Spring 2010

M A S T E R

BREWER

www.shepherdneame.co.uk

Support Your PubWorld Cup Fever

Welcome

This issue of Master Brewer takes a look atthe vital role pubs play in the community andwhy, with continued political and economicpressure, it is more important than ever tosupport your local pub. We’re on a mission toopen up the debate on alcohol to our customersand to remind them what makes the pub aunique and valuable resource. It is important tocorrect some of the media myths about pubsand drinking and we urge you to get involved.

We hear from licensees with diverse backgrounds aboutwhy they have recently chosen to join us, and find out what’simportant to them and their customers. Whether it’s providinga post office service, supporting sports teams or creatingallotments for local residents, there’s more going on thanyou might think.

We also take a look at our new matched investmentscheme and how we’ve helped our tenants undertakeprojects to improve their pubs.

This summer is set to be a busy period with the WorldCup taking place, and guest contributor Justin Allen, a sportsjournalist at The Sun, explains why the pub is the perfectplace to follow the tournament.

And it’s not just football; 2010 is set to be a big year forSpitfire with the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain andwe’ve an exciting programme of events and promotionslined up as well as a fabulous new website.

A focus on freshness of beer shows how improvementsto the supply chain have enabled us to keep up with demandand ensure our ales and lagers reach consumers in thebest condition.

A lot of work goes into making sure our pubs are great,from the quality of the beer to the person behind the bar.But pubs are so much more than a place to enjoy a pint ofcask ale, they are at the heart of our community and theyneed your support.

Jonathan NeameChief Executive Shepherd Neame

The company’s results for the first halfof the financial year were encouraging,despite poor national economic conditions.

In the six months up to December 26, operatingprofit before exceptionals increased by 17.2% to£6.4 million, as we began to reap the benefits ofinvestments in SAP IT systems, a new bottling lineand the acquisition of 15 high-volume pubs.

Turnover for the period was up 8.2% to a record£60.8 million, buoyed by record beer volumes, up 7.9%.Own bottled beer sales have increased by 11.4% thanksto increased productivity.

In the managed estate, like-for-like retail salesgrew by 2.4%, driven by a 5.3% growth in food sales.

Chairman Miles Templeman said: “All parts of ourcore business have performed strongly and we haveconsolidated recent investments very satisfactorily.

“We believe that the company has weathered therecession of 2009 well and has taken actions during thatperiod that have strengthened it and put it in a goodposition to take advantage of further opportunities asthey arise.

“Nonetheless, we remain cautious about theimpact on consumer expenditure of further potentialrises in excise duty, VAT and other taxes over the nextyear or two and by the impact of further potentialregulation on the sector.”

Shepherd Neame isbest family businessShepherd Neame has been named theBest UK Family Business in SouthernEngland and Wales in the Coutts Prizefor Family Business 2009 / 10.

The brewer was commended for its longevity andsustainability as well as its ability to combine traditionalfamily values with an innovative and forward lookingbusiness. The judges also commented on the company’sapproach to corporate social responsibility, general goodgovernance and the importance it places on looking afteremployees. The company now goes on to the nationalfinals with winners due to be announced in June.

Record beer volumesincrease turnover

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Q. Why is alcohol consumptionincreasing in the UK?

A. It is not; in fact, it is declining.Contrary to common perception, totalUK alcohol consumption has fallen byover 6% since 2004. Average consumptionby men fell from 15.9 units per week in1997 to 15.2 units in 2007 and droppeda further 4.3% in 2008.

Average consumption by womengrew from 6.9 to 7.9 units per week in2000 but fell back to 6.8 in 2007 andsaw a further 22% reduction in 2008.Consumption among the young issharply down. However, within this mix,alcohol-related liver disease has steadilyincreased since the mid 1980s, partlyas a consequence of alcohol misuseamong a small minority and partly ashift in consumption pattern from loweralcohol beverages such as beer tohigher strength wine, cider and vodka.

The British, in fact, drink far lessthan their EU neighbours and, of 20EU countries where comparable datais available, the UK ranks only 14thin alcohol consumption per head.

The vast majority of individualsdrink responsibly and in moderation,and the vast majority of licensees areresponsible individuals.

Q. What can be done to stop“binge drinking” and alcohol misuse?

A. The Government has come upwith a variety of initiatives, some of whichwe fully support and others we think gotoo far. Blanket measures will not be aseffective as targeted local enforcementand improved education. Essentiallywe believe that individuals must takeresponsibility for their own behaviourbut must be provided with all the relevantinformation and awareness to do so.We fully support the Drinkaware Trustand are a founding signatory in theCampaign for Smarter Drinking, whichalso has the full support of the HomeOffice and the Department of Health.We also operate the Challenge 21initiative to tackle underage drinking.

