Growing Kent & Medway

Featured story

​

BritHop- A Showcase of British Hops & Beer

An exciting event dedicated to celebrating British hops and beer made with locally sourced ingredients.

Celebrating the Science and Art of British Hops and Beer

On Thursday 8 May 2025, the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus hosted a vibrant gathering of researchers, brewers, and hop growers from across the South East to celebrate the unique heritage and future of British hops and beer. Organised by The University of Kent, Wye Hops, and Growing Kent & Medway, the event shone a spotlight on locally sourced ingredients, cutting-edge science, and centuries-old craft.

A Unique Meeting of Tradition and Innovation

The showcase provided a rare, non-commercial space for industry and academia to come together, share knowledge, and explore collaborative solutions to the challenges facing the British hop sector. From shifting market demands to the growing pressures of climate change, the UK’s hop industry is at a crossroads, one where both tradition and innovation must work hand-in-hand.

Among the speakers were researchers from the University of Kent’s School of Natural Sciences, including Dr Helen Cockerton, PhD student-technician James Finch, and post-doctoral researcher Dr Sarah Blackburn. Their work, carried out in collaboration with industry leaders like Wye Hops and Wantsum Brewery, uses advanced genetic and biochemical techniques to support the breeding of new hop varieties that are resilient to disease, high in flavour, and suited to evolving consumer tastes, such as the growing market for non-alcoholic beer.

Research That Makes a Difference

Through partnerships supported by Innovate UK, the Medical Research Council Impact Accelerator Account (MRC IAA), and Growing Kent & Medway, these projects are giving hop growers access to cutting-edge scientific expertise and tools that are helping secure government funding and drive real-world innovation.

Many of these collaborations are based within Kent’s Biotechnology Hub, where traditional hop breeding is complemented by next-generation genetic analysis. This includes efforts to overcome longstanding challenges in breeding hops that are both high in alpha acids (which contribute bitterness and aroma to beer) and naturally disease-resistant, a genetic balancing act made possible through the latest advances in genomics.

A Vision for the Future

Dr Helen Cockerton, Industrial Research Fellow and Lecturer at Kent, noted:

“Through our ongoing research we are creating genetic tools to assist in breeding better hops faster. The resulting creation of high flavour and resilient varieties will boost the British hop growing industry.”

Sophie Packer, Innovation Growth Manager at Growing Kent & Medway, added:

“This event highlighted the critical role that collaboration between science and industry plays in growing the UK’s hop and brewing sector. By combining research with traditional practices, University of Kent researchers and their partners are helping to ensure that British hops not only survive, but thrive, in the face of modern challenges.”

A Growing Hub of Hop Innovation

This event reinforced the South East’s status as a national hub for hop innovation. With a unique combination of scientific excellence, industry engagement, and agricultural heritage, the region is pioneering the future of British brewing, where data, DNA, and decades of experience converge to create beers that honour tradition while embracing change.