A Welsh mead, brewed in support of the charity Bees for Development has been awarded two Great Taste stars by the Guild of Fine Food.
Hive Mind Mead & Brew Co’s Zambian Forest Honey Mead was described by Great Taste judges as “a wonderful mead that is beautifully executed and delicate”. The mead is brewed with honey sourced from Zambian beekeepers whose businesses have been helped by Bees for Development, and Hive Mind also donates 10% of the profits from its sales to the charity to support its work.
Great Taste is the world’s largest food and drink accreditation scheme, with more than 500 food & drink industry experts assessing and around 13,500 products over the course of 92 judging days this year.
Brewed in a traditional mead style, the dark forest honey gives the Zambian Forest Mead a distinct amber colour and a flavour which judges commented was ‘rich and savoury on the nose…a gentle smokiness that is akin to whisky.”
Hive Mind’s beekeeping brothers Kit and Matt Newell brew sparkling and traditional mead and a range of honey beers at their Wye Valley meadery. In 2023 they won Great Taste’s Golden Fork award for the best product in Wales with their Traditional Mead.
Kit Newell, co-founder of Hive Mind said:
“We’re thrilled to be celebrating another year of Great Taste success. It’s great to be awarded two stars – in the words of Great Taste “a great example of its type, impressing with its quality” – for a product that is also doing good in supporting beekeeping communities and raising money for a great local charity.
“We’re on a mission to showcase the versatility and quality of modern meads. And it is rewarding to see the judges noting the complexity of the Zambian mead, picking up on its balance of sweetness and subtle acidity with notes of citrus and light honey aroma,” he said.
Bees for Development is the global charity which makes life better with bees. It promotes sustainable beekeeping to combat poverty, build resilient livelihoods and benefit biodiversity.
Jenny Handley, head of comms and fundraising, Bees for Development, added:
“Beekeeping is low cost, sustainable, and has the greatest effect on those who have the very least. Our charity shares beekeeping skills with people in the poorest communities of the world, giving a reliable income for life.
“So we are thrilled to see this product, which supports our work and showcases the potential for building sustainable businesses through beekeeping, being recognised through this highly prestigious accreditation,” she said.
Honey for this mead was imported by Wainwright’s Honey which establishes trading relationships with local communities and has been working in this region since 1983.
