Robert McHugh speaks to Majken Bech-Bailey, the acclaimed sommelier, about BÆK, her new range of non-alcoholic wine alternatives.
Majken Bech-Bailey has become known as a leading sommelier and a pioneer in non-alcoholic pairings in some of the top Michelin-starred restaurants in the world.
In Ireland, she first became known for her imaginative non-alcoholic pairings at the two-star Michelin restaurant that she co-founded with her husband, Jordan Bailey. The restaurant, Aimsir, made headlines by earning its two stars just four months after opening – the fastest in the history of the Michelin Guide.
Majken recently announced the launch of BÆK, her new range of non-alcoholic wine alternatives, which includes Mellow, a non-alcoholic alternative to white wine, and Intricate, a non-alcoholic red-wine alternative.
In this interview, Majken discusses her passion for hospitality and how working with her husband was the best business decision that she ever made.
Please tell us about your new project, BÆK.
I have been involved the non-alcoholic drinks industry the last 12 years of my life, doing non-alcoholic drink pairings with food at restaurants.
I was getting invited by restaurants to come to their venues to help instruct their teams on how to make non-alcoholic drinks. It was interesting that staff had no industry education when it came to pairing non-alcoholic drinks with food, with fusions and things like that.
My husband and I had finished up with the Cliff at Lyons team about three years ago, and I started to do masterclasses on non-alcoholic drinks. I was getting a lot of requests for purchases. That is where the whole idea came from.
What inspired you to move into this target market of offering non-alcoholic wine alternatives?
The idea came when I was pregnant and out for dinner. The option for non-alcoholic [beverages] was either mocktails or soft drinks. You could see a gap in the market.
I started to develop the brand a year ago and began deciding where I wanted to go with it. The idea was to create two non-alcoholic alternatives to wine. It is important to understand that it is an alternative. It is never going to be wine. We are using herbs, spices, fruit and vegetables to create the same body, length and complexity that you would normally find in wine. Like with wine, we also suggest pairings and what to match it with.
It has been such an interesting journey. We did the first big production this weekend, and it went really well. I am really excited. We have bottles going out this week.
People in the hospitality industry can appreciate it is very different making something in the chef’s kitchen and serving it on the same day to the customer. We have a real understanding of the microbiology and the shelf life.
The bottles are very different from wine bottles because I wanted them to have their own identity. They are a bit of a show-stopper when they come to the table!
I want the non-drinker to feel more special. I don’t know why, but sometimes, we shy away from the non-alcoholic segment. We feel we have to hide it in a wine bottle. I don’t know why because it almost takes away from what we are trying to do with it.
Your non-alcoholic wine alternatives have been positively accepted in your home country of Denmark, and in Sweden. How has the Irish market reacted?
Really positive. We did a pre-order sale – we already have a distributor in Ireland – and so many retailers are asking for it because there is a demand from their customers.
The public perception around alcohol has changed. When I was growing up, you would start drinking when you were 14. Now, a lot of the younger demographic don’t drink.
There is a whole new movement of people that could drink, but don’t really want to drink. In Ireland, public transport is not necessarily the best. Very often, if people go out to eat, there has to be a designated driver, so they appreciate having a drink without worrying.
I have been overwhelmed with feedback and the requests for this product. It is a movement, but I definitely think Ireland is ready for it.
The restaurant you co-founded, Aimsir, is famous for earning its two Michelin stars just four months after opening – the fastest in the history of the Michelin Guide. How did that feel?
It felt amazing. If you work in our industry, the Michelin star is a dream. On the day when we got the two stars, Jordan and I were sitting with Paul Cunningham and Garrey Dawson, from Henne Kirkeby Kro, where I worked in Denmark and where I first met Jordan. It was so special. It just makes me smile. We have the pictures on the wall of our kitchen back home.
It was a proud moment, especially as a husband-and-wife team as well. We worked really hard for it. We had an amazing team who we are all still in contact with. They were a big part in shaping the journey.
It was such a big moment in our life that we always look back on as an honour and privilege.
