This year marks the Wheeler family’s 335th annual hop harvest. Following on from last year’s sell-out success, which even caught the attention of Channel 5 for an upcoming documentary on Sussex, Hop Fest returns on Saturday, September 20 hoppier than ever.
At its heart, the festival is a celebration of English hops. Four Sussex breweries – Harvey’s, Longman, Brewing Brothers, and The Waterworks – will each be brewing a special green-hopped beer with hops grown at Tibbs Farm and delivered straight from the gardens within two hours of picking. An official tasting session will take place at 4:30pm, with the head brewers from Harvey’s, Longman, and Brewing Brothers.
This year’s green hop pairings are:
- Harvey’s – Fuggle
- Longman – Admiral
- Brewing Brothers – Target
- Waterworks – Goldings
Beyond the green-hopped specials, there will be a wide range of ales, lagers, and stouts brewed exclusively with English-grown hops.
The day also brings a lively music programme, featuring well-known folk bands including Garry Blakeley and The Twitten Revellers, alongside Morris dancers and a traditional hop wassail. As night falls, the festival will close with a high-energy set from The Looters, a popular cover rock band.
Hopfest is a day for the whole family. With giant lawn games, face painting, a free hop crown open workshop with Flossie Flowers, and plenty of photo opportunities all within the farm’s magical hop-draped setting overlooking the Tillingham Valley.
Food lovers won’t go hungry, with Game and Flames serving up sizzling asado feasts of Tibbs home-reared meats and venison, alongside hearty vegetarian options.
Getting there:
- A free shuttle bus will run from Rye train station to Tibbs Farm every 30 minutes from 2pm.
- Free camping is available on site (subject to space).
Tickets are £10 (children under 12 are free) and can be booked here.
Opening hours are midday to 10.30pm. Tibbs Farm is at Udimore, East Sussex, TN31 6AR.
