Mead in england

[RightHookCook]

Just wondering if any one has herd of any competitions over here in england?

I know this is a predominantly american forum but though id ask, why not!

Maybe Fatbloke may know or if theres any other forum members i dont know about over here then let me know, maybe do a mead swap aswell?

Ive only found one thats local to me and thats the essex bee keepers association next september, already got my entry ageing ready for that!

Thanks for reading, ;D

 

[fatbloke]

Just wondering if any one has herd of any competitions over here in england?

I know this is a predominantly american forum but though id ask, why not!

Maybe Fatbloke may know or if theres any other forum members i dont know about over here then let me know, maybe do a mead swap aswell?

Ive only found one thats local to me and thats the essex bee keepers association next september, already got my entry ageing ready for that!

Thanks for reading, ;D

There are a few things kicking around this side of the pond, but as far as I know, there's no actual mead only based comps, certainly nothing like the MCI.

To my knowledge, here it's basically the open section of local wine shows/competitions, though some may actually have a specific mead section.

Got a few connections with people who're in wine groups/associations in Yorkshire so if you wanted, I could ask "what the bobby is", but suspect it's pretty much as I've already mentioned.......

Obviously you've found the one that's related to Essex bee keeping, so there's a link into it that way, but elsewhere ? Who knows.......

Sorry if that's not much help

regards

fatbloke

 

[RightHookCook]

cheers for the reply, have you never been tempted to enter anything any where then? if not why not take a drive up to billericay next september! also could pick up a lot of good honey as the comps at the essex honey fair.

 

[fatbloke]

cheers for the reply, have you never been tempted to enter anything any where then? if not why not take a drive up to billericay next september! also could pick up a lot of good honey as the comps at the essex honey fair.

It'd be interesting to see, but I wouldn't enter anything as I'm not really competitive like that....

Plus, September money is usually already accounted for as I try to get up to Yorkshire for the Winesathome site "grapefest"......

 

[Midnight Sun]

There are two mead-only competitions in my area. Each is hosted by one of two local meaderies: Ring of Fire Meadery (May) and Celestial Meads (September). Neither did any more advertising than putting up posters at my LHBS, and there is only one of those in my town. (I was unable to attend either this year )

So why not consider calling a local meadery and see if they host a competition at some point during the year? They very well might, but just have not figured out how to get the word out.

 

[RightHookCook]

No worries fatbloke, and midnight sun, in england there are not many meaderys , and i wouldnt have a clue to wheres my nearest one?! cornwall or scotland maybe? either way both are way to far for me to drive for a mead comp lol

 

[Midnight Sun]

The two meaderies that I mentioned are all there is in Alaska. I apologize, but it might have been more appropriate to say that only one is local; the other is a 5-hour drive in a small fishing community. We are enough separated from the rest of the United States that we tend to think of any place in Alaska on the road system as more or less "local"

With that in mind, the LHBS accepted entries on behalf of the meadery further away. Then just one person made the trip.

As far as finding a meadery, your LHBS probably knows of a few. Check the shelves at your local retailer too. In fact, I got my start after purchasing a few bottles of Alaskan mead and shortly afterwards stumbling across this site ;D

 

[wildoates]

I don't know about meaderies in England, but I know there at least 4 bottles of my mead there, as my daughter took some with her when she headed over a couple of weeks ago.

 

[TheAlchemist]

Simon Buxton is a mazer. He's in Wimborne.

 

[mmclean]

You could try The Scottish Mead Company, on the Isle of Bute. May be a place to start.

 

[fatbloke]

You could try The Scottish Mead Company, on the Isle of Bute. May be a place to start.

I suspect that the nearest proper meadery will be Lindisfarne. So only about 300 or so miles (and a ferry ride) from RHC. Measures aren't so common in the US (relative to wineries/vineyards), here they're virtually non-existent.

 

[Noe Palacios]

Just wondering if any one has herd of any competitions over here in england?

I know this is a predominantly american forum but though id ask, why not!

Maybe Fatbloke may know or if theres any other forum members i dont know about over here then let me know, maybe do a mead swap aswell?

