New beer and cheese shop opens on Whiteladies Road

“The plan was just to open very quietly,” says Lara Issa, co-owner of Two Belly, a new cheese and beer shop that recently opened on Whiteladies Road.

However, Lara and husband Dominic Pulsford weren’t able to fly under the radar for long, as word soon got out among the neighbourhood and curious shoppers were drawn in by the promise of carefully paired cheese and beer.

Although the couple met in London, Dom’s family have been in Bristol for more than 30 years; and Lara and Dom wanted to launch their store in Bristol because “it has such a good energy and so much culture.

The inviting interior of Two Belly looks out onto Blackboy Hill

Their light and airy space is essentially two shops in one. The first thing visitors see when they enter is a cheese counter full of mouth-watering mozzarella, cheddars, brie and more.

Two Belly aims to have a mix of local cheeses, including Montgomery from the West Country, alongside UK favourites.

Dom did seasonal work at Neal’s Yard Dairy in London and took several cheese courses to prepare himself for his new role as Two Belly’s cheesemonger. Two Belly’s speciality are their farmhouse cheeses and they are already getting in new stock to complement it.

Two Belly co-owner Dom demonstrates his skills as a cheesemonger

Fresh produce is what this shop is all about. A delivery man arrives on a recent morning with an overflowing basket of fresh bread from The Bristol Loaf in Redfield, and the shelves are stocked with a selection of red wines and juices, as well as eggs which come from a farm where the chicks are fed on fresh herb and maize.

Walking to the end of the shop we come to Lara’s magnum opus: her wide-ranging, yet carefully selected, stock of beers.

After working in sales at a beer company for two years, Lara decided she wanted to do it for herself. Meeting directly with suppliers, she has curated a selection of American IPAs, Belgium bottles, mead and more. There is also a specialist fridge for sharing bottles and barrel-aged beverages.

Craft beers is Lara’s domain, with a hand-picked selection at the back of the shop

“We wanted to do something different; to show people the range of beer which exists and how well it partners with cheese,” Dom tells Bristol24/7.

Two Belly’s niche lies in the fact that they give both of their core products equal weighting, rather than specialising in just one.

Lara and Dom have made sure that they have opened in time for this weekend’s Bristol Craft Beer Festival at the Lloyds Amphitheatre.

They will also be hosting their own events throughout the year, such as fondue nights and tastings with specific breweries. Two Belly also want to reintroduce some classic styles to Bristol audiences as both believe that with some long-standing beers there is no need for change.

In the middle of the shop is a minimalist wooden table which can sit either large groups or passing punters who can come in to try their sarnies or cheeseboards.

“Bristol is ready for cheese and beer,” Dom says.