FOOD + DRINK
Hops and Apples and Beer- Oh My! cont...
Exploding across the county with boundless creativity, today’ s craft scene is a kaleidoscope of passionate brewers flying the flag for treasured heritage practices with a modern twist, alongside devoted cideries paving the way for a new era of tipples brimming with fresh orchard flavours. This month, as hop harvesting is in full swing and apples reach perfect ripeness, we are delving into Kent’ s renowned brewing and cider-making legacy, one hop, apple, brew and press at a time. From modest historic roots to a blossoming revival, join us on a remarkable journey of grains, grit and all-round deliciousness, with a whole lot of Kentish heart at its core.
Humble Hop Beginnings
A simple mixture of hops, water, grains and yeast, beer has long been recognised as one of the oldest recorded beverages with archaeological finds suggesting its significance as early as 5,000 BCE when the Sumerians started brewing a barley-based substance. An evolution across centuries and continents, the once vital drinking practice eventually took a substantial cultural shift, particularly when hops were first added to the brewing process in the 9th century.
When hops first arrived on Kent’ s coastline around 1520, it was in fact the county’ s incredibly fertile soil and ideal climate that led to us being the epicentre of the hop growing industry- with Britain’ s very first hop garden soon established in Westbere, just outside of Canterbury. Recognising its benefits in not only adding delicious flavourings to beer but aiding in preservation too, hop growing and brewing in Kent soared, so much so that at its peak more than 80,000 Londoners poured into the county every autumn to lend a helping hand with the sprawling crops.
From Orchard to Glass
Similarly to hop cultivation and brewing, apple farming and cider-making are also long-intertwined traditions that date back thousands of years. While apple cultivation is believed to have officially reached the rich Kentish countryside in Roman times, it
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