Goddards recently took delivery of a special consignment of fresh Fuggle hops. These top quality Fuggle hops were grown locally and recently harvested at Osborne House in East Cowes, the famous former home of Queen Victoria.
The hops were originally planted at Osborne in 2009 in collaboration with Simon Goodenough, the then curator of Ventnor Botanic Garden, where he also founded a hop garden. Fuggle was the variety of hops chosen and it seems to really thrive in the soil at Osborne House in East Cowes.
Goddards Managing Director Bob Simpson was delighted; “This year the crop from Osborne was outstanding. We have already brewed a special batch of Fuggle-Dee-Dum using these fresh hops from the Royal Gardens. It’s the first time we’ve brewed using locally grown Fuggle hops and the resulting beer was majestic.”
Although barley for Goddards beer is once again grown here on the Island, there seems to have never been much of a tradition on the Isle of Wight for growing hops in a commercial way. So these local hops give an opportunity to brew a truly local pint. Whilst most Goddards beer uses a blend of hops, Fuggle Dee-Dum uses 100% Fuggle hops. These hops are normally used in a pellet form which isolates all the important parts of the hop cone and excludes the stems and leaves which are not required. The Osborne hops were added to the Fuggle Dee-Dum brew in special bags, like a giant tea bag, so that the fresh hops could add their bitter flavour without clogging up the brewing machinery.
With the success of this year’s hop harvest at Osborne, the brewery is already looking forward to next year’s crop.
You can order your own supply of Fuggle Dee-Dum today via our online shop and delivery on the Isle of Wight is FREE*.
(*subject to a minimum spend of £40)