However, we do not support theproposed Mandatory Code of Practicefor Alcohol Retailers as we believethis imposes further unnecessarycost and administrative burden onresponsible licensees.

A temperance agenda is beingpursued against alcohol, but not oncehave voters being consulted about it.I don’t think that is right.

Q. Excise duty has gone up by 20%since March 2008 and is scheduledto increase by 2% above inflationeach year to 2012/13. Is this theright way to control alcohol misuse?

A. The purpose of taxation is toraise revenue. In spite of these verysignificant increases, HM Treasury hasnot increased its tax take on beer.Beer tax in the UK is already the thirdhighest in the EU and beer has seensignificant increases since 1997. We findit hard to understand why the lowestalcohol product – beer – has such anunfavourable regime when comparedto hard liquor such as vodka or high

strength cider. We believe that socialand economic policy would be betterserved by having a more favourabletax regime for lower alcohol beveragessuch as beer, and in particular cask ale,which can only be consumed in thecontrolled environment of a pub.

Q. Why does beer deservespecial treatment?

A. Beer is our national drink andcask ale is unique to Britain; it is almostexclusively produced from UK rawmaterials such as hops and barley.

Q. More than 50 pubs perweek are closing in the UK.Why is this happening?

A. The rate of pub closures isaccelerating as a result of recentlegislation such as the smoking ban, aswell as high operational costs, includingutilities and rates. There have been 299pieces of regulation since 1997 whichhave had a cumulative adverse effect onthe ability of small pubs to compete.Furthermore, every time duty goes up,pubs have to pass that on to theircustomers while supermarkets are bigenough to absorb the cost. Therebythe price differential increases betweenthe two.

Q. Why do pubs deservespecial treatment?

A. Pubs are the heart of the localcommunity and often the last remainingsocial amenity. They are good for jobsand good for tourism. Furthermore pubsare licensed and regulated environmentswhere the livelihood of the licenseeis dependent on them keeping anorderly house.

Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame is a man on a mission. He is keen toopen up the debate on alcohol to the people of Kent and remind them of what makes thepub a unique place in our hearts.

Support Your Pub

What’s great

The community local is a major force for good and a vital focal point in asociety constantly evolving and changing at great pace.

Pubs support charities, create jobs and support local food producers as wellas providing a home for clubs and sports teams.

They are also unique in that they are the only place serving traditional caskale. In the past year, according to autumn’s Cask Ale Report, approximately 3,000pubs in the UK put cask beer on tap, and reported 400,000 new real ale drinkers,bringing the number of beer drinkers who now regularly drink cask ale up to31%. Sales of cask ale are growing faster than any other drink in the pub.

With great beer, excellent food and a unique atmosphere, the pub has avery special role in the fabric of Britain and no one knows that more than thepeople who run them – the licensees.

The secret of a good public house is in its name. The best licensees maketheir customers feel as if it were their own house, creating a convivial atmospherein which everyone feels welcome. This issue of Master Brewer investigates whatmakes pubs so special.

The pub has a unique position in the heart of society,a place to eat, drink, meet, do business, socialise and chat.

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about pubsMy favourite story of this cold

winter is the one about the 60 guestswho got snowed in over the new yearat the Tan Hill Inn, Britain’s highest pub,1,732ft above sea level in the YorkshireDales. What tickled me was not thateveryone mucked in peeling potatoes,cleaning lavatories and holding up thebar while Tracy Daly, the landlady,rescued motorists from drifts, nor thatthe guests appeared so reluctant to berescued when the roads were openedthree days later, but that this was clearly astory that captured the public imaginationbecause of our love affair with the pub.

With 50 pubs closing every weekyou would think that love affair was welland truly over. We are living through atime of unprecedented disaster for thepublic house, something that foreignersthink is culturally and architecturallyunique to Britain. The question iswhether we care — I think we do —and whether there is anything we cando to save those centres of communitylife before they slide into oblivion.

The great paradox of our time isthat the decline of the British pub hasbeen going on over the same periodas the rise in alcohol abuse detailed inthe report on alcohol by the Commonshealth select committee, published lastweek. According to the committee, thenation consumed approximately 3½litres of pure alcohol per head per yearin 1947. The current figure is 9½ litres.

It gets you thinking that the pub,and the drinking of weak beer thattraditionally went with it, might bepart of the solution.

