Hops and Apples and Beer – Oh My!
Woven within Kent’s ever-impressive tapestry of cultural and agricultural growth, the beloved beverages of beer and Kentish cider sit proudly alongside the county’s most cherished ancient arts. Simple yet globally adored concoctions of natural ingredients that have flourished thanks to a new generation of producers blending tradition with innovation and style, the future of brewing and fermenting in the Garden of England is undeniably bright.
Exploding across the county with boundless creativity, today’s craft scene is a kaleidoscope of passionate brewers flying the flag for treasured heritage practices with a modern twist, alongside devoted cideries paving the way for a new era of tipples brimming with fresh orchard flavours. This month, as hop harvesting is in full swing and apples reach perfect ripeness, we are delving into Kent’s renowned brewing and cider-making legacy, one hop, apple, brew and press at a time. From modest historic roots to a blossoming revival, join us on a remarkable journey of grains, grit and all-round deliciousness, with a whole lot of Kentish heart at its core.
Humble Hop Beginnings
A simple mixture of hops, water, grains and yeast, beer has long been recognised as one of the oldest recorded beverages with archaeological finds suggesting its significance as early as 5,000 BCE when the Sumerians started brewing a barley-based substance. An evolution across centuries and continents, the once vital drinking practice eventually took a substantial cultural shift, particularly when hops were first added to the brewing process in the 9th century.
When hops first arrived on Kent’s coastline around 1520, it was in fact the county’s incredibly fertile soil and ideal climate that led to us being the epicentre of the hop growing industry – with Britain’s very first hop garden soon established in Westbere, just outside of Canterbury. Recognising its benefits in not only adding delicious flavourings to beer but aiding in preservation too, hop growing and brewing in Kent soared, so much so that at its peak more than 80,000 Londoners poured into the county every autumn to lend a helping hand with the sprawling crops.
From Orchard to Glass
Similarly to hop cultivation and brewing, apple farming and cider-making are also long-intertwined traditions that date back thousands of years. While apple cultivation is believed to have officially reached the rich Kentish countryside in Roman times, it was following the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, with a plethora of new apple varieties arriving from northern France, that large-scale apple growing and cider-making truly cemented their place within the changing era.
Made from fermented pressed apple juice – with France’s refined techniques lending great inspiration – cider became a widely popular beverage by the Middle Ages when apples were grown in orchards attached to monasteries and manors. In the many years following, Kent’s apple orchards flourished, with the county becoming one of the finest producers of dessert and culinary varieties grown especially for crisp and characterful ciders – by the end of the 19th century, Kent was home to a mighty 25,000 acres of orchards!
A Creatively Crafted Future
While both British brewing and cider-making saw a decline post-war due to economic hardship and industrialisation, Kent’s deeply rooted beverage traditions have since resurged into a growing industry to be proud of. Today, in an evolved modern world driven by individuality, innovation and sustainability, Kent is utterly thriving with a dynamic collection of crafters sitting beside an abundance of warming pubs and taprooms in which flavour, quality and community are of the utmost importance. Whether you like a bold and bitter ale or a light and sweet cider, this celebratory round-up of some of Kent’s best breweries, cideries, beer-fuelled adventures and beverage boltholes is sure to leave you eager for a refreshing glass of something Kentish.
BREWING AT ITS BEST
As Britain’s oldest brewer, which today proudly holds a growing collection of over 300 pubs and hotels under its name, Shepherd Neame has been at the forefront of Kent’s brewing legacy for centuries. Neatly nestled within the medieval market town of Faversham and seeped in an illustrious past of generational tales, the brewery today produces a wide range of award-winning Shepherd Neame tipples – from traditional Kentish ales such as Spitfire Amber Ale and Bishops Finger, to contemporary beers including First Drop and Whitstable Bay.
On an insightful tour of the heritage-rich Faversham site, guests will pay a visit to the Old Brewery Store which features impressive displays of historic delivery vehicles and collections of hop picking and pub memorabilia before delighting in an expert-tutored ale and lager tasting.
Canterbury Brewers & Distillers, Canterbury
Housed in a beautiful Victorian industrial foundry once famed for its globally produced cast metal items, Canterbury Brewers & Distillers – and their much-loved Foundry Brewpub – is all about crafting exceptional beers, ciders and spirits to be enjoyed amongst loved ones, with concocting delicious new flavours a long-loved passion for founders Jon and Jodie.
Following a tour exploring the wonderful stories behind the bottles (today an esteemed collection of beers, ciders, gin, rum, vodka, whiskey and even a moonshine), head to the Brewpub to savour tasty classics that take on an American Brewpub-inspired twist, with the expert bar staff always on hand to suggest your perfect tipple pairing.
