When the writer, Charles Dickens, spoke of Kent, in his first novel; “The Pickwick Papers”, he said “Kent, Sir, everybody knows Kent – apples, cherries, hops and women” Perhaps, had he written some 150 years later, he might have added ‘vineyards’ to his list, maybe at the expense of the ‘women’!

Kent, described as ‘The Garden of England’ is certainly well known for its fruit orchards. Here, just outside the market town of Faversham, is Brogdale, which is home to the National Fruit Collection. In the countryside we see apples, pears, plums, quince and nuts, and, importantly the cherries. Varieties in the cherry collection have come from all over Europe, and whilst we believe cherries arrived in Britain with the Romans, we know that it was one Richard Harris, Chief Fruiterer to King Henry V111, who planted the first commercial orchard at Teynham, near Faversham with varieties brought over from Flanders. Today cherries are a part of Kentish summers, sold by the wayside and in markets throughout the county. Faversham is also home to Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewery, formally established in 1698. When hops were first grown in England is uncertain, but the place they were first planted commercially was almost certainly Kent, around 1520, in a hop garden in Westbere, a small village near Canterbury.

Previously, ale was produced with a herb mixture, called ‘gruit’ and this was, for the most part, under licence to the Roman Catholic monasteries. As migrants from the Low Countries, fleeing from religious persecution, settled in the county, they preferred their own tradition of making beer with hops. All over the county we can see landscape and buildings which paint a picture of years gone by in the hop gardens of Kent. Not all about hops and beer these days, Kent is known as English Wine Country, and is home to some of the most picturesque wine estates in the country. All of these vineyards offer tours, tastings and shopping opportunities as well as various ‘visitor experiences throughout the year (Covid 19 restrictions may affect the range of tours/tastings on offer)

Kent’s south-facing chalky soil and the mild climate provide the perfect conditions for the wine growing industry similar to Champagne in France. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Blanc all thrive in these conditions. Indeed, Champagne Taittinger is the first big Champagne House to establish a vineyard in the UK to make Premium English Sparkling Wine. The Domaine Evremond Vineyard is a joint venture between Champagne Taittinger and its UK Agency; Hatch Mansfield Ltd. Plans are in hand to create a world-leading winery, set to produce 400,000 bottles a year, in the countryside near Chilham between Ashford and Canterbury.