You have only to look at the demiseof the pubs in our rather touristy villagein Constable country (pop 1,800) to seehow rapid the decline in viability of pubshas been. There were five pubs in thevillage when Tony Blair came to power in1997. There are now two: one is a formercoaching inn, now a highly successfulgastro-pub (pubs that serve good foodand wine buck the trend); the other,which is also housed in a medievalbuilding, sells standard tourist fare.

All the pubs we have lost aremourned by the village, even though itis at least partly our own fault they aregone. Our vicar tells me there were sixpubs in the village in 1917. Why is it thatwe lost only one pub between 1917 and1997 but have lost three since then?That, we must assume, is caused byrecent trends, chief of them drinkingat home. We choose to take home ourcheap supermarket booze and drinkit watching a DVD. Then there are thedrink-driving laws and more recentlythe laws on smoking.

The price of beer comes into it, too.Tax on beer has gone up 18% since thebudget of 2008. The more you acquaintyourself with the detail, though, theless the pub’s decline seems inevitable.Pub Is the Hub, a Harrogate-basedcharity, has shown that the pub does notneed to die if enlightened businessesand communities don’t want it to. Itargues that if rural pubs support thecommunity by taking over the postoffice, by cooking school lunches orbecoming involved with local sportsclubs, the public comes back andsupports the pub. Some locals haveeven clubbed together to buy the pub.

As a nation, we have the choice.A crackdown on supermarkets advertisingcheap alcohol, coupled with lower taxfor weaker beer — favoured by both thehealth select committee and Camra,the real ale campaign — could even nowturn back the clock and draw people tomore civilised drinking, down the pub.

This article originally appeared in The Timesand is kindly reproduced with permission fromNews International.

Charles Clover from The Sunday Times

A pub is more than just a place to enjoy a great pint.Even more than just a place of food, drink and entertainment,pubs can sometimes make a real difference to people’s lives.

Whether it’s providing broadband,groceries, or meals for pensioners inrural areas, or hosting knitting nights,conker championships or slimmingclubs in the town, pubs provide a focalpoint in the heart of communities.

In five different ways, these pubsshow why “the local” means so muchto the communities it serves.

Club for blindDavid and Sue Potts, licensees

of the Market Inn, Faversham, werelast year named Shepherd NeameCommunity Pub of the Year, forcreating a pub that is at the heart ofthe community, regularly organisingpub outings and acting as a base forlocal groups such as the FavershamBlind Club.

Harry Suter, who runs the club, said:“We meet at the Market Inn twice amonth for a social meeting, a few gamesof bingo, a quiz and a few laughs. Twoof our members are totally blind andthe rest are partially sighted and, withpartners and carers, about 20 of usattend each meeting.

“David and Sue are very good.They let us use the room free of charge.They are very kind and they alwaysmake us very welcome. They are alsonice enough to invite us to otherevents held at the pub.”

ShootingThe Chequers Inn, Heaverham,

hosts a group of air rifle enthusiastswho use the pub’s large garden fortarget shooting on Sunday morningsbefore the pub is open, then comeinside for a drink and a chat.

Licensee Richard Barrett said:“They come rain or shine, ever Sunday.They even shoot in the snow and theonly time I can remember them cancellingwas when the fog was so bad theycouldn’t actually see the target!”

Organiser Clive Bishop said thegroup had been shooting at the pubfor more than five years. He explained:“We were talking about it in the puband we realised that we all had old airrifles in the cupboard. We thought itwould be a good idea to get togetherand have a practice to get our eye in.The pub garden was perfect – it is theonly place with enough room and aclear backdrop. It does not impinge onanybody and is very safe. Before long,we all got the bug and went out andbought more up-to-date equipment.

“We mostly shoot at papertargets from a range of about 45 yardsbut we have made all sorts of weirdand wonderful targets in our time.”

More

Angela Puxted serves customer Julian “Skelly”Davis in the bar of the Chequers, Doddington

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Post officeThe Chequers at Doddington is

one of a number of Shepherd Neamepubs to host a post office service.It started up many years ago whenthe village post office closed.

The service is provided by motherand son Angela and Andrew Puxted,who run a sub post office and villagestore at Challock. It was set up in 2004as the UK’s first Post Office pub runand grocery delivery service.

“We will either set up on the baror on a convenient table,” says Angela.“We provide all the post office’s usualpostal and banking services apart fromcar tax and premium check and send.People can top up their phones orpay bills and if they call us in advance,they can even order some euros. It is achance for isolated pensioners to collecttheir pensions once a fortnight and theywill often treat themselves to a puzzlebook or choose a birthday card for arelative. Being a village store, we alsoprovide a grocery service. We don’t takethat with us but if there is somethingparticular that people want they cancall us and we will take it along to thepub for them.”

