Hops and hop products marketing standards

Guide

Last updated 13 September 2024

Producing hops and hop products in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)

Hops grown in Great Britain and hop products processed in Great Britain must comply with the minimum marketing requirements set out in Annex I of the regulation.

These rules apply to:

  • hop cones
  • pellets
  • powder
  • saps and extracts of hops
  • mixed hop products

Certification requirements for hops and hop products

Hops and hop products that have been grown or processed in Great Britain must be certified by an approved certification centre.

You do not need certification for:

  • hops harvested on land owned by a brewery and used by that brewery in the natural or processed state
  • products derived from hops and processed under contract on behalf of a brewery (provided that those products are used by the brewery itself)
  • hops and products derived from hops that are put in small packets for sale to private individuals for their own use - the weight of the package must not exceed 1kg for hop cones or powder, or 300g for extract, powder and the new isomerised products
  • products manufactured from isomerised hop products

Certification centres in Great Britain

Contact a certification centre to get your hops or hops products certified.

If you need alternative contact details for a certification centre, email hops.exports@rpa.gov.uk.

English Hops Limited AGA Buildings
Lamberhurst Road
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN12 8DP

Certification centre number: 01 GB

Steiner Hops Limited
15A Henley Business Park
Pirbright Road
Normandy
Surrey
GU3 2DX

Certification centre number: 09 GB

Lupofresh
Benover Road
Yalding
Maidstone
Kent
ME18 6ET

Certification centre number: 10 GB

Charles Faram Ltd
Monksfield Lane
Newland
Worcestershire
United Kingdom
WR13 5BB

Certification centre number: 20 GB

Barth Haas
Hop Pocket Lane
Paddock Wood
Kent
TN12 6DQ

Certification centre number: 22 GB

Wealdon Hops Ltd
Congelow
Benover Road
Yalding
Maidstone
Kent
ME18 6ET

Certification centre number: 24 GB

Check your hops certificate

The certification centre will issue you with a hops certificate. Check that it includes the:

  • description of the product
  • reference number of the certificate
  • net or gross weight (or both)
  • hop production area or the place of production
  • year of harvest
  • variety
  • terms 'seeded hops' or 'seedless hops' (as appropriate)
  • words 'certified product - Regulation (EC) No 1850/2006'
  • place and date of processing (for products prepared from hops)

Hops certificates issued in Great Britain must not have any EU branding (including references to the EU and the EU emblem).

The certification centre number must be prefixed with 'GB', not 'UK'.

Wording on official stamps must include:

  • certified product - Regulation (EC) No 1850/2006
  • the certifying officer's signature
  • the hops certificate centre number

Labelling certified hops or hops products produced in Great Britain

Each package of certified hops or hop products must be marked with the:

  • description of the product (including the terms 'seeded hops' or 'seedless hops' and 'prepared hops' or 'unprepared hops', as appropriate)
  • variety or varieties
  • reference number of the hops certificate

The certificate should accompany the hops or hop products when marketed in Great Britain. If the hops or hop products are split for resale after they have been certified, an invoice or commercial document must accompany the hops or hop products and include the:

  • hops certificate reference number
  • designation of the product
  • gross or net weight (or both)
  • place of production
  • year of harvest
  • variety
  • place and date of processing (for products prepared from hops)

Blends of hops and hop products produced in Great Britain

You must blend only certified hops or certified hop products originating in Great Britain to manufacture powders and extracts. The certified hops or certified hop products you blend must be from the same harvest, but can be:

  • different varieties
  • from different hop production areas

The certificate accompanying the blended product must also state the:

  • hop varieties used
  • hop production areas
  • year of harvest
  • percentage weight of each variety used in the blend
  • reference numbers of the certificates issued for the hops and hop products used

The certificate can state the percentage weight of each variety based on the quantity of cone hops used to prepare the hop products if:

  • hop products are manufactured using hop products and cone hops
  • different hop products are used

Hops production areas in Great Britain

You need certain soil and climate conditions to grow hops. In Great Britain, the hops production areas with these soil and climate conditions are:

  • Herefordshire
  • Kent
  • Pembrokeshire
  • Suffolk
  • Surrey
  • Sussex
  • Worcestershire

Importing hops and hop products into Great Britain

Until 1 February 2027, hops and hop products imported to Great Britain of:

AoEs can only be issued by the authorised agency of the country where the hops originate or where the final processing of the hops took place.

