A need for mead to export

If the European Commission recognized mead as a traditional Polish product, its producers would be able to pay lower excise taxes, which could mean a growth in their revenues followed by a boost in production. The Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has already recognized mead as a traditional Polish beverage - now the only obstacle is EU bureaucracy.

"European institutions seldom make haste and sometimes it takes years to force through any idea," Elżbieta Pawłowska, the National Board of Mead Making's (NBMM) director says. "It would certainly help the domestic mead producers, because we believe that mead could be a splendid export product for Poland."

Before Poland's accession to the EU, mead producers paid lower excise tax than wine producers, at zł.69 per hectoliter. After May 1, 2004 mead was included into the 'fermented beverages' category and the excise went up to a maximum of zł.136 per hectoliter. If the EU recognized mead as traditionally Polish, the excise tax would again decrease to its previous lower level.

Small market, big possibilities

According to the NBMM, mead production in Poland has remained at a steady level of around 750,000 to one million liters annually since the early 1990s. In comparison to the production of beer, wine or spirits, it's not an overwhelming figure, but recently the market has started to grow.

"The market for mead is still not fully developed and can still be described as a niche," said Iwona Duda from mead-maker Apis. "However, it has been increasing at the steady pace of 20 percent year-on-year. There is still much space here since there are only a few large companies producing mead. The rest are largely small and localized cottage industries."

Apis, based in Lublin, is the biggest mead maker in Poland and controls almost 75 percent of the market. The other two companies of any significant size are Pasieka from Tomaszów Mazowiecki and Bartnik from near Grudzišdz. Combined, the top three control almost 90 percent of the market.

The traditional giants

The first known mead producers in Poland lived 1,000 years ago. Mead was most probably the first alcoholic beverage ever known in Poland, and for a long time it was the primary drink of Polish nobles. Only later was it replaced by wine. This, according to mead producers and associations, is the real power of mead.

"Mead could become Poland's number-one beverage export hit, because it is as old as the country itself," said Elżbieta Pawłowska. "This is a real asset, which is yet to be harnessed."