Missing Out

Unfortunately, due to too many things happening at once plus an extremely busy work schedule, I will have to miss this year’s “Canterbury

Food & Drink Festival”. Like last year, the event will be hosting the launch of “Kent Green Hop Fortnight”, and as well as giving visitors the chance to sample a Green-Hopped beer from every Kentish brewer that has produced one, there will be a vast array of produce stalls offering all kinds of local goodies. If last year’s event is anything to go by, these will range from local cheeses, seafood, home-baked pies, preserves, hand-made chocolates, to more exotic offerings such as venison burgers. There should even be stalls selling locally produced Kentish cider, fruit juices and even things like flavoured vodkas and other liqueurs. The festival kicks off this Friday in Canterbury’s Dane John Gardens, and for further details please click here.

Four of us attended the festival last year, and a similar number will be going this year; I’m only sorry I won’t be amongst them, especially as the weather is set fair. It was sunglasses weather last year, and we spent a very pleasant afternoon sitting in front of the bandstand, soaking up the autumn sunshine whilst listening to a couple of the live bands performing there. We also made regular forays to the beer tent, and also to some of the food stalls, slowly working our way through some of the goodies on offer. The Green Hopped Beers were housed in a marquee at the far end of the gardens, and like at most CAMRA festivals, the beers were served direct from the cask.

Nearly every brewery in Kent takes part in Kent Green Hop Beer Fortnight, making one or more brews with un-dried, freshly-picked hops which are rushed straight from bine to brewhouse in under 12 hours; or in some cases under 30 minutes!

I won’t be the only person missing the festival though. I’ve just been sent a press release stating that none other than Eddie Gadd; founder, owner and head brewer of Ramsgate Brewery, and a leading light in, and prime mover of “Kent Green Hop Fortnight” is unable to attend either. 

All a bit strange until you read that Eddie has been invited to supply Kent Green Hop Beer to the 6th Borefts Beer Festival held at the De Molen Brewery in Bodegraven, about 30 miles south west of Amsterdam.

The Borefts Festival is one of the most talked about festivals in the beer lover’s calendar attracting dedicated beer drinkers keen to taste some of the best brews around - not to mention a variety of limited edition beers made especially for the festival.

Eddie will therefore miss the official launch of Kent Green Hop Beer Fortnight, on Friday 26th September in Canterbury, in order to go to the Netherlands.

He said, "I've been invited to bring beer to Borefts a couple of times but I've always said no because of the overlap with the start of Kent Green Hop Beer Fortnight  But now the time seems right to take Kent Green Hop Beer on tour! I'm really hoping that by taking it to this festival it'll spread the word to those who consider themselves craft beer drinkers - and that next year they'll be making sure to visit Kent during the Fortnight so they can trying all the other fantastic Green Hop Beers that are made."

The Kent Green Hop Beers destined for Borefts are a cask of Gadds' Green Hop Ale (4.8%) - a pale ale hopped with fresh East Kent Goldings, and a keg of Green Hop Radler (2.4%) - a craft version of shandy made from green hopped pale ale and limeade. They will be served alongside brews from host brewery De Molen, fellow UK brewers such as Burning Sky and The Kernel, and a dozens of others from across Europe.

 

For further information, please contact Kent Green Hop Beer PR Manager, Sophie Atherton on 07946 112 025 or via sophieatherton@btinternet.com

The 6th Borefts Beer Festival takes place at Brouwerij de Molen, Bodegraven on September 26th and 27th 2014. Entry is free but drinkers need to buy a festival glass to try the beers. €20 buys a glass, six beer tokens and a festival programme