Hobsons Brewery: A Case Study

Founded in 1993, Shropshire based Hobsons Brewery has a strong ethos of sustainable practices which includes supporting local businesses and having reams of eco-friendly credentials.

In fact, their use of ground source heat pumps, wind turbines and rainwater harvesting earnt them an award in 2010 from the Society of Independent Brewers – the proudly named ‘Best Green Business Award’, which they were delighted with.

So it makes great sense that when they heard about local hop farmers, Brook House Hops, just 20 miles south in Herefordshire, they were intrigued, to say the least.

Owner Nick Davis, admiring the bines at hop harvest time

Nick Davis, founder of Hobsons Brewery explains: “We had heard of Brook House Hops and then they called us and I was instantly impressed with their story. Not only do they grow their own hops just miles away in the rich Herefordshire soil, but they also work directly with breweries which offers us more flexibility when purchasing. It’s great having a positive, friendly, relationship between grower and brewer.”

Hobsons started out with Brook House by trialling some UK grown Goldings, Fuggles and Chinook varieties, which went down a treat with the brewers. “We were really happy that not only could Brook House sell us the hops, but they could keep them well looked after in storage for us until we needed them. That was really helpful!” Nick adds.

Hobsons is also really pleased with the range Brook House offers. Nick explains: “After trying out the Brook House Hops, internally, people were excited. They often offer limited, special varieties of hop which helps give us an edge when brewing one-off or limited edition brews. The brewers were pleased with the ability this gave us to add contemporary flavours and profiles to our recipes”.

Nick out in the hop fields

So what is next? “More visits for banana cake and cups of tea!” Nick mentions with glee, explaining how it’s been so easy to work with and get along with Brook House. “We are also looking to purchase some Challenger green hops and some full hop bines for decoration too”.

It seems Hobsons Brewery are very keen on their hops and Brook House offers them something which fits just right – a sustainable, locally grown product that packs a great punch and makes great beer. What more could you ask for?

Nick is a fan of traditional hops yet also loves new and exciting hop varieties

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