Let's go do the Hop

On a Great British Summer Saturday, we ventured out into the great outdoors to learn about one of our nation’s greatest plants; the humble Worcestershire hop. Hops are an essential ingredient for beer as they contain much of the flavour need to release floral and citrusy aftertastes in our favourite pints. Just outside Knightwick lies the hamlet of Sudbury, a small farm with a plantation of over one hundred acres of hop vines. More than half of England’s hops are grown in the West Midlands, which typically go on to produce around 50 million pints annually. The hops are typically harvested in late August/early September, and go onto brewers such as Endeavour, Golden Sovereign and Endeavour and grown here, which go on to Fullers, Marstons, St. Austell and Wye Valley, as well as a variety of hop merchants. The hops are typically removed from the hop vines from a large tractor-like vehicle called Bruff. They’re then dried to remove any excess moisture before being baled and ready for shipping to the brewers. So next time you’re raising a glass, spare a thought for the Great British Hop.