In what has now become a yearly tradition, Borough Market is releasing its new, limited edition, sustainably packaged beer, brewed with freshly-picked wet hops grown in the iconic Market Hall.
Borough Wet Hop IPA is a refreshing sessionable but full-bodied IPA, with up-front tropical notes packed full of flavours suggestive of a well-stocked fruit seller’s stall.
The 4.3% ABV beer available from Borough Market’s shop, speciality beer bar The Rake, and the Globe Tavern, located at the heart of the market.
The beer, curated by nomadic brewer Daniel Tapper, of The Beak brewery, has been created to celebrate 21 years of fresh produce retail at Borough Market.
To underline the market’s commitment to provenance, the session IPA is brewed using the classic English hop variety, Fuggles, historically grown by farmers in the South East.
The hop bines are planted in the heart of Borough’s glass-fronted Market Hall, and sustainably fertilised with a combination of recycled coffee grounds from traders, and rain water harvested from the market’s roof.
For the first time, this year’s brew will be sold in cans, rather than bottles — a move that reflects the market’s commitment to sustainability.
The new beer is the fifth annual brew from Borough Market’s own hops, and has been produced in collaboration with Villages, a vibrant, local, independent microbrewery, located in nearby Deptford. It specialises in juicy pale ales, the style the market has opted for this year.
‘Sustainability is at the core of Borough Market’
Keeping the brewing process local gives the beer a unique sense of place and meant that the hops could be delivered in their wet, fresh state within hours of harvesting.
Fuggles is a traditional English hop variety, which imbues the beer with orange, marmalade, earthy, and grassy flavours. This year’s brew also contains Mosaic, Ekuanot, and Azacca hop varieties, with strong fruity, tropical flavours, which marry well with Fuggles.
Darren Henaghan, managing director of Borough Market, said: “Sustainability is at the core of Borough Market and we are constantly looking for new ways to innovate. By using cans for the first time we are helping to minimise our own footprint.
“This new and unique seasonal beer grown with our own hops, fertilised with leftover coffee grounds and brewed locally, is a true reflection of this. Borough Market is a vibrant place to discover the unique and rediscover the familiar, and we hope our customers will enjoy toasting 21 years since we established ourselves as a world class produce market.”
Daniel Tapper added: “As both a brewer and a food writer, it is such an honour and exciting experience to create a beer that not only displays genuine London terroir, but also showcases Borough Market’s unique position at the heart of our country’s food and drink scene.
“Every day, hundreds of people walk past the hops that are growing in Borough Market, and with Villages we have created a beer that is imbued with those unique flavours.
“It’s wonderful to create a new taste experience for people to enjoy using sustainable ingredients grown right here in the city.”
