Mead: England’s Forgotten National Drink Making a Comeback in Devon
What Is the National Drink of England?
We live in a world where symbols of national identity are important – which is why, for example, the media is forever having rows about whether fish-and-chips, roast beef or chicken tandoori represent the UK’s national dish. But what about our national drink? Scotland, of course, has whisky, while England might argue over whether beer or cider should take the crown.
However, in historic terms there’s only one drink in the running, and that is mead.
The Historic Importance of Mead in England
Why? Because not only is this honey-based beverage delicious and rather powerful – but it really did rule the roost in times of yore. Mead first became popular in England during Roman times and it continued to be a staple drink for centuries.
The Anglo-Saxons loved the stuff – it has a couple of mentions in the epic poem Beowulf – and it was central to the social life of the early English. Apparently, mead halls were hugely popular right up until the Norman Conquest.
Wolfgang Sieg-Hogg and Luda Razdobudko
Lyme Bay Winery: The UK’s Largest Mead Producer
And here’s another thing I didn’t know about mead. The UK’s largest maker is based right here in the West Country. Lyme Bay Winery, based in south east Devon, creates vast vats of this golden elixir on a weekly basis. To be precise, its team of highly experienced experts craft more than 750 bottles per day. Last year, they sold over 250,000 bottles, exporting to countries as far afield as Finland and Canada.
Beyond Mead: The Rise of English Fruit Wines
At this point, people who know about the history of alcoholic beverages might be waving their arms in protest. “Yes, mead was popular,” they might say. “But what about all those fruit wines? Surely the fruits growing in every British hedgerow allowed the denizens of these isles to create delicious drinks that were far more widely available than mead?”
Well, yes, good point. But as it happens, Lyme Bay Winery is also Britain’s largest maker of “country fruit wines”. All manner of flavours adorn the shelves of the retail outlet at their headquarters, just a couple of miles inland from Seaton. Strawberry wine? They’ve got it. At this time of year cherry wine is very popular and in a few months’ time they’ll be seeing the Christmas Pudding Wine fly out the door.
English Wine Excellence in Devon
Oh, and of course, Lyme Bay Winery does make a large amount of what you might call mainstream wine – in other words the delicious and, in their case, award-winning stuff that’s made from English grapes.
Meeting Wolfgang Sieg-Hogg at Lyme Bay Winery
But it’s the mead and the country wine selection I wanted to find out more about, so I went down to Devon to meet with managing director Wolfgang Sieg-Hogg, who is keen to promote these remarkable beverages. I can see why – in recent times they’ve failed to gain a fraction of the media publicity that other alcoholic drinks enjoy.
A Mead Revival in the 21st Century
However, that is changing. The beverage, often claimed to be the world’s oldest drink, is enjoying a 21st-century resurgence with more people seeking new and exciting flavours.
In fact, Fortune Business Insights reports the global mead market is due to reach $1.395 million by the end of 2032. And the team at Lyme Bay Winery are working hard to stay ahead of the game – not only by producing a range of flavoured meads, but also by giving it a bit of fizz, reducing its alcohol content, and putting it into cans.
From Cider to Mead: Lyme Bay Winery’s Journey
I asked Wolfgang about the history of the business, and he explained that the winery's journey began with cider.
“Lyme Bay Winery started by making cider, but the original owner always had a vision of doing English wine and he planted a vineyard just up the road.”
As we’ve said, this specialisation has led to impressive results. The company now employs some 35 people at its HQ near Axminster as well, indirectly, as a huge number of seasonal workers at the various vineyards and other businesses which supply raw materials.
How Mead Is Made at Lyme Bay Winery
So, I asked Wolfgang to tell me more about the all-important mead….
“Basically, mead is a honey-based alcoholic drink. It really is fermented honey,” he explained. “We take water and honey – using a blend of honeys that give us our unique flavour profile – and we ferment that. A key part of the ferment is managing the temperature and the food for the yeast. If it goes too fast, it gets all excited and exhausts itself. If it’s too cold, it struggles. We keep it at just the right pace, so in about four weeks, it’s ready to be racked off.”
Other processes such as filtering have to be carried out before it is eventually bottled. While the traditional mead is the company’s bestseller, Lyme Bay Winery isn’t afraid to experiment with flavours.
Mead Flavours and Versatility
Wolf told me:
“We have a traditional mead that outsells everything else, but we also have ten different flavours – such as ginger and black cherry mead, which are popular as winter gets underway. In summer people tend to like the apple or the strawberry, and the elderflower.”
He believes the versatility of the drink could be one of its key selling points.
“There’s no one single way of enjoying mead. Some people love it neat, others like to add it to a cocktail to create a long drink. People even use it as a flavour base for cooking.”
Innovation and the Future of Mead
Lyme Bay Winery is embracing changes sweeping through the drinks industry, particularly with the shift towards lighter, easier-to-approach products and lower alcohol content.
“The drinks industry is changing. There’s a shift to more ready-to-drink options and lower ABV products,” Wolfgang explained. “That’s where we’ll explore new products, and in the background, we’ll continue to educate people on what mead is.”
He also notes that TV series and games have helped mead capture the imagination of younger drinkers. “Things like Game of Thrones have brought in a much younger audience – and then you’ve got Dungeons and Dragons, and the whole knight and warrior culture – all that has opened up mead to a whole new generation.”
Country Fruit Wines at Lyme Bay Winery
Our conversation then turned to the other side of Lyme Bay Winery's business: the country fruit wines. Wolfgang explained that these are as important to the company as their meads.
“If you say ‘bottle of wine,’ everyone thinks Chardonnay or Pinot, but we get thousands of people coming to our shop and tasting our fruit wines, and they are amazed by the flavours.”
Wolfgang also sees strong heritage connections: “There is a link back to tradition, and just look at the popularity in this country for visiting historic places like castles. I can tell you that some of our strongest outlets are visitor centres in major heritage sites. When you’re thinking about history and heritage, you can get the idea that you’d like to try a truly traditional drink.”
English Tradition Meets Innovation in Devon
As with the mead, the winery is working to introduce fruit wines to a younger audience. “The age group for fruit wines is quite old at the moment, so we’re looking at how to rebrand them and make them more attractive,” Wolfgang said. “We’ll be reducing the ABV and might even put an elderflower wine in a can. We want to be a part of that new market.”
Because I was driving, I was not able to taste any of these alcoholic products so cannot actually vouch for how good they are. But I walked away impressed nevertheless. My headline thought was: “Wow! Who knew?” Because, I must admit, I did not know anything about either mead or fruit wines before my visit.
Final Thoughts: Lyme Bay Winery’s Passion for Mead and Fruit Wines
I was won over thanks to Wolfgang’s passion – his enthusiasm is infectious. Lyme Bay Winery in Devon is an impressive business that follows tradition while at the same time constantly looking to innovate.
If they continue in their mission, they will help these historic drinks – mead and fruit wines – to remain relevant and exciting for years, or even centuries, to come.
