Middens testify to the prehistoric importance of oysters as food, with some middens in New South Wales, Australia dated at ten thousand years. They have been cultivated in Japan from at least 2000 BC. In the United Kingdom, the town of Whitstable is noted for oyster farming from beds on the Kentish Flats that have been used since Roman times. The borough of Colchester holds an annual Oyster Feast each October, at which "Colchester Natives" (the native oyster, "Ostrea edulis") are consumed. The United Kingdom hosts several other annual oyster festivals; for example, Woburn Oyster Festival is held in September. Many breweries produce oyster stout, a beer intended to be drunk with oysters that sometimes includes oysters in the brewing process.