What has happened to the English Hop Industry?
Chris Levett
- Region:
- Anywhere
- Notice Period:
- Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
- Type:
- Individual with all fees going to Motor Neurone Disease Association
- Fee:
- Paid: I charge £125 but every penny goes to the Motor Neurone Disease Association
- Category:
- Nature
- Updated:
- 18th October 2024
My talk 'What has happened to the English Hop industry, is PowerPoint based to illustrate my informative but light-hearted narrative as the story unfolds. I always like to engage the audience through the talk and ask them to participate with suggestions of answers to a few questions I ask.
I relate the origins and history of hops, the great tales and unique traditions of the English industry, and of those treasured memories that will soon be confined to books as those of us who have actually done it are no longer here to tell the wonderful tales.
Tales of the thousands of Londoners who came down every year to pick hops by hand, the rows and rows of hopper's huts where they lived in very poor, unhygienic conditions, and the 'Little Hopper's Hospital' for sick children are just a snapshot of an industry that was once the pride of the world.
Have you ever noticed some Oast houses are round and some square? I explain the reason and how and why hops are dried, what the brewers want from hops and give an insight as to why the hop industry which once epitomised Kent as the 'Garden of England' is no longer and I suggest an answer to just 'What has happened to the English Hop Industry'.
To bring the talk to life I bring along several samples of hops for the audience to experience the aromas just as a brewer would do when selecting hops for brewing his beer. In the growing season I bring hops actually growing in pots - and in September - hop plants covered in hops!
My talk is 40-45 minutes so that with questions the sessions are no more than 1 hour.
Views: 590 | Enquiries: 3About Chris Levett
I am passionate about hops and fruit, they have been in my life pretty much since I was born 71 years ago! The many generations of the Levett family have been farming hops and fruit in Kent and Sussex for well over 250 years. I grew up on a hop and fruit farm and spent most of my school holidays helping on my parent's farms. Kent used to be the 'Garden of England' - but sadly no longer. There are less and less of us remaining who have the memories of the great tales and traditions that grew up over time in both those industries.
I graduated from Wye College in Plant Sciences in 1974 and following university I worked on a hop, arable and livestock farm in Worcestershire for a year before returning to Kent to take up a job as a farm manager on 150 acres of hops and fruit.
After 5 years as a farm manager I spent a year in the little known trade of Hop Factoring representing hop growers selling their hops to hop merchants. In 1979 we bought a 25acre fruit farm in Cranbrook in Kent and my wife and I built up the business to 100 acres of apples, pears and cherries, a large farm shop and coffee shop, employing 40 staff. From 2007 I worked for 10 years for the Fruit Advisory Services Team advising fruit growers on all aspects of fruit production.
With our son and daughter-in-law now managing our shops and farms, I have the opportunity, and thoroughly enjoy, giving talks and passing on my 60 years experience and knowledge in the hop and fruit industries, gained over a lifetime's work.
My talks are suitable for a wide range of groups, including U3A, history societies, horticultural groups, farming organisations, home brewing groups and anyone with an interest in how our countryside has changed over the years.
All my fees go to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, one of the most appalling diseases.
TESTIMONIALS
We thoroughly enjoyed your very informative talk - really well researched, well put together, well paced and presented!
Congratulations, very good and well deserved. We thought it was an excellent talk and very informative.
Thank you for your most enjoyable and informative presentation last evening Chris.
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