From stuff.co.nz
A surprise endorsement from Jamie Oliver has given Kiwi mead maker Oren Dalton huge exposure that will help his plans to take his fermented honey beverage to the world.
The man behind Auckland-based Lone Bee mead brand was stunned to discover the British celebrity chef had posted a glowing review of his sparkling clover and mānuka honey mead on Instagram Stories this month.
“It was a complete surprise. Out of the blue,” Dalton says. “I couldn't believe it. I sent it through to my wife and was like, ‘is this real?’ I then chatted to him over Messenger, and he was full-blown genuine.”
Oliver raved about Dalton’s product to his nine million followers, posting a photo of himself holding the Lone Bee mead bottle, and writing: “Very amazing mead, what a nice surprise. Elegant bubbles, light, delicious. It would be amazing on a wine list, so good with food. Gonna get some more next week.”
Dalton immediately fired off a couple of direct messages to Oliver, thanking him for highlighting his brand, and explaining some background to his mead-making journey.
He was thrilled when Oliver replied, explaining how he had discovered it at his local bottle store in Essex in the UK.
“I didn't even think he was going to respond. I asked where I [could] send him some samples, or a case or two, and he responded straight away. He was genuinely loving it,” Dalton says.
Oliver’s shout-out has had an immediate impact on the Lone Bee mead brand, with Dalton receiving order inquiries from around the world, and attracting plenty of social media followers.
“I’ve received emails from overseas, Western Australia, and from the UK, and got loads of likes on social media,” he says. “It's great exposure. It's great for our distributors up in the UK.”
The married father of two, who also works full-time in the finance sector, says Oliver’s praise has reinforced his belief that he was on to a good idea, which started about 12 years ago when he began experimenting with a home-brewing setup at his Kingsland home in Auckland.
By 2017, he had refined his recipe and produced a first batch of 4000 litres, which was sold through a “mate’s bar” and local bottle store. Lone Bee mead has since picked up nationwide distribution, and now exports to a growing list of destinations, including Singapore, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom.
“Getting [Oliver’s] endorsement is just awesome. It validates my dream and passion, and belief in the product. It's pretty special.
“I've always had the dream to create the best sparkling honey mead in the world, and eventually create a mead industry that rivals New Zealand's wine industry. And this plays a significant part.
“I've been chipping away. I was that weirdo at beer and cider festivals, with a sparkling mead saying ‘try this’, and trying to create and grow a new [competition] category, and grow the awareness of mead. So this exposure has just ramped things up that much more.”
Dalton’s Lone Bee mead, which has 5.3% alcohol content, is made from New Zealand's finest clover and world-famous mānuka honey, and does not contain any additives, preservatives, flavourings or sweeteners. It is also gluten-free.
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Raised milking cows on a Kaikohe dairy farm, Dalton has a grand vision of how the rise in popularity of mead could help revitalise the environment, and undo some of the historic damage that has been done to the land.
“Growing up on the farm, I remember Dad and Granddad clearing loads of native bush to create pasture” he says.
“And if more people drink mead, then the demand for honey will further increase. More demand for honey means more bees. More bees mean the need for more plants, flowers, or trees, and a happier, healthier planet for everyone. The goal is to leverage that and build on it, and take it global.”
Dalton is hoping he might have an opportunity to further develop Lone Bee’s connection with Oliver, but is happy to let things take their natural course.
“I don't want to push too hard. If he genuinely loves it that much, we will be in touch.”