Romney Marsh Brewery, Romney Marsh
A cherished family-run micro-brewery situated in the glorious rural setting of Romney Marsh. Having spent their free time enjoying a small batch of home-produced ales, passionate husband and wife team, Matt Calais and Cathy Koester, joined by Matt’s dad Brian Calais, took the leap in 2015 to turn their fast-growing hobby into a family business built upon a heartwarming shared goal to brew accessible ales for beer lovers and beer newcomers everywhere.
With a distinctive range of great tasting ales and lagers made using British-grown barley, wheat, oats and hops, the brewery’s excellent bottles and draughts are widely available from an array of local restaurants, pubs and farm shops, as well as from their Romney Marsh brewery shop open every Friday.
With a keen dedication to providing top quality craft beers for locals and beyond to enjoy, Westerham Brewery has set out to revive the town’s once rich history of brewing since it first opened in 2004. Today, available within their buzzing taproom that showcases a changing roster of street food vendors and events, a premium collection of ales, lagers, stouts and IPAs has achieved just that.
A true Kentish brewery from grain to glass, Westerham Brewery boasts one of the best uses of locally grown hops around. Working closely with the county’s top growers including Scotney Castle Estate and the Finchcocks’ hop gardens in Goudhurst, 80% of the hops used by the Westerham team are grown right here in the Garden of England – with an outstanding nine different varieties of Kentish hops used alone in their heralded pale ale, Spirit of Kent.
Ever since enthusiastic Hopfuzz head brewer Daryl returned from his travels learning about the brewing trade in the Blue Mountains of Australia, this imaginative and eco-conscious West Hythe brewery that began with a tiny homebrew process has brilliantly expanded into a bespoke 900-litre system creating some of the county’s most talked about beers – from great malty bitters and sweet stouts to punchy experimental brews.
Always crafting with a championed curiosity within their state-of-the art Ashford brewery, Curious’s awarded lagers, IPAs and ciders are not only a triumphant result of an innovative brewhouse, expert team and quality ingredients, but a testament to their daring nature – particularly in their Curious Brew lager, which is fermented with Champagne yeast and a dosage of rare Nelson Sauvin hops for a cleaner, fruitier and more aromatic finish.
While a behind-the-scenes brewery tour is the best way to see genius brewing in action, simply unmissable is a visit to the on-site taproom and restaurant. A trendy, laid-back dining space overlooking the brewery, sample a variety of excellent brews alongside a crowdpleasing menu of complementary eats – the Curious beer battered fish and chips being a must-try.
Image by: Ashley Gendek
Larkins Brewery, Chiddingstone
A remarkable family history of hop growing and beermaking has shaped Larkins Brewery into the Chiddingstone jewel it is today. Founded in 1986 by Marjorie and Ted Dockerty alongside their son Bob, the brewery’s rich range of beers, comprising three standard and two seasonal
varieties, is made using only classic hop varieties grown on Larkins Farm: Goldings, Bramling Cross and Whitbread Goldings. Only using whole hop cones and no added sugars to ensure that their beverages are as natural as can be, as well as fermenting with a carefully guarded strain of live ale yeast, Larkins offers a true taste of traditional Kentish beer at its finest.
Floc. Brewery & Taproom, Canterbury & Folkestone
A vibrant, community-first modern brewery celebrating craftsmanship and collaboration with every brew. With a flavourful collection of vegan beers created with an aim to bring joy and excitement to those who drink them, Floc.’s two popular venues – a main brewery and taproom in Canterbury and a shiny container bar at the Goods Yard on Folkestone Harbour – are prided on their warm, inclusive and accessible environments that are perfect to revel in a world-class pint or two.
Rightfully earning themselves a glowing reputation for their interesting beers that are often designed with delicious food pairings in mind, Pig & Porter’s journey – from an event catering business trying their hand at brewing to taking over the former Royal Tunbridge Wells brewery – has been filled with passionate experimental brews that combine traditional techniques with unmissable contemporary ideas. Try their Target mild ale and relish notes of dark chocolate and subtle coffee, or opt for the brewery’s Jumping Frog pale ale, an aromatic beer with notes of stone fruits and a hint of coconut.
Image by: Folkestone Harbour
PRESSED TO PERFECTION
Since Herbert Mount began growing fruit and vegetables at Woolton Farm over 100 years ago, apples have been at the heart of the Mount family’s farming story. Four generations later, the farm is now a thriving mixed crop farm with a burgeoning drinks business which officially began in 2012 when Mark Mount started to press apples by hand in his garden to create the cider we now know as Kentish Pip.
