Events

Vintage Brewery UK Ltd recently won the best Start-Up of the Year Award at the Kingston Borough Business Awards. We created BARHI Meads - the world’s first sparkling date-based mead, designed to complement spice-rich cuisines. It is naturally gluten-free and low in sugar, responding to the UK’s shift toward mindful drinking. We are a purpose-led craft beverage start-up rooted in sustainability, innovation and responsible supply chain governance.

BARHI successfully challenged the status quo of the UK drinks market during its exhibition at The Pub Show, held at ExCeL London from March 30th to April 1st. Over the course of the three-day event, the Vintage Brewery UK Ltd team poured nearly 1,200 samples, drawing consistent queues and overwhelmingly positive feedback from industry professionals and consumers alike. The event highlighted a massive shift in perspective for attendees, many of whom expected a heavy, traditional mead. Instead, feedback consistently praised BARHI's dry, easy-to-drink, and highly refreshing profile. The product strongly resonated with beer drinkers due to its remarkable nutritional profile, boasting 90% lesser carbohydrates and 40% lesser calories, as well as having no added sugar. It was equally celebrated by the gluten-free community, who welcomed a complex, naturally gluten-free option that does not compromise on flavour. The company credits the immense success of the exhibition to the dedication of the entire BARHI team and looks forward to building on the incredible momentum generated at the event.

Vikas Thakker, the visionary behind BARHI Meads, recently sat down with Glen Palmer on the Whisky Wealth Warrior podcast (Whisky Wealth Mastery) to discuss the intricate realities of building a premium beverage brand from the ground up. Video link here During the conversation, Thakker shared deep insights into the entrepreneurial mindset required to bring a completely new product to market. He explored how an idea initially sparked in 2010 required years of iteration, patience, and self-belief before evolving into the award-winning BARHI product available today, which proudly stands as a naturally gluten-free option with no added sugar, 90% lesser carbohydrates, and 40% lesser calories. A core theme of the episode was the importance of internal conviction. "Most ideas don't fail because they're wrong, they fail because the people building them stop trusting themselves," Thakker noted during the interview, offering valuable advice for navigating the early, unvalidated stages of product development. The first part of the conversation is now available to stream online.

Shortly after initiating commercial sales, Vintage Brewery UK Ltd's flagship product, BARHI ORIGINAL has been awarded a Top 3 position in the PRO Dry Session Mead category at the internationally renowned Mead Madness Cup 2026 in Poland. The PRO category is strictly reserved for commercially produced meads, making this achievement a significant milestone for the London-based startup. Earning a place among outstanding producers from across the globe validates BARHI's vision of crafting a mead that defies the heavy, sweet stereotype traditionally associated with the category. "BARHI was created with a simple vision: to craft a drink that complements flavor-rich cuisine while offering something genuinely different," stated Vikas Thakker, Founder. This award-winning beverage is naturally gluten-free, contains no added sugar, and delivers 90% lesser carbohydrates and 40% lesser calories, aligning perfectly with modern drinking preferences. The brand extends its gratitude to the Mead Madness Cup judges and to Krzysztof Jarek for his continued support.

Vikas Thakker, Founder and Director of Vintage Brewery UK Ltd, recently returned to his alma mater as a featured panel-list at Kingston Business School. Thakker participated in "The Business of Food and Drinks," an inspiring event series that shines a light on unexpected career paths within specialised industries. With over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience, Thakker shared the behind-the-scenes journey of bringing BARHI to life. From identifying a gap in the market to redefining drinks for today's health-conscious and flavor-driven consumer, he discussed the good decisions, the questionable ones, and the realities of building a brand from scratch. The successful event took place at the Town House Courtyard, Penrhyn Road campus, and included a tasting table that allowed attendees to experience the world's first sparkling date-based mead firsthand. Participants were able to discover the brand's commitment to quality, sampling a naturally gluten-free product with no added sugar, 90% lesser carbohydrates, and 40% lesser calories. Read More