Ive only found one thats local to me and thats the essex bee keepers association next september, already got my entry ageing ready for that!

Thanks for reading, ;D

http://www.iwsc.net/home

But I think that no matter how fancy the above competition looks, MCI still the best place for us.

Saludos

 

[fatbloke]

repost, with spelling correction (original from phone/pda and too late to correct the error)

I suspect that the nearest proper meadery will be Lindisfarne. So only about 300 or so miles (and a ferry ride) from RHC. Meaderies aren't so common in the US (relative to wineries/vineyards), here they're virtually non-existent.

The Scottish Mead company on Bute ? Well that, unfortunately, would be even more impractical than Lindisfarne.

Actually, the commercially made mead market here, is also virtually non-existent.....

 

[mmclean]

Well, the OP was about information about competitions, not buying a product. Don't see how a phone call would hurt.

 

[RightHookCook]

mmclean, Yeah i could give them a call and ask to be pointed in the right direction, they would maybe have an idea.

Midnight Sun, i suppose when i talk about local i mean like a half hour drive haha, i guess the us and alaska are so big i shouldnt moan! but at least your lucky enough to be in anchorage, the home of the greatest band ever, 36 crazyfists!! is that where celestial meads is aswell? and as far as buying any mead of the shelf, the best we get here is a horrible sweet syrup (like gravity 1.050 on one ive had!) and that will be in a farm shop not an off license or supermarket. hence why if you like mead, you have got to make it!

wildoates, where did your daughter go? is she just on holiday?

TheAlchemist, is that wimborne in dorset? if yes thats pretty far for me up this way! , and down that way theres a few meaderies ive herd of.

Does the mazer cup take foreign entries? probs be a right pain to do that though so might wait a few years untill i feel ive got something that stands a chance of winning! haha

 

[AToE]

Does the mazer cup take foreign entries? probs be a right pain to do that though so might wait a few years untill i feel ive got something that stands a chance of winning! haha

Absolutely it does, last year there was mead from all over the place!

EDIT: And yes, it would probably be a huge hassle, but I can tell you that the feedback cards from the judges alone are something I'd pay for, more than worth the shipping (from Canada anyways, might not be so worth it for you!).

 

[RightHookCook]

I would seriously love to enter so will look into how much shipping will cost for next year, would love the feedback being as no one i know or any where near me brews or even drinks mead and im completely self taught.

All i have to compare to is the 5 meads ive tried (3 nasty farm shop ones and 2 from a medieval fair that weren't to bad), and now i feel ive got to a stage where mine are better than what ive tried im becoming curious as to what everyone else's meads taste like.

Thats why it would be excellent if there was more uk based mazers on here and we could have a "trade"

Obviously you cant sell your mead without the appropriate licences etc etc but im sure someone could send a money gift back haha

 

[Noe Palacios]

... , but I can tell you that the feedback cards from the judges alone are something I'd pay for, more than worth the shipping (from Nicaragua anyways, might not be so worth it for you!).

100% Agree.

But be carefully, shipping timing is very important becase US Customs may keep your mead in quarantine for a month before they alow to keep their way to the MCI.

Saludos,

 

[Midnight Sun]

RightHookCook,

It's too bad that 36 Crazyfists are no longer based in Anchorage. I do not personally know them, but my wife's family is friends with them. 8)

Celestial Meads is about 5 minutes from my office. The owner, Michael, is pretty nice and seems to do well at the MCI. A few friends say that he is willing to sell excess honey, but I have never been so fortunate. One day I'm sure I'll get lucky.

 

[RightHookCook]

RightHookCook,

It's too bad that 36 Crazyfists are no longer based in Anchorage. I do not personally know them, but my wife's family is friends with them. 8)

Celestial Meads is about 5 minutes from my office. The owner, Michael, is pretty nice and seems to do well at the MCI. A few friends say that he is willing to sell excess honey, but I have never been so fortunate. One day I'm sure I'll get lucky.

Thats so cool, im pretty jealous i have met the frontman brock lindow once before, hes a legend.

Would love to have a chat with michael from celestial meads about his cyser does matter mead, been trying to make something similar.