Striving to produce the next generation of Great British cider with innovation, style and a pinch of tradition, Kentish Pip today has an award-winning range of still and sparkling ciders showcasing a combination of culinary, dessert and heritage cider apples. With all stages of production from pressing and fermentation to maturing and blending taking place on the farm, a guided cider tour and tasting here is sure to impress, with guests also invited to make the most of the farm’s wonderful barn complete with a fully-stocked bar and pizza kitchen.
A characterful cidery that stretches its provenance and flavour-first philosophy from the flourishing fields of Somerset to a blossoming 130-acre family orchard overlooking the Kentish Weald. Kicking Goat’s growing Kent range uses the hand-selected and carefully blended apple varieties of Kentish Gala, Cox, Bramley, Red Windsor, Lilibet, Russett, Smitten and Greensleeves to create a fresh, light and sweetly flavoured artisan cider.
With a glorious lineup of fresh flavours such as blood orange, cherry, pear and mango, each thoughtfully crafted with a perfected blend of eight different varieties of local apples, it’s no surprise as to why Wise Owl has scooped up many a prestigious award for their creative crafts. Meticuously milled and pressed in-house, then left to naturally ferment before it is ready to be bottled, pouched or canned, Wise Owl ciders are proudly vegan and gluten free, and always made from 100% Kentish apple or pear juice with no added water.
Tucked away in the sweet village of Marden lies the wonderful Turners Cider. Carefully selecting each apple for its flavour, the family-run Turners is known and celebrated for its crafts made in an ‘Eastern counties’ style using only eating and cooking apples such as Cox, Worcester, Bramley and Russet. Resulting in truly scrumptious, clean and light ciders with the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, the cidery’s strong Kentish roots and values have remained firm since the day they made their very first cider – pressed from apples picked in nearby woods and fields on a sunny autumn morning surrounded by loved ones.
For nearly 40 years, The Nightingale family farm and orchards have been lovingly nurtured by three generations who, each as passionate as ever about nature, tree health and fruit quality, have worked with indigenous wild orchard yeasts for ciders that beautifully capture Nightingale’s story from branch to glass. This September, the team here will excitedly kick off another successful cider year, beginning with picking apples as they enter their most thriving period. To immerse yourself within their wonderful world of cider, plan a visit to The Watch, the cidery’s taproom set on the working farm offering lovely still, sparkling and fine ciders alongside delectable local charcuterie and snacks.
While renowned for their outstanding wines, Biddenden Vineyard have also been producing delightful Garden of England ciders since the 1970s. Uniquely boasting vintage ciders with a sophisticated wine-like taste, Biddenden seamlessly blends enduring winemaking techniques with top ingredients to create superb blends that are a masterclass in Kentish fruit and winemaking finesse. Be sure to try their Biddenden 2021 Vintage Sparkling Cider, which was named Supreme Champion at the British Cider Championships 2025 for its perfectly crisp bubbles, vibrant orchard aromas and refined dry finish.
THIRST-QUENCHING DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
East Malling Beer & Cider Festival, 6 September
The local’s favourite annual showcase at East Malling Research Centre showcasing around 70 real ales and 30 ciders and perries alongside joyous live music and an array of food stalls.
Harvest Cider & Beer Festival 2025, 26 – 28 September
At Woolton Farm, the home of Kentish Pip, join the three-day harvest celebrations packed with family-friendly entertainment and freshly baked pizzas, as well as plenty of delicious beer and cider to suit all tastes.
Rising Tide Craft Beer Festival, 24 – 25 October
Hosted by Time & Tide Brewing, this brilliant festival held at Canterbury Cathedral Lodge will shine a spotlight on some of the country’s most exciting breweries and independent craft beer.
KENT’S REVOLUTION OF THE MICROPUB
Widely recognised as the birthplace of the now booming micropub movement, Kent’s much-loved scene first began with The Butchers Arms in Herne. Founded in 2005 and hailed as Britain’s first micropub, owner Martyn Hillier MBE set out to create an intimate, community-focused hub where great ales and conversation remained firmly at the centre. Truly reshaping the beer-drinking landscape, Martyn’s groundbreaking endeavours led to Kent becoming a hotbed of charming micro-destinations fit for relishing high-quality ales and ciders with like-minded craft aficionados.
insideKENT’s Top Micropubs
Housed in a former butchers and serving up some of the finest real ales around, The Butchers Arms is cherished for its lively atmosphere and award-winning brew list certain to please even the most discerning ale drinkers.
Expect the warmest of welcomes and a wonderful array of local ales and homemade food when visiting this quaint micropub run by the passionate Duncan and Claire.
West Malling’s first and only community micropub situated in the centre of the picturesque town offering a no-frills experience to enjoy real ales straight from the barrel, bottled craft beers, cider and wine.
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