MEAD - TALK & TASTING An evening with SUE LANG*

MEAD – TALK & TASTING An evening with SUE LANG*

£5.00

Unlock the Secrets of Mead with Expert Sue Lang
Join our beekeeping community for a unique and sociable evening dedicated to the ancient craft of
mead-making. We are thrilled to host Sue Lang, a beekeeper with over 17 years of experience who is in the final stages of training to become a National Honey Show judge.
This is a rare opportunity to go beyond the basics and delve into the art and science of mead from a judge’s perspective.

Sue will guide you through what makes a great mead, demystify the judging process, and share her passion for this historic honey-based drink.
The evening will be a fully interactive tasting journey. Unlike a standard presentation, you will be tasting selected meads with Sue, one at a time, using your own glass. This hands-on approach will give you a direct feel for the judging criteria and the incredible variety that mead can offer.

What to Expect:

 An engaging talk on mead by expert Sue Lang.
 A behind-the-scenes look at how mead is judged at a national level.
 A guided, communal tasting where Sue will appraise a selection of participant-made meads one by one.
 You will taste along with Sue, sampling each selected mead from your own glass before it is cleared for the next one.
 A sociable atmosphere with tea, coffee, and shared snacks.

Date: Tuesday, 25th November 2025
Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Foundation House, Aylesbury St, Wolverton, Milton Keynes MK12 5HX

NOTE: Please can you message David (drs1975@live.co.uk) if you plan to bring mead.
Having too much will be a nice problem to have. If too little, then we also want to ensure a lovely evening if we are on rations.
NOTE: While the volume of mead consumed may be small and neglible, please drink responsibly and arrange for a taxi, lift or designated driver should you enjoy the mead too
much.

Category:

Description

How to Participate:
To attend, please register via the MK Christian Foundation website and make a voluntary £5
donation to our kind hosts. We also ask that you bring your own tasting glass (a white wine
glass is ideal).
If you have made mead, we encourage you to bring a sample for judging and sharing. If you
haven’t, please bring a small snack to share over a cuppa.
Spaces are limited, so book your place now for an enlightening and delicious evening!

Venue Information:

Parking – There is limited parking behind Foundation House or street parking around Wolverton.
There is also a public car park on Church Street, next to St Georges Church, MK12 5ES. It is
approximately a 4 minute walk from the Church Street car park to Foundation House.

Timings:

“Mead – Talk & Tasting” with Sue Lang
(Total Time: 2 hours)
7:00 PM – 7:15 PM: Arrival & Welcome
 Guests arrive, get a tea or coffee.
 Participants who have brought mead can hand their labelled bottle to the support team.
 A chance to mingle and set out any shared snacks.
7:15 PM – 7:45 PM: Sue’s Talk – The Art of Mead:
 Sue gives an engaging, informal talk about mead.
 Topics could include: A brief history of mead, the basic process, different styles, and the
key characteristics (clarity, aroma, taste, aftertaste) that define its quality.
7:45 PM – 8:00 PM: The Judge’s Eye – How Mead is Judged
 Sue explains the formal judging process used at honey shows.
 She will detail what judges look for in the bottle’ s presentation, the mead’s clarity, and its
sensory profile.
 Important Briefing: Sue will explain the bottle-by-bottle tasting process, reminding
everyone to have their glass ready and to empty it completely before the next mead is
poured.
8:00 PM – 8:45 PM: Guided Communal Tasting & Appraisal
 Sue selects the first mead for appraisal.
 Pouring: Sue’s support team pours a small measure of the selected mead for Sue and for
every participant.
 Appraisal: Sue leads the group through judging the mead. She will comment on its
appearance, guide everyone through the aroma, and then taste it, sharing her feedback
and thoughts on its qualities.
 Discussion & Clearance: Sue may ask the maker about their process and open the floor
for questions. Participants are then asked to finish or dispose of their sample to clear their
glass for the next one.
 This cycle repeats for several different meads, allowing the group to compare and contrast
styles and flavours under Sue’s expert guidance.
8:45 PM – 9:00 PM: Open Discussion, Social & Informal Sampling
 A final Q&A session for any remaining questions.
 Guests are encouraged to socialize, try other meads that were not tasted formally, and
enjoy the remaining snacks in an informal setting.

 

 

 

 

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