While they may be separated by some 11,000 miles, Brook House Hops and Clayton Hops share a passion for providing high-quality, fresh hops. In this article, they look at how climate change is affecting growing conditions, the impact changing beer trends has on hops and innovations coming down the line. 

Herefordshire-based Brook House Hops and Clayton Hops in the magnificent Nelson hop-growing region of New Zealand, have been working together since 2019 to bring brewers around the world some of the very finest and freshest hop varieties on the planet.  

A shared vision that put brewers’ needs at the very centre of hop growing operations was developed separately and independently on opposite sides of the hop world by the respective owners of the two businesses about five years ago.

They could see that an unswerving commitment to product quality, sustainable farming practices and development of bespoke direct-to-brewer services would create even stronger links between growers and brewers.

This fresh perspective will enable hop farms to thrive rather than just survive which allows for reinvestment into the latest hop farming, processing and storage technology. Innovation in these areas helps to improve crop consistency and farming efficiency which locks in flavours, aromas and hop oils that enable breweries of all sizes to brew amazing beer every time.

The similarities between the two businesses in terms of operations and ethos are very apparent, so it is no surprise that a close relationship formed quickly. Brook House Hops are now distributors for Clayton Hops in the UK and so we caught up with Will Kirby at Brook House and Brian Clayton at Clayton Hops to give us their view of emerging trends in their respective UK and NZ hop worlds.

How do you see changing tastes and beer trends affecting hop growing in 2022?

WK: The pandemic has obviously created a lot of challenges, but for us one of the positives was brewers looking to source ingredients more locally. This window of opportunity led to a rediscovery of some traditional British hops that had perhaps been overlooked before. Goldings and Fuggle combined with more contemporary ‘punchy’ hops like Phoenix, UK Chinook and Admiral or even imported varieties from NZ and the US seem popular right now. Many brewers have been amazed at the quality of our 2021 crop and this is driving a move toward the reintroduction of classic English beer styles. For example, Mild, Best Bitter and English lager is being requested by drinkers and brewed by an increasing number of leading craft brewers for core beer ranges and taproom specials. 

BC: For us in NZ the popularity of the hazy IPAshows no signs of slowing down, which perhaps is no surprise. A hazy beer is still seen as a symbol of the craft brewing scene around the world, and you know as soon as you see a good one that you’re going to get that unmistakable lip-smacking citrus or tropical fruit hit and a mouthful of flavours. Yes, brewers want to support local growers where possible, it just so happens that NZ is home to some of the most popular varieties like Motuaka, Nelson Sauvin and Riwaka. If they haven’t already got one every craft brewer we know is working on a hazy IPA as a cornerstone of their core range. Beer drinkers like to have options and are becoming more adventurous in their tastes, being able to provide a choice of the best hops from around the world allows brewers to keep experimenting and that keeps people coming back for more.

How is climate change affecting growing conditions in UK & NZ?

BC: A key area for us, as it is for many brewers, is making sure we carefully manage our water usage. Longer spells of very dry weather can be problematic. Hop plants need significant amounts of water and because of our climate hop irrigation is commonplace, and very necessary in NZ as it is in the US. However, there are ways of using technology to do that job more efficiently. We’ve invested in a drip irrigation system that target hop plants rather than the ‘old school’ approach of overhead water sprinklers. 

We estimate that our system is 30-50% more efficient compared to overhead sprinklers. One of our farms also harvests water from the wetter parts of the year to use during the summer. Sustainable water use is important to and ultimately results in healthier hops. 

We are a family owned and operated business. Our family has been farming for generations in New Zealand. We are passionate about our country and land and we’re determined to ensure that our farms are in great shape for generations to come. 

WK: Hop irrigation isn’t used so much in the UK but if temperatures creep up, it may be something we have to consider too. Ironically, we were dealing with floods and record-breaking storms in our hop yards a few weeks ago which is becoming an annual occurrence for us! This is manageable during winter, as the hops are hardy and still underground, but weather extremes are more of an issue and in the long term this could make it more difficult to grow certain varieties.

Bramling Cross for instance enjoys long cold winters and needs time to properly prepare itself for good growth. Hops are sensitive plants and very much a product of their environment. Changes in temperature, humidity, moisture levels and soil quality inevitably impact plant growth, can encourage more pests and diseases which will then affect crop yields, aromas, flavours and oil content. We have a responsibility as farmers to minimise the impact of our activities now and work in harmony with nature as much as possible. 

What innovations can we expect in the coming years, and how will this benefit brewers?

WK: I think we both agree that cold storage of hops as soon as they’re harvested is something that should become pretty standard if we want to maximise hop flavour and aroma integrity. Our solar powered cold store is located on our farm where we also pack and nitrogen flush our whole cone hops so we know they’re as fresh as they can possibly be. We also aim to deliver to brewers in 48 hours in the UK and the feedback we’re getting when brewers open the foils is testament to the investment we’ve put in. You can smell the difference immediately! 

The second major area for us is how we reduce our carbon footprint further. Drying hops requires lots of heat and although we currently offset some of this with tree planting, rewilding schemes and investment in renewables we think that hop product innovation is worth exploring too. There are several ideas in the pipeline, and we’re keen to work with brewers who’d like to experiment with different options for their hops in future. 

BC: I completely agree on cold storage.We work so hard on the farming side throughout the year to grow the very best hops we can, so why wouldn’t we look after them once they’re harvested so that the brewer gets them in perfect condition. We’ve recently made the decision to invest in both cold storage and a state-of-the-art pelletising and packing facility. This will be New Zealand’s largest and most sophisticated hop processing facility by a considerable margin, and it will be ready in time for our 2023 harvest. 

The new facility will be a game changer for us. It means we have full control of our hops – being New Zealand’s largest hop growing operation this is important. It will also provide us with a platform to invest in different products over time such as enriched hop pellets and hop oils. We want our customers to experience the very best Kiwi hop products possible. Hops from our farms are already highly regarded around the world – we grow varieties that people want and our on-farm hop picking and processing facilities are cutting edge and the new facility will raise the bar even further.