Please tell us about your own background – where you grew up, studied, etc.
I grew up in the countryside. I am from a very small town called Nakskov, to the very south of Denmark, on a little island.
In school, I was quite academic. I have a business degree and wanted to go on to further study. One summer, I worked at Henne Kirkeby Kro, in Denmark, in a part-time role. Paul [Cunningham] was the head chef there, and he asked me if I would be interested in working in the industry full time and getting an education at Copenhagen Hospitality College. I went straight into it.
From there, I met Jordan at Henne Kirkeby Kro, and Jordan was moving to Oslo, to work at Maaemo. Esben Holmboe Bang, the owner of Maaemo, had worked with Paul Cunningham before, so he asked me if I wanted to come on and join the team. I went to Maaemo. I also worked in some wine bars in Oslo. Then we moved from Oslo and started Aimsir.
I have always had a passion for hospitality. I started when I was 11, but it was more like wedding catering. I worked in cafes and pizzerias throughout college as well. I loved hospitality.
To show where I was coming from, though: I remember, when I first walked into Henne, I didn’t know what a Michelin star was! I remember the taxi driver asked me where I was going. I said, ‘Henne,’ and that I was going to work. He was like ‘Oh, my God, you must be really good. It has a Michelin star.’ I was like, Question mark, what is that?! I wasn’t used to restaurants at that level, if you know what I mean.
I think, sometimes, when you go into something blindsided like that, you gain such respect for the chefs in the kitchen. I read the menu and I knew I could do it, so I think that helped me to progress really quickly. I was so lucky with Paul and Garrey. They were the owners at one of the best restaurants in the world, but still, they really took the time to sit me down and go through the menu, which was amazing.
I have been really lucky when I hear about the industry sometimes. At Henne, they let me be myself in the dining room, and I have carried that through my whole career.
I remember, even when I started at Maaemo – because it is a three-Michelin-star restaurant – I said to Esben, ‘Do I need to change my style?’ and he said, ‘No, you need to go in and be you. That is what people want. That is what people want to see, along with all the background knowledge.’
It is important to have the background knowledge to develop yourself.
What has been your best business decision?
My best business decision was choosing to work with my husband. When Jordan came over to Ireland and saw the building where Aimsir was, at that point, we didn’t work together.
I was working in consultancy in Oslo and he came home and said, ‘We can do this,’ and I was like, ‘No!’
I told him, ‘I don’t want to do this because I am your future wife. I want you to do this with me because you think I am the best person to do this with.’
And he said, ‘You are the best person to do this with.’
It might sound weird, but I don’t feel I’m a Majken without a Jordan, and Jordan doesn’t feel he’s a Jordan without a Majken. We are such a good couple when it comes to work. A lot of our relationship is about always challenging each other. We are always very honest.
It was similar with BÆK. When I viewed the development and formulations, I was so excited to get Jordan to taste it because if it was bad, he would tell me to my face.
I think that is the best decision that I ever made because it has taken me so far in my career – not because he is my husband, but because he is a talented person.
What is the best advice that you have ever received?
To trust the journey that life is taking you on. A lot of people come in and they are 22, and they have just finished education and they say, ‘I want to be a sommelier in a restaurant.’ To become that, you need to learn to take your time to work yourself up to that level. To be the best sommelier in a restaurant, you need to be a waiter. You need to know how to work the room. You need to take your time. Learn from people around you, be a part of the process.
We all want to move fast and grow fast. That is the culture around us. I think, if you slow down and take your time with things and trust the journey, you will get really amazing results.
What are your plans for the future?
We have a sparkling-wine alternative in development, which we hope to launch in early 2025.
Favourite meal?
That is a really hard question. It depends on the day!
Favourite drink?
I am a bit of champagne girl. It has to be a from a good grower and a good brand.
At the moment, I really love kombucha. I love my own products, too, of course!
Favourite holiday destination?
Mexico – Torreón City. It’s so vibrant – the people, the food, the weather, the nightlife. I just love that part of the country.
