To mark a special collaboration brewed with 100% British hops, the Joule’s Brewery team made the journey to Ledbury for a behind-the-scenes look at where the vibrant hop Olicana is grown, harvested, and brought to life.
The visit to Hawkins hop farm was organised with Will Rogers, Charles Faram Group Technical Director and Rich Davies, Charles Faram Wales & Central England Sales Manager, long-standing champions of British hop development. It was an opportunity to celebrate the roots of Joule’s Brewery’s latest seasonal brew, a single-hop golden ale made exclusively with Olicana, grown right here in the UK.
On what turned out to be one of the hottest days of the summer, the team walked the sun-drenched fields of Hawkins Farm in Herefordshire, hosted by Sarah Hawkins, whose family farm supplies hops to Charles Faram. The visit included a tour of the experimental hop plots, where Charles Faram trials new British varieties each year, developing future flavour profiles and pushing boundaries in aroma and performance.
There was, of course, a particular focus on the Olicana crop – just a few short weeks away from harvest.
The tour continued through Charles Faram’s new state-of-the-art kiln, a major investment designed to optimise hop drying and preserve delicate aromas, followed by a look at the hop-picking machine, a magnificent piece of engineering that’s vital to getting freshly picked hops processed and ready for breweries like Joule’s.
The visit marked the strong relationships between brewer and grower, and a joint commitment to British farming.
“All of our beer is brewed with pure Shropshire mineral water, so being able to pair that with 100% English hops feels like a perfect match. We’re really proud to support British farming wherever we can and this collaboration is a great example of that.” said Georgia Charlton-Briggs, Brand Manager at Joule’s Brewery. “ Visiting the farm and seeing Olicana growing just weeks before harvest was a real highlight. It brings a whole new appreciation for the hop and the people behind it.”
The collaborative ale, brewed with the guidance of Rich and Will at Charles Faram, is a celebration of British ingredients, brewing heritage, and the vibrancy of hops like Olicana that are now standing tall.
“It’s been great to do a proper collaboration with Charles Faram,” added James Hunter, Head of Production and Distribution at Joule’s Brewery. “As a brewer, getting the chance to follow the hop from bine to brew is incredibly rewarding. Olicana is a fantastic British variety, bold, tropical, and full of flavour, and we’ve brewed this beer to let it really shine. It’s a great showcase of what British hops can bring to the glass.”
The beer is now pouring across Joule’s Taphouses for a limited time, and the team has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the farm visit on social media.