The post office visits each of thefollowing pubs once a week:

• The Three Mariners, Oare –Mondays 10-11.30am

• The Chequers, Doddington –Tuesdays 1-3pm

• The White Lion, Selling –Tuesdays 10am-noon

Villagers David and Sally Shaw usethe pub service for postage and payingbills. “Sometimes we work from homeand this is really handy,” said David.“It’s a lot more fun queuing for a start.”

Isobel Evans collects her pensionfrom Angela, as well as buying stampsand posting parcels. She said: “It’s mucheasier than going into Faversham and farmore convenient than going into a bank.”

Julian “Skelly” Davis said:“I come to pay bills, get cash and,of course, to socialise with Angela.“It’s a great alternative to getting thebus into Faversham.”

AllotmentsThe Harrow, Knockholt, has teamed

up with Knockholt Parish Council tohelp villagers grow their own fruit andvegetables after the brewery leased athree-acre field opposite the pub toprovide allotments.

Parish clerk Doreen Jones said:“We have had more than 20 requestsfor allotments in the village and weapproached Shepherd Neame aboutusing the field. It was only used as anoverflow car park on carnival days.We have cut back the long grass, takenout shrubs, put up a shed and a fenceand run in a water supply.

“The field is being divided intoallotments of 250 square metres, readyfor people to start planting fruit andvegetables this spring. It’s very goodof Shepherd Neame to let the parishuse the land.”

Two people who have taken anallotment are the licensees of theHarrow, French couple Martin Lemanand his wife, chef Sophie Chaleil.They offer a range of classic Frenchand English cuisine in their 40-seaterrestaurant and are passionate aboutusing only the freshest ingredients.

DartsA year ago, things were rather quiet

in the area of Herne Bay served by theHampton Inn. Now the Hampton isbusy and lively – and it’s all down tothe game of darts!

When Simon and Amanda Browntook over the pub in February 2009, theyrealised that bringing people togetherto have fun was the key to success.

A year on, the pub has ninedarts teams, playing on Mondays,Tuesdays and Thursdays, a pool nighton Wednesdays and the Hampton hasjust begun sponsorship of a five-a-sidefootball team, which plays in a leagueat the University of Kent.

Darts player Iain Stalker, whoturns out for Hampton B, in the HerneBay and District Darts League, said:“Darts brings people together. We havea very good group of players. We alwaysturn up, put out a full team and alwaysdo our best. It is the relationship betweenthe customer and the landlord andlandlady that makes a family atmosphereand a great community spirit. Simonand Mandy have transformed the pubinto a lively, friendly place whereeveryone knows everybody else andnew people are always welcomed.”

just a pub...

The Harrow Allotment (L-R): Martin Leman,Janet Brown, Sabrina Little, John Reid,Gill King Scott, Doreen Jones, David Ward

Darts is booming at the Hampton Inn in Herne Bay,which now boasts three boards used by nine dartsteams who play in local leagues throughout the week.

There is something special about the people who run pubs. Some were born to it, somewere brought up in a pub and others find it’s the perfect life for them after pursuing acareer in a different field. What they do have in common is a passion for great food anddrink and creating a warm, friendly atmosphere in the heart of their local community.Master Brewer meets some of the latest tenants to join Shepherd Neame.

Jasmine said: “We got to the stagewhere we were running a large restaurantpub each and not seeing each other veryoften. It was very stressful and we realisedwe had lost touch with the reason why wehad gone into the trade in the first place.

“We decided to come back toShepherd Neame where it all startedand where we were happiest. Welooked at a variety of pubs availableand remembered the Master Brewerin Folkestone from our time at TheNailbox. We knew it had potential.”

The Master Brewer serves theBroadmead Village area of Folkestone,and Shepherd Neame helped producea leaflet distributed around the villageto introduce the couple to residents.

Jasmine makes sure there is alsosomething going on at the MasterBrewer to attract customers from allage groups, including a weekly quiz.

Jasmine said: “The brewery hasbeen marvellous, giving us an enormousamount of help and advice. We havehad a good welcome and what ispleasing is that people are nowcoming to us through word of mouthas it gets round that the Master Brewerhas changed and is well worth a visit.”

Looking good at Belle Vue TavernAward-winning licensees Tony and

Shirley Pearson are on top of the worldafter landing their dream pub on aclifftop overlooking Pegwell Bay.

