Sustainability - Growing & Harvesting UK Hops

By the Southern Section

The IBD Southern Section would like to invite members and guests to a hop walk at Parsonage Farm on Tuesday 3rd September.

This event is a fantastic opportunity to learn how UK hops are grown, see them being harvested and kilned and assess their differing characteristics. There will also be the opportunity to hear about sustainability in hop farming and how growers are actively reducing carbon footprint from Antony Rudgard-Redsell, and a global hop crop update and other sustainabiliy approaches from Ed Kentish Barnes.

Beers will be provided showcasing UK varieties throughout the afternoon.

This event will again be kindly hosted by Antony Rudgard-Redsell at his Parsonage Farm in Kent. Speaking at the event is Ed Kentish Barnes of Steiner Hops Ltd, with event support from committee member Russell Falconer.

This will be an outdoor event but as this is an operating farm and beer will be available, we ask that you don’t bring children or pets.

Schedule

• 13:00 -14:00: Arrival and buffet lunch
• 14:00 - 15:30: Hop Tour and Harvest which will include a visit to plantings of new varieties and see new Wolf picking machines and Oast House
• 15:30 - 16:30: Talk - global hop crop update, sustainability approaches from around the world, and sustainability in hop farming
• 16:30 - 17:00: Depart

Transport and Accommodation:

• By car – there will be parking available in the field across the road from the farm office
• By rail – Faversham train station is a 5 minute taxi ride away. Trains depart from London Victoria, London St Pancras International and Cannon Street to Faversham. We might be able to provide some return transport to the station at the end of the day, but when arriving there is a well-stocked taxi rank outside the station
• Accommodation – there are a number of hotels around Faversham and Canterbury for those wishing to stop over.

Green Hops – There will be an opportunity to buy green hops  which have been picked and cleaned and packed in pokes, for ease of transport and addition back at your brewery the next morning.

Why You Should Attend:

• View the 2024 hops with a talk on the International hop harvest and this year’s UK barley crop
• Get a chance to rub and evaluate UK hop varieties
• Meet fellow peers in the brewing industry

Tickets: 60 places maximum.

Free to attend.

There is no cost to the day, but it is important that we know numbers to organise catering and beer. We would therefore ask that you make a booking via Eventbrite and notify us if you are unable to attend.

Booking deadline: FRIDAY, 30 August 2024