Success story: Hive Mind
Background
Hive Mind Mead and Brew Co was founded in 2018 by brothers Kit and Matt Newell in the beautiful Wye Valley in the Welsh Borders.
The brothers established the business with the goal of modernising the world’s oldest alcoholic drink. Combining their love of beekeeping with their interest in brewing, Hive Mind employs modern beer brewing techniques to produce a range of light sparkling meads and honey beers, many of which are made using British honey. The company also produces award-winning traditional meads as well as honey-based soft drinks. In 2023, Hive Mind won the Golden Fork for Wales, the highest Welsh accolade at the Great Taste Awards.
Support from ZERO2FIVE
Through the HELIX Programme, ZERO2FIVE first supported Hive Mind in achieving SALSA certification in 2023 and continues to provide annual support to help the company maintain compliance with this important food safety standard.
SALSA is one of the most widely recognised food and drink safety certification schemes in the UK. It is important to many food and drink manufacturers as it enables them to secure major retail listings by demonstrating that they are operating to industry-recognised food and drink safety standards.
Each year, ZERO2FIVE reviews Hive Mind’s food safety management systems against the requirements of the SALSA Standard. Following this review, a detailed gap analysis is produced, and targeted mentoring is delivered to address any identified areas for improvement. In 2026, support focused on the development of a training matrix, supplier approval processes, traceability systems and pest control management.
Hive Mind also invested in new manufacturing equipment during 2026, including a new filtration system. ZERO2FIVE supported the company to update its HACCP plan to reflect the introduction of this equipment. Additional support was provided with hygiene verification, including the use of ATP swabbing to validate the company’s cleaning processes.
Finally, Hive Mind hosted a recent food science and technology postgraduate on an industry placement in 2026. Supported by mentoring from a ZERO2FIVE technologist, the student assisted the company in reviewing and reorganising its document control system to ensure compliance with SALSA. The student also supported the company with product specifications, supplier approval, allergen documentation, sensory testing and daily quality assurance and production tasks.
Benefits of the support
As a result of the support from ZERO2FIVE, Hive Mind passed their most recent SALSA audit in July 2026, with their best result to date.
Maintaining SALSA certification has played a key role in supporting the company’s growth, enabling Hive Mind to secure major retail listings with Marks & Spencer and Co-op. The certification has also helped the business expand into international markets, including Taiwan and Denmark.
In addition, ZERO2FIVE’s support with HACCP and food safety management has helped underpin the successful launch of a continuous pipeline of new products. This has included the introduction of Honeyade in 2025 and Tavern Mead in 2026.
Matt Newell, Co-founder of Hive Mind said:
“Securing and maintaining SALSA certification with support from the HELIX Programme has been vital to the growth of our business. ZERO2FIVE’s wide range of industry expertise coupled with their practical and collaborative approach, is why we would have no hesitation in recommending their support to other food and drink businesses in Wales who are looking to take the next step with food safety certification.”
Get in touch with us
If you’d like to find out more about how we can help your business or have any questions about the support we can offer, then please get in touch.
