Protz: Hoppiness is next to Britishness

Would you believe that research and development in the hop industry is now carried out in a small office on a farm near Canterbury?

The English hop industry was once a mighty business, supplying the requirements of British brewers with the unique bitter and pungent varieties that no other country can produce.

The skids were put under English hops from the 1970s onwards, with the emergence of giant national brewers who switched production to lager.

Lager, especially the British interpretation of the style, is low in bitterness compared to ale. As a result, the big brewers started to import suitable hops from mainland Europe and many native hop farmers gave up and switched to growing apples.

In recent times, hop growing enjoyed a small revival thanks to the rekindling of interest in ale. Important work in developing new hop varieties was carried out by the Government-funded research department at Wye College in Kent.

Thanks to the efforts of Wye College, England has led the world in developing hedgerow hops.

These are hops that grow to only half the height of conventional varieties - that's eight feet compared to 16 feet. This makes them easier to pick, they are less labour-intensive, and they avoid many of the pests and diseases that attack tall hops.

It's a natural progression from hedgerow hops to organic ones. Hedgerow varieties need fewer chemical sprays than conventional ones, and Wye College hoped within a few years to grow new varieties that required no pesticides or fertilisers.

It introduced a new variety called Boadicea that uses low levels of sprays and this was heralded as the first step towards fully organic varieties.

Then the axe fell. The Government's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) that replaced the old Ministry of Agriculture withdrew funding for the hop-breeding programme at Wye College.

Funding​

Most of the reasons given by Defra are laughable. It said its funding for research should not go to an institution such as Wye College as its work is aimed at production.

Defra wants to support research that deals with such issues as global warming. But growing hops in England is closely related to tackling global warming. Hops raised in Kent and Hereford and Worcester don't have to make long journeys to British breweries.

An increasing volume of hops used in this country are now imported from not only mainland Europe but also as far afield as China and the United States. There are only two organic hop farms in England, one in Kent and one on the Hereford and Worcester border.

They cannot meet the growing demand for organic hops from British brewers. As a result, the bulk of organic varieties are imported from New Zealand. As Defra is concerned about global warming, it might think it beneficial to support English hop farmers rather than encouraging hops to be flown from the far side of the world.

Defra also made it clear when it decided to stop funding Wye College that the English hop industry was just too small to bother with. From the 1980s onwards, British governments of both persuasions have become obsessed with size and global markets.

I'm not suggesting Britain should pull up the drawbridge and refuse to trade with the rest of the world. But if we are serious about tackling global warming and aiding the environment, then hard choices have to be made.

Major brewing nation​

In spite of declining volumes, Britain remains a major brewing nation. Beer needs hops and we should be banging the drum for English varieties. Can you imagine the French importing grape concentrate to make wine or the Germans buying English Fuggles and Goldings hops for their beer?

What is left of Wye College now operates from an office on China Farm near Canterbury and is funded by the National Hop Association. Work on new hop varieties continues and it is hoped to introduce new varieties, including organic ones, in the next few years.

But budgets are limited and research is slower. In fairness to Defra, it did give bridging support for three years. But now the funds have dried up. "The Best of British" no longer counts for much in Government circles.

For more Protz visit www.beer-pages.com​.