is a county in the southeast of England noted for its hop growing.

Widely known as the “Garden of England,” Kent is a fertile area, bordered on two sides by the sea. The gentle climate is conducive to hop production, which was introduced here, it is believed, in the 16th century by beer-loving weavers from Flanders. At its height in the 1870s, hop cultivation claimed more than 31,000 ha (77,000 acres) of the county. That figure has declined dramatically due to imported hops and dwindling UK beer sales.

The industry was historically labor intensive, particularly at harvest time (September), when tens of thousands of Londoners made their annual journey south to pick hops. Their influx fell away from the 1950s with the introduction of mechanical harvesting. Traditional oast houses, used for drying hops, can be seen throughout the county, but many have been converted into private residences. See oast house.

It was in Kent that the Fuggle hop was propagated by Richard Fuggle in 1875, but the hop research facility at Wye College, near Ashford, was also responsible for many notable breeding successes until its closure in 2007. See fuggle (hop), wye college. The unit developed hop strains such as Challenger, Target, Northdown, Progress, Bramling Cross, Admiral, Phoenix, First Gold, and Pioneer.

As well as a number of microbreweries, Kent is home to the UK’s oldest active brewery, Shepherd Neame in Faversham, founded in 1698. See shepherd neame brewery. The company has obtained PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status from the European Union for Kentish Ale and Kentish Strong Ale, which means only beer brewed in Kent can be so labelled.