Hops from our garden
Our only hop garden, at nearby Scotney Castle, provides the hops for Westerham’s beer. And Robert finds the area’s local water, which filters through the Greensand aquifer, is particularly good for ales and bitters.
Robert and his team are equally diligent about waste. ‘Hops make fantastic compost for flower beds and are used at Chartwell – another place we care for nearby – and our brewer’s grain goes to the local dairy farmer,’ he says. ‘So in terms of waste, there’s very little.’
Award-winning taste
This green approach is paying off. Westerham’s Scotney Bitter impressed the judges of the Trust’s Fine Farm Produce Awards more than any other drink entered, and was crowned Overall Drinks Winner 2014.
The judges commented on the classic hoppy scent and taste of the dark amber beer.
Robert is pleased with the results: ‘The profile of these awards really helps us raise awareness of what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.’
