Hop Blessing 2026 dodged the showers!

The spectacular thunder and lightning display over the hop garden didn’t deter our guests at last night’s Hop Blessing!

Over 120 guests joined Rev Claire Holt, MD Miles and Estate Manager Matthew in the Brewery's Hop Garden for the traditional blessing on Ascension Day and offered up a prayer and raised a glass for an abundant autumn hop harvest!

Rev. Claire Holt made the two-minute journey from her parish church in Tongham, St Paul’s, the spire of which you can see from the hop garden, to officiate the ceremony.

The centuries-old tradition of blessing crops has long been observed in rural communities to encourage a good harvest and Hogs Back has been celebrating this tradition since its revival hop garden was planted in 2014, with Rev. Claire at the helm!

Luckily the rain stopped before the blessing and the mini Beating of the Bounds around the hop garden – another ancient tradition to show parishioners the parish boundaries which would influence how much tax was paid and where you could be buried, and also to help keep the paths along the edges of the fields clear to avoid any boundary disputes!

Locals, staff, Tongham TEA Club members and Hoppers mingled to enjoy the evening and a pint or two of our finest Tongham TEA [Traditional English Ale] and Matthew will be hoping for a good Harvest in September.

With ticket proceeds from the evening being donated to our chosen charity, Diabetes UK, a good time was had by all!

Photographs courtesy of Jon Hawkins at Surrey Hills Photography.

To keep up to date with all the news from the Hogs Back Brewery, sign up to our newsletter below (get 10% off your first online beer order) and follow us @HogsBackBrewery on X, Facebook and Instagram.