A bit about us
Australia’s largest hop grower
Backed by a team of experts in plant breeding, farm operations, customer service and brewing support.
As sole custodians of our Aussie hops, and regional representatives of the global BarthHaas group, we supply a huge range of consistently high-quality Aussie, New Zealand, American and European hops in a range of traditional and innovative product formats so brewers can make consistently high-quality beers.
Our farms
Our farms in Southern Tasmania and North-East Victoria have been growing hops for more than 150 years. Together they grow 90% of Australia’s hops, which is roughly 2% of hops grown around the world.
Each farm is set in the foothills of a mountain range where the summer days are long, the soil is rich and the water is abundant. And the views are pretty good too.
Tasmania
William Shoobridge successfully brought hops from England to Australia in 1822. It was his son, Ebenezer, who established Bushy Park Estates back in 1867. The original farm house and oast house built by his family are still standing today.
Located just 55km from Hobart, bordered by the Styx and Derwent Rivers, our Tasmanian farm is spread over 270 hectares capable of producing more than 431 metric tonnes of hops a year.
Our Farm Manager Tom Parry spends his days taking care of the crop. He’s one of those people you’d describe as being wise beyond his years, and has the ability to put anyone at ease with his calm character and classic sense of humour. Tom was born and bred in the Derwent Valley, and has a deep appreciation for its rich history. But he’s focussed on the future, specifically improving productivity through automation.
Victoria
Rostrevor Hop Gardens’ history dates all the way back to the Victorian Gold Rush. William Panlook was the son of a Chinese immigrant who came to Australia in search of a fortune, but didn’t find it until his family planted hops in the 1890s. Their farm house still stands today, serving as our farm office.
Our newest farm, Buffalo River Valley, is right around the corner. We use the same on farm techniques to ensure the quality of our hops is consistent across the two farms.
Located 300km from Melbourne, bordered by the Ovens and Buffalo River, our Victorian farms are spread over 577 hectares capable of producing more than 1,389 metric tonnes of hops a year.
Our Farm Manager Aaron Bailey is a third-generation farmer with a passion for the outdoors. Aaron oversees the growing and processing of our hops which involves leading a diverse team of people who come from all around the world, and feels a real sense of satisfaction at harvest time when their collective efforts throughout the year really come together.
BarthHaas
We’re regional representatives of the global BarthHaas group, which is the world’s largest supplier of hop products and services.
BarthHaas operates across all continents, providing support to its members along the whole value supply chain: from breeding and growing through to processing and the marketing of hops and hop products.
Their innovation centres, Barth Innovations in the UK and Haas Innovations in the US, are dedicated to research and development. We have access to their results, which means our customers can take advantage of the full potential of hops. Because your beer is our passion.
In the US, our partner grower is John I. Haas. They supply us with consistently high quality hops, including exclusive access to the Hop Breeding Company (HBC) proprietary varieties. While many hop suppliers carry Citra®, Mosaic®, Sabro®, Ekuanot® and Talus™, the Haas and HBC partnership in developing pest-resistant and disease-resistant hops with strong commercial qualities means HPA has access to the very best Citra available, supported by significant quantities.
A brief history of hops
Since you’re on our website, you probably already know a bit about hops. But just in case you need a little reminder, they’re a bine (not vine) that grows flowers filled with acids and essential oils that brewers worship for their impact in beer.
They generally give a bitterness when used early in the brewing process, and some incredible aromas and flavours when added late. If that’s not reason enough to love hops, they also act as a preservative that improves foam and extends the shelf life of beer.
The Germans caught onto this in the 8th century, but the English were the first to start commercial scale production in the 16th century, followed by America and Australia in the 19th century.
Brewers grasp of hops has only grown since then, which has led us to the golden age of beer.
