Staying cool on planet Earth

One of the astronauts on the mission to the moon in April said planet Earth looked beautiful when seen from space. But planet Earth runs the risk of being burnt to a crisp unless all of us – governments, industries and the general populace – take action to tackle climate change.

It’s therefore encouraging to find brewers and farmers joining forces to help save the planet. “Regenerative farming” may not trip easily off the tongue, but it’s a system that avoids artificial fertilisers and agrichemicals, allowing barley and other plants to grow naturally.

The pioneers of the system are the Rothschilds, the financiers and benefactors who farm at Waddesdon Manor, 6,000 acres of prime land on the Bucks/Oxon border. The estate includes a hotel and the manager contacted the Chiltern brewery with a view to stocking its beers.

Chiltern was founded in 1980 and is one of the country’s oldest small craft breweries. It was founded by Richard Jenkinson and is now run by his sons Tom and George who produce such delicious beers as Beechwood Bitter and Bodgers Barley Wine.

They did me the great honour in 2025 of making a special edition of the barley wine called Roger’s Bodgers to thank me for my support for the independent brewery sector.

The Jenkinsons use, as far as possible, all British ingredients and they were impressed with Waddesdon’s farming methods. As a result, the farmers now grow Maris Otter, considered the finest malting barley due to its rich biscuit and honey flavours and its ability to work in harmony with yeast.

When the grain is harvested it travels to Warminster Maltings in Wiltshire where it is turned by hand on heated floors rather than germinating in rotating drums that use far more energy.

From start to finish the grain is grown, harvested and malted in tune with the environment.

And now bigger brewers are joining the fray. As reported in What’s Brewing (30 April) the Japanese brewer Asahi, which owns Fuller’s in West London, is buying its malt from farmers using the regenerative system.

Asahi is working with Boortmalt to encourage British farmers to lower greenhouse gas emissions when they grow grain. We’re talking of large amounts of grain: 3,050 metric tonnes of pale malt a year that accounts for 90 per cent of all the malts used at the Chiswick brewery.

Participating farmers will be encouraged to cover the surface of their soil to allow it to feed on the natural sugars produced as plants grow. Two crops are grown side by side but only one is harvested. The second crop is left to feed the soil.

Boortmalt says the system reduces tillage while crop rotation leads to a reduction in the use of fertilisers. There’s enhanced soil fertility, higher crop yields and better water conservation.

Asahi is also supporting two pioneering PhD research projects through FOR HOPS UK to raise awareness of the challenges facing hop farmers as a result of climate change.

Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall lead to degraded soil and lower alpha acid content in the hops – it’s the acids that give essential bitterness to beer.

With poorer soil, it’s harder for hops to recover and grow a fresh batch. And there are fears that climate change will affect the flavour and quality of hops. There are only 45 hop farms left in the country and if that number falls, brewers will be forced to buy from abroad, leading to greater food miles and carbon emissions.

Brewers of all sizes are taking steps to control carbon dioxide produced during fermentation. Even brewers who still use open fermenters have placed hoods above the vessels to stop Co2 leaching into the atmosphere.

The admirable efforts being made by brewers and farmers to combat climate change are playing a vital role as we face unprecedented challenges. The Guardian reported on 29 April the depth and severity of that challenge: “The Nordic heat wave is part of a record year that saw temperatures scorch most of Europe.”

Make sure your beer stays cool.