UK: New hop set for farm trials

Hop 15/3 in growth in Kent

British bittering hop to take on imports

A new British bittering hop variety could be registered as early as 2013 after brewers gave the hop the thumbs-up in trials.

The new variety could transform the British hop market and cut the country’s reliance on imported bittering hops. It is the first to come out of National Hop Association’s (NHA) breeding programme after its resurrection in 2007.

The as-yet unnamed dwarf variety - codenamed 15/3 – won favourable reviews in trials at the Society of Independent Brewers’ (SIBA) annual conference last week and the NHA is looking to begin farm trials shortly.

“This bitter variety would fit in if it could compete in terms of price with imported varieties from abroad,” Peter Darby, director of the NHA’s hop breeding programme, told BG today.

The new hop is particularly resistant to wilt and, as a late variety, does not compete with other varieties during harvest time, said Darby. The hop is hardy and has shown consistent alpha acid content of 12%.

“This is exciting,” added Darby. “It ticks all the right boxes. It gives you confidence that things are back on track.”

The hop breeding programme was resurrected in 2007 with industry support, including a cash injection from SIBA, after the withdrawal of government funding forced its closure the previous year.

Darby said: “The programme started effectively from scratch in 2007. These are the first real results to come out of the programme so it’s nice to be building up the momentum.”

Hop cultivation in the UK is currently dominated by aroma and dual purpose varieties. A new British bittering hop would compete with predominantly American and German-grown hops, imported by the country’s largest brewers.

But the development comes at a difficult time in the world hop market. Following shortage in 2007, global alpha acid production was increased by a record 36% the following year, forcing down prices and causing spot markets to collapse in some regions. Last year some 500 acres of hops went un-harvested in the US, the world’s second largest hop producer after Germany.