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In August, Hogs Back Brewery celebrated 30 years of brewing from its home in the village of Tongham, in the heart of the old hop growing region of Surrey
CELEBRATING THREE DECADES OF HOGS BACK BREWERY
To kick start the anniversary celebration, its flagship cask ale, TEA (which stands for ‘traditional English ale’) was given a fresh new look. TEA was the first brew by Hogs Back when the brewery opened in 1992 and was affectionately known as Tongham TEA.
Brewed to an almost unchanged recipe, the name “Tongham TEA” has been reintroduced to the new, simplified and more modern design. The book cover style of illustration shows Hogs Back’s journey to brewer and hop grower. As a ‘Farm Brewery’, Hogs Back is leading the way for brewers in the UK who have been founded on a farming heritage that gives them a deep understanding of their brewing ingredients. The design is deliberately different from other beers, particularly those with abstract names and designs that currently characterise the craft brewing sector and reflects the Brewery’s values of being genuinely local and sustainable.
The hop garden continues to flourish as the hop plants mature in their eight-acre home just yards from the brewhouse. Following a bumper 2021 harvest, this year has been challenging due to the long, hot summer, but the quality of the 2022 hop harvest is reassuring high. The three-week harvest culminated in the annual Hop Harvest Festival & TEA Party with 3,000 visitors.
Embracing the consumer trend towards “no and lo” alcohol beer has seen the launch of Little Swine 2.8% and its even ‘smaller’ brother, Little Swine Alcohol Free (0.5%). The reward of being able to offer consumers a range of naturally brewed pale ales, packed with hop flavour and mouth feel, far outweighs the technical challenges of brewing this type of beer, where it is critical to manage the fermentable sugars that produce the alcohol.
With more consumers wanting an authentic beer but with a lower alcohol content, Little Swine is well placed to capitalise on this growing trend.
The recovery of the hospitality sector post-Covid is long in the making, and Hogs Back continues to focus on its direct-to-consumer retail activities, alongside servicing local pubs and restaurants. The Brewery Shop’s commitment to reducing single-use plastic has seen the introduction of more sustainable draught beer containers, with reusable glass flagons – 3.5 pint Snorters and 1.75 pint Snifters.
This is in addition to refillable stainless steel Brewery Gate kegs, complete with their own CO2 dispenser, to give the perfect pub pour every time. As well as being more environmentally friendly, these containers also keep the beer fresher for longer.
Housed in a restored hop kiln, the Brewery Tap boasts a bar crafted from aged whiskey barrels, beer fresh from the cellar, comfy sofas, a wood burner, up-cycled tables made from old brewery casks and historic images of Surrey’s hop growing heritage. Post Covid, the Hop Hall has come into its own. With high ceilings and huge barn doors, it provided a perfect well-ventilated indoor area to complement the beer garden, with views over the hop garden and beautiful Surrey countryside.
Complete with hop picker and drying kiln, the Hall is used for harvesting each September. The rest of the year, it doubles as a unique bar and event space. There is a new marquee, woodfired pizza oven, and kitchen block, and the menu is continually evolving using locally sourced produce.
The developments in the Brewery Shop and Tap were recognised with nominations in two categories in the prestigious 2022 Drinks Retailing Awards.
The completion of the new event space in the Sunken Garden in spring will allow more private bookings, wedding receptions and corporate events. This is just one part of the overall site redevelopment, which will also see more complementary business tenants take up residence in the newly refurbished Old Cow Byre.
Looking forward, the brewery will continue to invest to make its whole operation more sustainable.
