All Kent Accommodation

Shepherd Neame Brewery Tour & Shop
Kent's history of hopping at the Museum of Kent Life nr Maidstone
Kent's history of hopping at the Museum of Kent Life nr Maidstone
Shepherd Neame Real Ale Pubs Faversham
Duke of Cumberland Whitstable, serving up Shepherd Neame and famous for its live music and events hosting

Kent Beer Shepherd Neame Lamberhurst Vineyard Brewery Kent UK

Some of the best of the South's real ales are from Kent, and the region has a long history of hop picking best explored at both the Museum of Kent Life near Maidstone and Hop Farm east of Tonbridge. The focus for Kent beer production however is Faversham in the Swale area of Kent. It's here that probably Kent's most famous brewer - Shepherd Neame is located and you can take brewery tours of the Shepherd Neame site in this picturesque historic market town. Faversham celebrates the history of Kent hop picking annually during its August end Faversham International Hop Festival. The big annual Kent Beer Festival takes place in mid July around Canterbury.

The region also produced some of the UK's finest wines produced from vineyards located in both the Kent Weald and Downs. In the Weald famous Kent vineyards include Lamberhurst, Biddenden and Chapel Down. In the Kent Downs look to the stunning Elham Valley south of Canterbury for the Elham Valley Vineyard. More Kent vineyards are east of Canterbury around Staple.

Featured Kent Accommodation

The Three Tuns Inn - Staple

Traditional inn with rooms, specialising in weddings and set amongst the fruit orchards of rural Kent in the picturesque village of Staple, near Canterbury.

£33 to £48 Per person B&B (2 sharing)

Faversham Shepherd Neame Brewery & Kent Beer Festivals

Picturesque historic market town Faversham is at the heart of the Kent Real Ale Trail, and home to best Kent brewer Shepherd Neame. The ancient Kent market town of Faversham is no newcomer to beer brewing and hops growing - that's been going on round here for over 850 years! Find out how famous Kentish beers like Spitfire and Bishop's Finger are made. The brewery tour does well to compare old and modern methods, including the modern packaging of today's beers. A brewery shop selling gifts and all of Shepherd Neame's Kentish beers is on-site.

The Faversham International Hop Festival weekend takes place annually at the end of August and celebrates the history of hop picking in Kent. A fun packed weekend for all the family, entertainment includes street theatre, dancing, craft fares and ceilidhs and plenty of activity in Faversham's many real ale pubs. See the Faversham Hop Festival webguide link right for details.

First held under a marquee in Dane John gardens in central Canterbury in 1975, the Kent Beer festival now has around 130 real ales (the first only had 30) on its menu in a huge barn on a farm just a couple of miles south of Canterbury. Shuttle buses run around every 15 to 30 minutes from Canterbury bus station (near Canterbury East Railway Station) to the Festival Venue. CAMRA members and local volunteers run this top British beer festival, one of the country's oldest. The best of Kent real ales feature - see the Kent Beer Festival webguide right for listings of real ales you can sample here, produced all over Kent. It's a corker of a beer festival. Free parking is on-site. Sensible footwear recommended on barn floor.

Kent Vineyards & Wineries

Tenterden boasts two superb vineyards within its immediate area. Chapel Down Winery (webguide right for details/directions) is the largest producer of wines in the country! This fine winery has built up a national and international reputationand the Tenterden Vineyard covers 25 acres. Enjoy a guided tour plus wine tastings. Corporate visits are welcome. Just north of Tenterden near the Weald village of Biddenden sits the Biddenden vineyards covering 22 acres and growing 10 types of grape. Admission and tastings are free. Cider is also produced here, and there's a large shop on-site.

Barnsole Vineyard is located at Staple east of Canterbury. The award winning wines from this most popular Kent Vineyard are available to taste and buy on-site, combined with free vineyard tours. For more information see Barnsole Vineyard's webguide linked right. The Elham Valley Vineyard sits midway between Elham and Barham, on the Folkestone to Canterbury Road just west of Breach. Tours of the vineyard plus winetasting of both sparkling and still wines produced here are open to the public.

Lamberhurst Vineyard in the heart of the Kent Weald just 7 miles to the south east of Royal Tunbridge Wells is one of the Weald's Seven wonders (see weblink right). Admission is free for free wine tasting and parking is on-site. Open all year and daily from 10am to 5pm.

Featured Kent Accommodation

The Three Tuns Inn - Staple

Traditional inn with rooms, specialising in weddings and set amongst the fruit orchards of rural Kent in the picturesque village of Staple, near Canterbury.

£33 to £48 Per person B&B (2 sharing)