The sweet taste of success: How two brothers turned beekeeping into a thriving business

Brothers Kit and Matt Newell have transformed a childhood hobby into Hive Mind, a pioneering honey-based drinks company that's challenging perceptions of ancient beverages while championing environmental sustainability.

When Kit Newell talks about his business, there's an unmistakable passion in his voice – one that's been fermenting since his brother Matt first developed a fascination with beekeeping at age 13. Today, that early interest has blossomed into Hive Mind, a company producing award-winning mead and sparkling honey drinks from its base in the Wye Valley.

"Matt approached a beekeeper at a country show when he was about 13 and said he'd love to learn how to keep bees," Kit said. "The wages were terrible,  a jar of honey for a day's work, but he learnt a lot."

That dedication paid off. By his late 20s, Matt was managing 10 hives, and the brothers were sitting on a surplus of high-quality honey with nowhere to go.

From farmers' markets to national recognition

The journey from side hustle to full-time business wasn't straightforward. Initially, the brothers attempted to sell their authentic, locally-produced honey at farmers' markets, but quickly discovered a frustrating reality about the UK honey industry.

Kit said:

"We were convinced we could produce delicious honey that also looked good.

"But selling authentic, locally produced honey was challenging when the price was being compared to cheap imported honey being sold in supermarkets at a fraction of the price, meaning it would be impossible to compete."

According to the Bee Farmers Association, the UK can only meet 14% of its domestic honey needs, creating a market flooded with what Kit describes as "cheap adulterated honeys padded out with cheap sugar syrups" that have "decimated any value that might have once existed within home-produced honey."

At the time, both brothers were juggling the honey venture alongside demanding careers – Matt as a geologist and Kit as a graphic and product designer. Rather than abandon their beekeeping passion or compete in an impossible market, they saw an opportunity to pivot.

Combining Matt's beekeeping expertise with Kit's background in marketing and product design – and their shared love of home brewing – they decided to create something different: contemporary honey-based drinks that showcased their authentic honey in a premium light.

Modernising medieval mead

For many, the word 'mead' conjures images of Vikings and medieval feasting halls. The Newell brothers saw something very different.

"We launched in 2018 with the goal of turning mead into a contemporary alternative to beer, wine and cider, rather than a historical curiosity," Kit said. "We've done this by making a range of light, sparkling meads as well as a range of non-alcoholic sparkling honey-based soft drinks."

Their approach employs modern beer brewing techniques to produce drinks that are far removed from the heavy, syrupy traditional mead made by monks. The result? A family of products that includes sparkling meads, honey beers, and their alcohol-free Honeyade range – all using British honey wherever possible.

According to research from Food Innovation Wales, the company received support from ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre to achieve SALSA certification, one of the UK's most widely recognised food safety schemes. This professional approach to production quality has been crucial to their growth.

As the business evolved, so did its identity. Originally launched as Wye Valley Meadery – a nod to their picturesque location – the brothers made the strategic decision to rebrand as Hive Mind.

"The name change was about broadening our appeal and better reflecting what we're about," Kit explained. "While we're proud of our Wye Valley roots, 'Hive Mind' captures both the collaborative nature of bees working together and our mission to champion British beekeeping more widely. It also meant we weren't limited to just mead – the name works across our entire range, from sparkling meads to our Honeyade soft drinks."

The rebrand also helped distance them from the traditional, historical associations of meaderies, allowing them to position their products as contemporary craft beverages for modern consumers.

The environmental mission

For Kit and Matt, the business represents a commitment to "sustainable, rural regeneration" and protecting Britain's bee population.

The company's environmental credentials extend beyond its own apiaries. By creating premium products that showcase the value of authentic British honey, they're helping to support sustainable beekeeping practices across the country. Each bottle tells a story of local production, natural ingredients, and respect for the pollinators that make it all possible.

Navigating the financial challenges

Like many small food and drink businesses, Hive Mind has had to navigate the choppy waters of start-up finance. The brothers bootstrapped their initial operations, investing in equipment and developing their recipes through trial and error.

"When you're starting out, every pound counts," Kit admitted. "We had to be really strategic about where we invested, whether that was in brewing equipment, packaging design, or getting certified for food safety."

The move to a larger factory and pursuit of SALSA certification represented significant investments, but ones that have opened doors to larger retailers and distributors. According to Business News Wales, the brothers have leveraged support from the Welsh Government's Food Division, including participating in Blas Cymru/Taste Wales events, which Kit describes as invaluable for making buyer connections.

"At Blas Cymru this year, we focused on our Honeyade range – using honey as a sweetener instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners," Kit explained. "Events like that are crucial for a small brand like ours to get in front of the right people."

Building distribution networks

Six years after launch, Hive Mind products are now stocked in independent retailers, farm shops, and increasingly, larger stockists across the UK. The company's modern branding, deliberately steering toward something closer to craft cider or wine aesthetics, has helped them appeal to contemporary consumers.

The firm’s  Honeyade range – alcohol-free sparkling drinks sweetened with honey – has proved to be particularly popular, appealing to health-conscious consumers looking for alternatives to sugar-laden sodas.

"People are increasingly interested in where their food and drink comes from and what's in it," Kit noted. "We can tell them exactly where the honey comes from, and there's nothing artificial in our products."

Hive Mind products are available from independent retailers and stockists nationwide. For more information, visit their website or look out for their distinctive modern packaging at your local farm shop or specialist drinks retailer.

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