, friends and loyal customer base and have surrounded ourselves in an environment which we have cultivated.
Guernsey has a fabulous history and we want to play a small part in preserving some of the island’s traditional foods in our menus.
We also like bringing these to the attention of visitors so they can try local favourites such as gâche, bean jar and gâche mélée.
We aim for our new business to become an integral part of the local community, so participating in the summer events is a top priority for us this year.
Our website will soon transform into an e-commerce platform, enabling customers to pre-order online and choose specific times for collection.
We live in a close-knit community where people are warm, friendly and understanding. It is a great pleasure to be a part of and the reason why we try to support other local businesses ourselves.
We've recently added our Mini Shop which acts like a little hedge veg to promote other small food based businesses.
When we aren't working we enjoy driving around the island stopping for a bite to eat at the many kiosks and eateries.
Find The Bean Jar at 27, Commercial Arcade or visit their website, Instagram (@thebeanjartoastery) or Facebook. Sofi can also be contacted via telephone (07839 199916) or email.
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