Rhythm the Store

From a small Luton town, to the fun of service station jobs, branching out towards managing a Whole Foods shop to eventually opening his own delicatessen, Mel Nugent has always intrinsically had three things drawing him through life; food, art and people.

Mel grew up in Jamaica for the first nine years of his life and lived with his family. His grandpa had an ‘open house’ approach to life. People would come to him for advice and he became a kind and reliable figure in the community. This is an ethos that stayed with Mel as he grew up, always seeking people, conversations and community in his life.

“I like the idea of bringing people together. The food and drinks side of things is about gathering and sharing, it’s giving and that’s what I do.”

His family’s approach to life and his upbringing also intrinsically linked him to food. So it was natural as he got older for him to start finding jobs that meant he always got to be around food. His passion grew and grew, from shops, to his own food spots and the art that came with the creation of food and laying it out on a plate.

For Mel and his family it was very much a need for a change of pace that brought him and his wife to Bournemouth's shores. Being by the coast had always called to him but Bournemouth had never been specifically on the radar.

“We always wanted to be by the sea, but we didn’t know where. We didn’t know Bournemouth and it sounded so far away, but after staying in Boscombe and taking the walk down the zig-zag to the beach we knew “

Opening a new shop had never been a given or immediately on the cards. But after some walkabout of the area, starting in Christchurch and asking for some recommendations, it was everyone's adamant avoidance of Boscombe that made it the place to explore for Mel.

And then the need for a new creation, a new outlet, took on a life of its own. The perfectly small shop being available to buy was kismet, lots of the furniture Mel had collected without proper space for it at home, and a need for something to do, an idea was born.

“One guy came by, he had a Jamaican flag on his electric car and he's got a beat box on the front and he's playing out his music and everyone's just living, you know.”

From the hustle and bustle of the London food scene, to the relaxed pace of the coast and a browsing sensibility in furniture sales, there was a feeling that something was missing. The ‘getting to know you’ vibe wasn’t happening.

“I thought, well, if I can get the coffee machine in, people are going to come in for coffee. I'm going to be able to talk to them.”

Mel’s shop is a love affair and an ode to the experiences of his life, and the welcoming of others. You can expect to see beautifully painted cocktail cabinets, assorted knick knacks, hand crafted chairs, retro lamps and lights, as well as posters, paintings and records all created by different hands, cultures and moments in time.

Not only is it a hub for locals to gather for a coffee and chat, sharing stories and wisdom, but it has also become a place for artists to showcase their works and Rhythm hosts community nights where people are invited to come and discover something new and bask in the enjoyment of meeting new people.

“Every place I’ve been I’ve liked creating a community and my wife said she knew I’d do it again.”

There’s an ethos and certainty to living in a community and gaining connections and Mel has wrapped that up in his energy perfectly.

“You have to be open, not judgmental. You know, you've got to be completely comfortable with, with them and yourself and that way everyone feels okay about it.”