Hop picking season has started at UK farms amid fears the warmest summer on record has caused a national shortage and could lead to beer price hikes.

Farmer and hop grower Tom Spilsbury says his yields are down by between 50-60 per cent at Orleton Court Farm, Worcs., following the dry summer months.

The local craft beer producer runs Spilsbury and Jones Brewing Company which makes speciality ales from the hops grown just metres away.

But he says the hot weather had led to yields of Challenger and Fuggles hops being down which had proved "exceedingly challenging" to his business."

There are now fears of a UK-wide shortage and farmers hope prices will be kept "reasonable" to save the cost being passed on to beer drinkers."

Some major brewers have already increased their prices in response to rising taxes and wage costs which came into place in April.

Tom said: "We're a working hop farm and small micro brewery. "

"2025 farming wise has been exceedingly challenging after this summer, which has been the hottest or driest on record."

"We had a very wet winter that doesn't do the roots any good at all, really damages the root system, that was really tough going. "

"Then we went into one of the hottest summers on record. The hops struggled for rain and water all the way through. "

"We are down on our yield, quite a way down. Probably 50 or 60 per cent of predicted yield, which is a big challenge at the moment."

"But I think we might scrape through our contracts. "

"But we do have a campsite so the taphouse has done well and the brewery has done well as it's been good drinking weather. "

"It's really nice to get hops in and draw a line underneath it and hopefully we can go again next year."

Elsewhere, Ali Capper, from Suckley, Worcs., said drought conditions could cause a hop shortage and her yields were also expected to be down 50 per cent.

The farmer told the BBC: "We've got a crop that is looking fairly unhappy. We've still got a Covid-hangover. "

"During Covid, the pubs across the world closed for 10 months and that created a surplus of hops in warehouses, in breweries, across the world. "

"That has been very painful for us."

She added this year's shortfall could also affect future crops as hops were perennial plants.

She added: "If it's really put under stress this year, it's quite likely that will show in next year's crop as well."

Paul Corbett, managing director at hop supplier Charles Faram & Co, said prices needed to be kept at a reasonable level to avoid costs being passed on to drinkers.

He said: "The last thing we need to do is put more expense towards brewers, who are already struggling, to make their beer more expensive."

"If beer's more expensive, people can less afford it and then we sell less."

"The key bit is to try and keep the prices fair to both the growers and to the brewers."