About this Event
Join us for an evening dedicated to the craft, cultivation, and flavours behind organic beer brewing.
Discover how hops are cultivated and transformed into exceptional beers through an evening of guided tastings, a sensory workshop and guest speaker talks by local growers and brewers. Your ticket includes small food dishes to pair with the different beers, prepared by our local chef.
Our confirmed speakers are , Dean of Land and Property Management; , Head Grower at ; , Group Technical Director at ; and Donncha Burke, Senior Brewer at .
About the guest speakers
Professor Duncan Westbury, Dean of Land and Property Management at the RAU. Through his research, Duncan combines a passion for ecology, farming and beer. He currently leads pioneering projects on British hops, helping growers boost biodiversity, tackle climate challenges and secure a more sustainable future for one of brewing's most important ingredients.
Arthur Wear is the Head Brewer at Stroud Brewery, a pioneering, 100% organic craft brewery and certified B Corporation based in Gloucestershire. Championing community-centric, ethically responsible brewing, Arthur combines a passion for traditional techniques with innovative, sustainable practices. Known for his creative approach to seasonal recipe development, he frequently incorporates locally foraged, historic botanical ingredients to bridge the gap between historic flavours and modern craft beer.
He will talk about the brewery, the challenges of brewing with organic hops, and the hop varieties in the beers he is bringing.
Will Rogers as Group Technical Director at Charles Faram & Co oversees the Hop Development Programme, bringing new varieties to fruition for brewers across the world. He also advises growers on agronomy, sets our hop quality standards and helps drive technical improvement across the industry.
Donncha Burke, Senior Brewer at Hawkstone, will talk about how Hawkstone is helping to grow the British hop industry. A real success story, Hawkstone really wants to shout about it, and ideally bring more breweries along with it so they can back British farming collectively.
He will also talk about Hawkstone’s Wild Thing collaboration with Wildfarmed, and why regenerative farming is such a good way to farm sustainably, so we can keep enjoying great British beer for generations to come.
What to expect on the day
Guided tastings: You will have the opportunity to try about 6 different beers, Hawkstone and Stroud breweries included, as well as full-flavour 0.0% alcohol options, paired with a delicious menu of small plate dishes.
Sensory workshop: learn to identify hop varieties by aroma and master the basics of beer tasting with local experts.
Guest speaker talks: listen to local growers and brewers about sustainable hop cultivation and the future of organic brewing in our region.
Please note that you must be over 18 years old to attend this event (please bring ID) and entry is by advance ticket only. Tickets include all guided tastings (including food), the sensory workshop and speaker talks. There will be 0% alcohol options available.
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Useful to know
Arriving by bus: Stops 'Deer Park School' either side of the A419/Stroud Rd.
Coming from Cirencester direction: buses 54, 54A, 128, 859
Coming from Stroud direction: buses 54, 128,859, C59
Please check travel updates and timetables before setting off.
Parking: Free parking available on-site, and extended parking at the RAU Stroud main carpark, 6 minutes walk from the venue.
Should the car park outside the venue be full on your arrival, please make way to this alternative parking area. See the image below for details.
Event venue & nearby stays
The Alliston Centre, Stroud Road, Cirencester, United Kingdom
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