Wye Valley Meadery rebrands as Hive Mind and launches canned sparkling mead
L-R: Kit and Mike Newell, co-founders of the Hive M.ind at the meadery bar in Caldicot
Wye Valley Meadery and Hive Mind Brewery have rebranded together under a new name – the Hive Mind Mead & Brew Co. As part of the rebrand, the company has launched a new range of Hive Mind Sparkling Mead in cans.
Hive Mind’s Sparkling Mead range will now be available in 330ml (4% ABV) cans individually or in a boxed four-pack continuing all four natural flavours: ginger, elderflower, rhubarb and pure honey. Two more flavours, sour cherry and honey & hops will also soon be added to the range.
The cans carry the new Hive Mind branding, based around colourful honeycomb illustrations, and highlight the 300,000 flowers visited and 50,000 miles flown by bees to make the honey for every can. The Sparkling Mead is launching on 20 May to coincide with World Bee Day – an international day of awareness in support of these vital pollinators.
All of the company’s mead is gluten free, made with natural ingredients and uses British honey, including honey from its own hives in the Wye Valley, where its beekeeping supports local biodiversity, habitat conservation and important pollinator populations.
The Hive Mind meadery and brewery was founded in the Wye Valley in 2018 by beekeeping brothers, Matt & Kit Newell. Kit explained:
“Mead has seen a surge of interest in the craft drinks market in the USA, and we’ve been at the forefront of growing interest in the product here in the UK, pioneering modern mead styles and changing perceptions of this versatile drink.
“The rebrand to Hive Mind supports our ambitions to grow across the UK and in export markets, and underlines our company’s mission to help the honeybees through the honey we make and the drinks we brew. It also reflects the collaborative nature of the business and working together to create something more than the sum of its parts.
“Our session strength (4%) Sparkling Mead range was created to be light and refreshing, combined with natural and seasonal ingredients to make it a great choice for summer. Moving the range into cans mirrors the craft beer movement, makes the product more portable for outdoor events and is a more sustainable option than glass.
“It may be the world’s oldest alcoholic drink, but modern mead can stand head to head with beers, wines or spirits for its range of flavour profiles, as a base for cocktails or as a different option for food pairing. Our ambition is to use the new Hive Mind brand to help more people to discover this amazing natural drink, and support honeybees in the process” he said.
The Hive Mind Sparkling Mead range will be available to the off- and on-trade in cans or 30l kegs, through specialist drinks distributors and to consumers from independent retailers, delis, farm shops and online. Individual cans retail at £3,80 RRP and the four-pack at £15 RRP. Hive Mind also sells direct to consumers via its website.
