Farnham Rugby Club
Our Story
We’re a small family-owned brewery with big plans to make our beer genuinely local and our brewing more sustainable.
BREWING SINCE 1992
Having opened our doors on Manor Farm in 1992, we feel part of the landscape in Tongham. But that doesn’t stop us thinking differently.
That’s because we believe beer is best brewed locally. That way, it’s better for our consumers, the local community and the environment.
FINEST INGREDIENTS
Great beer comes from a combination of passion, expertise and the best ingredients. So in 1994 we decided to grow our own hops. It’s been a steep learning curve but we nurture, harvest, dry and pack our hops here on the farm.
REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
The hops don’t leave our sight or our site as they literally travel from “field to firkin in a furlong”.
All the spent grain from the brewing process is fed to local farm animals.
By introducing reusable glass flagons, we’ve saved over 12,000 single-use plastic bottles.
Our drivers are out and about delivering to local households within about 30 miles of the brewery.
Traditional and Modern
Traditional favourites like TEA and Surrey Nirvana may be at the heart of our cask range, but Hogstar Lager, Hog IPA and Hazy Hog Cider sit happily alongside, bringing a more contemporary note. We’re always looking to add to the range with our Limited Edition specials, like our unique Green TEA, fresh-hopped with Fuggles from our own hop garden.
WHAT’S GOING ON AT THE BREWERY
We may be tucked away in the village of Tongham, in the heart of the old Surrey hop-growing region, but there’s plenty going on.
Our Brewery Shop is housed in the old brewhouse, in part of the 18th century farm buildings that once stored wheat, housed cattle and, most appropriately, hogs. The quirky brewhouse is open for Tours.
WHAT’S NEW
The hop kiln has been converted into the Brewery Tap and our Beer Garden overlooks the hop garden. The Hangar stores our hop picking machine and hop drier, but doubles as a bar with a burgeoning events programme or private party hire. We even offer Hop Garden Tours and have our own Hop Harvest parties.
SUPPORTING LOCAL CAUSES
Giving back to the community is important so the Hogs Back Charitable Trust aims to donate each year to charitable causes. At the start of Covid, when people needed help the most, we donated all the funds to local and national charities close to our heart.
COMMUNITY SPIRIT
Since then, we’ve done our best to support local causes with Virtual Beer Tastings, quiz nights, donating the proceeds from the dray rides at the Hop Harvest TEA Party, as well as offering the Hangar to local groups, like the Tongham Scouts, while their Scout Hut is being rebuilt. We’re even a vegetable collection point for Farnham Community Farm.
Where to find our beer
Our draught beers are available in many pubs in Surrey and more widely across the South East, and are increasingly featured by pub companies nationwide. Our bottled beers are likewise widely distributed in shops and supermarkets in the South East and in some supermarkets nationally.
Distribution changes so if you want to find a local stockist please contact us and we will try to help.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Brewery takes its name from the nearby Hogs Back, a ridge of hills that looks just like a hog lying down. In medieval times, the Hogs Back was a trading and pilgrim route between Farnham and Guildford but now it is less glamorously known as the A31!