Herefordshire hop grower, Sarah Hawkins and her team at Hawkins Farming have been awarded ‘Champion Hop’ at the Chartered Institute of Brewing and Distilling (CIBD) Hop Awards for the third time in a row.

Featuring a panel of head brewers from leading UK breweries, the competition celebrates the finest quality UK hops and the considerable skill and expertise of the growers behind them.

The winning hop, Harlequin, is a product the Charles Faram Hop Development Programme, which is renowned for producing innovative, high-performing hop varieties to bring better yields, aromas, flavours and sustainability benefits.

The award highlights the exceptional quality and unique flavour profile of Harlequin, which continues to gain popularity in the brewing community with the intended goal of competing against the highly aromatic hops currently being imported from the USA and Southern Hemisphere.

After the award ceremony on Friday 17th January at Purity Brewing’s PureCraft bar in Birmingham, Sarah Hawkins, the winner and owner of Hawkins Farming, attributed the farm’s success to the unwavering dedication and expertise of farm manager Matthew Bailey and his assistant Philip Fergus.

“This win truly belongs to Matt and Philip. Their commitment to excellence and deep knowledge of hop farming are the heart of our success. I couldn’t be prouder of their work,” she said.

The achievement is a triumph not only for Hawkins Farming but also for the broader UK hop industry, showcasing outstanding quality produced by growers after what proved to be an exceptionally difficult growing season and harvest period.