018 FEATURE
hops! HIP
its beverages. There are of course plenty of other award-winning tipples stemming from across Kent that have forged a thriving industry playing a key role in its economy. This includes a host of traditional ales enjoyed in the fast-rising micropub scene, which originated from the Butcher’s Arms in Herne, and has spread across the county to spots such as the recently- opened Malling Jug in West Malling. The emergence in Kent of dozens of these small venues, which often open up in former houses or vacant shops, have in turn led to an upturn for dedicated craft microbreweries such as The Swan On The Green pub at West Peckham.
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In addition to these thriving businesses, several major wine producers including Squerryes at Westerham and Champagne company Taittinger planting its fi rst vines in Chilham this summer, there have been plenty of triumphs across the entire brewing and drinks business. Certainly, it seems times have moved
on apace from the 1950s rural hop picking idyll in Bethersden near Ashford portrayed in David Jason and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Darling Buds of May (www.darlingbudsfarm.
co.uk), with beer and drinks production now proving decidedly big business. As evidence of this, a number of
entrepreneurs have set up within the county, tapping into the major trend for locally-developed ales and spirits. According to drinks expert Jane Peyton, a former beer sommelier of the year, West Kent in particular was in prime position to make the most of the apparent boom in specialist brewing fortunes, saying: “It’s a golden age for beer drinkers with more breweries per capita in the UK than any other country. This has been driven by what is known as the craft beer revolution where innovation, experimentation and imagination in brewing has led to
eing home to Shepherd Neame as Britain’s oldest brewer has provided the county with a globally- renowned heritage for the quality and range of
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Chapel Down © Chris Gale
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Squerreys
full-fl avoured, high quality brews made in small independent breweries. “Drinkers are increasingly eschewing the
global macro brands and choosing locally- brewed beers instead,” explained the founder of the annual Beer Day Britain event celebrating the world’s favourite drink each June. Jane highlighted West Kent brewers including Pig & Porter and venues such as Fuggles Cafe, both in Tunbridge Wells, as being enthusiastic members of the modern beer movement where fl avour, variety, provenance and passion are proving key to their rise to prominence.
Let’s hear it for beer!
For its part, the Western half of Kent has seen a number of established and emerging business that have gained a strong reputation for their beer brewing. From the likes of family-owned fi rms such as Larkins Brewery near Chiddingstone to more recent newcomers including the Tonbridge Brewery at East Peckham, the sheer range of traditional brews now being produced has offered a huge amount of variety amid a growing market. Among the most prominent is the
Westerham Brewery Company, which has carved out an established reputation for the quality of its products since starting up in 2004. As its MD Robert Wicks has previously explained to INDEX, he has remained extremely proud to carry on a long-standing
brewing tradition for the town. While he acknowledged there was competition in the market, he felt the company’s established links with supermarkets had made a major difference.
One of its unique selling points has
been in reviving many of the fl avours used by the former Black Eagle Brewery, which traced its roots back to the 1600s, but sadly closed in the 1960s amid competition from national breweries. But owing to the new brewery’s determination, the company secured the rights from Carlsberg to decades-old yeast cultures which had been preserved through a freezing process by Black Eagle before the business folded. This summer has seen a major new chapter in its history with the opening of a new site for the Westerham Brewery Company, at Beggars Lane, Westerham. The new facility includes a tap room and accompanying shop, which boasts a large range of its products, as well as hosting special weekly street food events. Underlining its success, Westerham
Brewery now produces a broad series of beers including a classic range consisting of names such as the Spirit of Kent, British Bulldog, Summer Perle golden ale, through to its Finchcocks original Kentish Hop Ale, which it has also offered in bottles. According to Jane Hunter, Director of
Westerham Town Partnership, who is a consultant for the company, its fortunes continue to grow in its new location.
Jane Peyton © James Gourley
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