You do not need an AoE or EU certificate for:

  • small packages of hops and hop products for sale to private individuals for their own use
  • hops and hop products for scientific and technical experiments
  • hops and hop products for fairs covered by the special customs arrangements for fairs

For hop cones and powder, the weight of the package must not exceed 1kg. For hop extracts, the weight of the package must not exceed 300g.

The description, weight and final usage of the product must appear on the packaging.

Importing hops and hop products to Northern Ireland

Hops and hop products imported to Northern Ireland of:

Hops and hop products of EU origin

An invoice or commercial document must accompany hops or hop products if both the:

  • hops or hop products have been EU certified
  • consignment has been split in an EU member state for resale after certification

The commercial documentation must include the:

  • EU certificate number
  • designation of the product
  • gross or net weight (or both)
  • place of production
  • year of harvest
  • variety
  • place and date of processing (for products prepared from hops)

Importing hops and hop products of non-EU origin from the EU to Northern Ireland

If you import a consignment of hops or hops products of non-EU origin to Northern Ireland that was split:

  • before it entered 'free circulation' in the EU, it must be accompanied by an extract of attestation
  • after it entered 'free circulation' in the EU, it must be accompanied by an invoice or commercial document

'Free circulation' means hops or hop products are marketed or sold after:

  • a customs entry has been raised for the hops or hop products
  • duty or VAT has been paid

The commercial documentation must include the:

  • AoE number and name of authority that issued it
  • description of the product
  • gross weight
  • place of production
  • year of harvest
  • variety
  • country of origin
  • markings and identification numbers given in section 9 of the AoE
  • place and date of processing (for products manufactured from hops)

Moving hops and hop products from Northern Ireland to Great Britain

Hops and hop products of EU origin moved from Northern Ireland and marketed in Great Britain must have an EU certificate supplied by an approved EU certification centre.

Hops and hop products of non-EU origin moved from Northern Ireland and marketed in Great Britain must:

  • not have been split or entered free circulation in Northern Ireland (meaning the consignment must only transit through Northern Ireland)
  • be accompanied by an AoE supplied by an authorised agency in the hops or hop products' country of origin

Read guidance on certification and exemptions for hops and hop products in Great Britain.

Exporting hops and hop products from Great Britain to the EU or moving them to Northern Ireland

You must comply with EU import requirements to export hops and hop products from Great Britain to the EU.

Hops and hop products from non-EU countries can only be imported into the EU if accompanied by an AoE issued by an agency that's both:

  • authorised by the country of origin (or, where non-existent in the country of origin, an already authorised agency outside the product’s country of origin)
  • listed as an agency authorised to issue an attestation of equivalence on the EU Commission website

If you export hops or hop products that originate from Great Britain to the EU, each consignment must have an EU AoE issued by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). The RPA is the agency authorised to issue AoEs for hops and hop products that originate from Great Britain.

Under EU rules, you cannot re-export hops or hop products originating outside Great Britain to the EU if they have already entered free circulation in Great Britain.

Applying for an EU AoE

To apply for an EU AoE:

  1. Enrol with the RPA.
  2. Fill in the AoE application.

The RPA  issues EU AoEs for consignments of hops and hop products that originate from Great Britain and enter the EU or Northern Ireland.

Labelling rules for exporting hops and hop products to the EU

If you export hops or hop products to the EU, you must include on each unit of packaging the:

  • description of the product
  • variety or varieties
  • country of origin
  • marks and numbers indicated in section 9 of the AoE or the extract

Exporting hops and hop products from the UK to non-EU countries

You must check the individual requirements of the country that you're exporting to.

Rejected hops and hop products exported from Great Britain to the EU

You'll need to provide proof of previous marketing status before your hops or hop products left Great Britain, if all the following conditions all apply:

  • your consignment of hops or hop products is rejected by the EU
  • you want these products to enter into free circulation in Great Britain (declared and customs duties paid)
  • you did not include previous marketing status documentation with your consignment

Customs will contact you to request documentation, which may include your:

  • EU certificate (for consignments containing hops and hop products certified in Great Britain before 1 January 2021, or certified in the EU and moved into Great Britain before 1 February 2027)
  • hops certificate issued in Great Britain (for consignments containing hops and hop products certified in Great Britain from 1 January 2021)
  • AoE, if you're importing from non-EU countries or exporting hops that originate in Great Britain to the EU

If you need help

Contact defrahorticulture@defra.gov.uk if you have any queries. You'll receive a response within five working days.

First published 4 February 2020

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