The London hop market in May 1898

Another little interlude. This time looking at the prices for various types of hops.

The table below is dead handy as it gives any idea of how much the various types of hops were valued by British brewers. Though much of what it tells me I alreadt knew. For example, that East Kent Goldings were the most prized. And that Belgian hops were cheap. Interesting to see that Alsace hops were some of the better liked continental hops.

You may be wondering why there are three columns for each year. They're the price of the differeng grades of hops, obviously working up from lowest to highest.

"Hops.—There is scarcely any feature of interest to observe in this market, which, since our monthly report of the 14th ultimo, has been very quiet, and business has been on a much contracted scale. Speculation, it is almost needless to say, has been entirely dormant, and as most of the brewers are fairly well stocked with hops, the demand from the trade has been confined to the making up of odd parcels and the completion of unfulfilled orders. English descriptions, wherever and whenever they can be procured, have been much preferred to other kinds, but owing to the absence of a proper assortment, few purchases of importance have taken place, and no fresh advance having been established, present rates remain the same as those of a month ago. All the best "yearlings ” have either disappeared or been worked off, as practically none are left to bear a quotation, and nothing is now to be had above £3 10s. per cwt. An inquiry has existed for Continental hops, and good qualities have realised firm prices ; but California growths have been less generally sought after, and their outturn and condition not being thoroughly satisfactory, this, with their comparative abundance, has induced holders to submit to rather lower terms, say £2 5s. to £5, for common to the finer grades. American hops, however, exhibit no alteration, and this day’s general currency in the Borough, as approved by the merchants there, rules as follows :-—

Hop prices in London May 1898
	1898			1897			1996
	£ s.	£ s.	£ s.	£ s.	£ s.	£ s.	£ s.	£ s.	£ s.
East Kent Goldings 1897’s	4 15	5 10	7 0	2 0	3 0	4 10	1 15	2 16	4 10
Mid-Kents ,,	4 16	6 0	5 15	2 0	2 16	3 15	1 10	2 5	3 15
W. of Kent ,,	4 10	5 0	5 12	1 10	2 5	3 0	1 0	1 10	2 16
Sussex ,,	4 10	4 15	5 0	1 15	2 5	2 10	1 0	1 10	2 10
Worcesters ,,	4 5	4 10	5 0	1 10	2 10	3 0	1 0	2 0	3 10
Farnhams ,,	4 10	4 15	5 12	2 0	2 10	6 15	1 0	2 0	3 10
Country Do. ,,	4 10	4 15	5 10	2 0	2 10	3 10	1 0	2 0	3 10
Yearlings 1896's	2 5	3 10	-	0 10	2 0	—	-	0 10	1 0
Old Olds	1 0	1 10	—	0 5	0 10	—	0 5	0 10	—
Bavarians 1897's	4 0	4 10	5 10	1 18	2 5	3 10	1 10	2 0	2 10
Belgians ,,	2 2	2 10	3 3	1 5	2 0	-	1 10	2 0	—
Alsace ,,	—	4 4	4 15	1 12	2 0	3 10	1 0	2 5	—
Bohemia ,,	none.			none.			none.
Burgundy ,,	4 4	4 10	4 15	1 15	2 0	2 16	1 10	2 5	2 10
American ,,	3 0	4 0	5 10	-	2 14	3 15	—	2 0	2 16
Californian ,,	2 5	3 10	5 0	—	3 0	3 15	1 0	1 10	2 10
Foreign Old Olds	0 10	0 15	-	0 5	0 10	-	0 5	0 10	-
Source:
"The Brewers' Journal, 1898", page 391.

Messrs. Tuchmann and Low, 11, Southwark Street, London, S.E., report as follows on the English and Foreign Hop market :— “Since Easter we have a better inquiry and more business doing. Good useful copper hops have been in request, and as the stock of those remaining unsold is small holders continue firm in their demand as to price. Continental hops are without much alteration in value. Pacific Coast hops the last few weeks have been receiving more attention, and some business has been done in these, the cheap prices at which the lower qualities were, being offered having stimulated business.”

Messrs. Bloch Brothers, of Nuremberg. write us on the 10th inst. as follows :—"Our market continues unchanged. Stocks are exceedingly reduced, and the volume of business is necessarily quite small; prices remain firm on the same basis as last month. The new hop plant is doing well so far, but, of course, it is too early to attach any importance to this fact.”
"The Brewers' Journal, 1898", page 391.

Of the foreign hops, only Bavarian and Burgundy commanded close to the same price as English hops. It's just a shame that there were no Bohemian hops. I suspect they would have been rivalling English hops in terms of price.

The difference between the price of American and Californian hops is fascinating. I'm pretty sure the former are hops grown on the East Coast, mainly in New York state.

Old olds, if you're wondering, are hops more than two years old.