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Beer hops being grown for first time in 150 years

Alice Cunninghamand
John Fairhall,at Markshall Estate
News imageJohn Fairhall/BBC A glass beer bottle rests on green crops. The label on the bottle reads: "Markshall Golden Ale." There is a logo in a crest shape with the words Essex Grown Hops at the bottom.John Fairhall/BBC
Markshall Estate is growing hops, to be used to flavour ale, for the first time in Essex in more than 100 years.

A charity-run estate has been trying to put Essex back on the brewing map by growing hops in the county for the first time in more than a century.

Markshall Estate, near Coggeshall, has recreated traditional hop-growing methods from 18th and 19th Century records and recently harvested the first crops by hand.

The flowers will be used by Mighty Oak Brewing Company in Maldon before two ales are unveiled in October.

Hops are believed to have been harvested at Markshall Estate about 250 years ago and Dave Finkle, the chief executive there, explained how hop-growing died out completely in Essex about 150 years ago.

Finkle said that by 1878, three or four successive years of poor weather conditions had "just ravaged hop crops".

"But also a major factor was that a train station was built at London Bridge, and they created the Hop Express, where for a charge of one penny it took women and children from north London straight into Kent where the farmers, who could get slightly higher yields, were paying a little bit more in wages," said Finkle.

"So all of the hop-picking labour vanished overnight from Essex."

News imageJohn Fairhall/BBC A row of people pick crops from vine-like green plants that are tall. There is some blue sky above.John Fairhall/BBC
The estate team is using a book from 1807 that notes traditional ways of harvesting the hops

According to the British Hop Association, about half of British hop production takes place in the West Midlands and the other half in the South East.

There are 34 commercially grown British aroma hop varieties in the UK.

News imageJohn Fairhall/BBC A drawn map of an estate rests on top of a sack. A man kneels beside it pointing one finger toward the map. He looks at the camera and smiles. He wears a black T-shirt and blue shorts, and has thin, short hair. John Fairhall/BBC
Dave Finkle said an 18th Century map detailed where hops were previously grown on the estate, sparking the idea to try to grow them again

Finkle said a map of the estate from 1764 was discovered and using a magnifying glass, he could see some fields were labelled "hop ground".

He said the team "couldn't believe our eyes" and now the estate has grown two varieties.

They will eventually create Markshall Gold and Markshall Amber ales, each with different flavour profiles.

Finkle said the ground at the estate was classified as chalky silt clay with various nutrients in it that lend themselves nicely.

Their efforts have produced 100 plants, however, the Campaign For Real Ale has warned that hot and dry summers brought by climate change could mean a drop in yields and subsequently more expensive beer in the future.

News imageJohn Fairhall/BBC A woman with grey hair that has been tied back smiles at the camera. She is wearing a navy blue polo shirt. She has her hands on a tall plant where hops are growing.John Fairhall/BBC
Gill Crawford of Mighty Oak Brewing Company was excited to be working on the project with the estate

Gill Crawford, director at Mighty Oak Brewing Company, said it was a "privilege to be there right at the beginning" of growing hops once again in Essex.

"[The ale is] going to have the qualities, the aroma and the bitterness from these beautiful hops which will impart a slightly spicy and floral note to the aroma," she said.

Crawford said first tasting would happen about two weeks after brewing, and casks would be supplied to local pubs, including the company's taproom in Maldon.

Bottle versions of the ale will also be available.

Markshall Estate is privately owned, but open to paying visitors.

News imageJohn Fairhall/BBC Side by side images of two different types of green hop crops. The hops on the left have a floral petal structure whereas the hops on the right have a cone-like structure. John Fairhall/BBC
The hops being grown include the Boudica (right) and the First Gold (left)

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