AN INDEPENDENT brewery is looking to celebrate the rich flavours of the surrounding countryside with a new autumnal brew starring a uniquely flavoured hop grown just 10 miles down the road. 

In September, Hobsons Brewery, based in Cleobury Mortimer, will be brewing its annual Green Hop beer, which, this year, is set to use traditional Challenger hops sourced from Orleton Court farm, operated by JW Spilsbury and Co of Stanford Bishop, near Tenbury Wells.

Deeply rooted in tradition, the unique brewing process sees the hops added to the brew the day they are picked.

By using hops from a local supplier based so close to the brewery, the brewery is hoping to craft a beer that truly captures the essence of Shropshire's rich harvest season, a spokesperson said.

Hobsons founder Nick Davis said: "The Green Hop brew is always a personal highlight in my calendar. The demanding brewing process really takes us back in time and although we are always looking to improve our techniques, it’s nice to lean on tradition and replicate the approach that the industry was built upon. It’s always a full-on day for the team, but taking a brew all the way from field to beer is a satisfying process.”

The brewing process will start early in the morning, with the freshly picked Challenger hops collected by the Hobsons team and added to the brew just after lunch. Once the hops have boiled away for half an hour, the brew is transferred into a fermentation tank.

After a week of fermenting, the brew is filled into casks ready to go on the real-ale hand-pull at selected pubs across the region. A couple of weeks later the beer is also bottled and sent to a warm conditioning room, allowing the yeast to continue to ferment and ensuring it’s as close to a cask ale as possible.

“Engaging with local suppliers has been so important to Hobsons over the past three decades and we are forever grateful to be nestled in the rich Shropshire countryside," Mr Davis said.

"This beer is a real celebration of that locality.”

Due to the unpredictable nature of the growing process, Hobsons is anticipating harvesting the hops and brewing the beer on September 13, however, this is subject to change.