Meet Becky and Ben Starr

If you’re new to mead / honey wine, we were too! 

We tried mead for the first time many years ago at a Renaissance Fair in California. Later, when we moved to North Carolina, we learned that some of our friends here were creating mead at home.

So one day we got a kit and started making our own honey wine. We fell in love with the process. “What can we add next?” became our exciting mantra! 

We were shocked when our friends raved about these early batches. We didn’t think too much of it – we figured they mostly just appreciated the free drinks!

It wasn’t until our first competition in 2006 that we thought we might be on to something. It was the International Mead Association's Mead Festival in Boulder, Colorado. As just one of 212 entries from around the world, we entered just for fun.

We won “Best in Show.”

Our jaws just about hit the floor and we knew we’d discovered something. That same year, we put the wheels in motion to open Starrlight Mead and never looked back.

We officially opened our meadery here in Pittsboro in 2010. Fourteen years, so many bottles, flavors, mead awards, and a new building later, we still love learning about it ourselves, trying new varieties, and introducing new people to the world of mead.

In early 2023, we purchased Chatham Cider Works adding ciders to our portfolio of tasty beverages. Learning the cider business has been fun and a little challenging. We’re looking forward to exploring this side of the craft beverage industry more.

We remember what it was like before we explored honey wine and what fun it can be. And today, whether we are pouring a tasting, teaching a class, hosting a community event, or developing our next exciting mead, we’re always having that fun together – with each other and with you.

So that’s a bit our story (so far) with mead – what will yours be? Come and discover it with us.

- Becky and Ben
Contact us

Becky and Ben Starr are the owners of Starrlight Mead in Pittsboro, NC. They have been happily married since 1987 and have one son, Chris.

Though Ben never imagined he’d get into honey wine – his first job as a kid was as a beekeeper. Today, he’s the chief mazer (mead maker) for Starrlight, while Becky keeps everything buzzing smoothly across the tasting room, events, and more.

They both love to support other local businesses and are proud members of the NC Mead Alliance, NC Cider Association, American Cider Association, and Wine America.