“I have always had an eye on theBelle Vue Tavern,” said Tony. “It is in astunning location with wonderful viewsand is a great pub, the only one Iwould have made the move for.”

Tony, from Wimbledon, andShirley, from Margate, met after Tonymoved down to Kent and “fell in love”with the county. Tony started in thelicensed trade 22 years ago in Hythe,working for Whitbread, and went on toopen several restaurant pubs for thembefore joining Morlands in Oxfordshire.

The couple returned to Kent torun a very successful restaurant pub inKingsgate for 13 years, where they wonmany awards including The Publican’sFamily Pub of the Year, The MorningAdvertiser’s Managed House of theYear and The Publican’s Good FoodChildren’s Menu of the Year.

Now Tony and Shirley, both 54,are bringing that winning formula tothe 17th century Belle Vue Tavern.

“Our aim is to improve the foodand bar trade with a view to gettinglistings in the major pub and foodguides,” said Tony. “We have broughta young chef with us, Steve Harris,who has worked for us for eight years.

His creativity and presentation arecoming on in leaps and bounds andwe are bringing in a second chef tohelp him.”

Pet project at Master BrewerAfter 17 years on the move,

experienced licensees Jasmine andShaun Williams have come full circle,returning to the town where they tooktheir first steps in the pub trade.

Jasmine, 46, from Deal, and Shaun, 49,from Canterbury, first worked together in apet shop and found they made a great team.

“We loved working together at thepet shop,” said Jasmine “and decidedwe would like a job where we couldwork together and live on the premises.”

Shepherd Neame gave the coupletheir first opportunity at The Nailbox inFolkestone. They went on to manage alarger independent pub before joininga major pub company. Moving from onechallenge to the next, they spent 17years running 15 large pubs in townsall over the UK.

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Key changes at Lock and BarrelSharing six decades in the licensed

trade, Carol and Peter Cooper haveworked in many different kinds of pubbut now they find themselves in a uniqueposition – running a seaside town’s onlypub in a converted ironmonger’s shop.

Until Shepherd Neame openedthe Lock and Barrel 10 years ago, thegenteel, seaside resort of Frinton, onthe Essex coast, had never had a pub.

The Lock and Barrel, on ConnaughtAvenue, "the Bond Street of theEast Coast", was developed on a site

formerly occupied by ironmongersBlowers & Cooper, the town's oldestfamily business when the shop closedin 1996. In 2000, Shepherd Neamebought the premises and convertedthe building into a pub, while retainingmany of the original features, includingthe shop front.

Carol, 56, from Glasgow, andPeter, 65, from Manor Park, London,have a total of some 60 years in thelicensed trade between them and haveboth run a number of tenancies andleaseholds over the years. Returningfrom a three year break from thebusiness, they are now joint tenantswith Carol’s son Charlie, 30.

Carol said: “We have had a breakto recharge the batteries and now weare enjoying this new challenge with myson. He was brought up in a pub andalthough he has a marketing degree,he has chosen to come into the trade.

“We are also keen to significantlydevelop our food offer,” said Carol.“The pub now serves freshly-preparedfood from local suppliers, including aseasonal menu and a specials board.”

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All for one and one for all atGrove Ferry

Four friends have combined theirexperience from across the hospitalityindustry and teamed up with ShepherdNeame to pursue their vision of theperfect pub at The Grove Ferry, anattractive riverside venue in Kent.

“More than just the pub” is theslogan of Anthony Pender, JasonRowlands, Colin Charlesworth and TimFoster, who have already succeededwith their formula of good food,distinctive beers and qualityaccommodation at The Wiremill pub inLingfield, Surrey.

Anthony was a business manager,Jason a chief chef, Colin a brewerytechnician and Tim a senior customermarketing manager when they clubbedtogether to buy The Wiremill twoyears ago.

Anthony said: “We all met throughwork and the idea just gradually cametogether. I started looking at a fewsuitable pubs and we thought let’sgo for it. Each of us put in 25% of themoney but the gamble is paying back.”

Two years of success at TheWiremill encouraged the four to takeon another project and when the leaseof The Grove Ferry became available,they seized their chance.

The Grove Ferry is in a primespot, just outside Canterbury, in theStodmarsh National Nature Reserve,on the banks of the Great River Stour.

Originally a coaching house datingback to 1831, the inn took its name froma hand-drawn ferry and is an excellentbase for walkers, fishermen and cyclists.

Anthony said that the lease dealoffered by Shepherd Neame, the pub’slocation and business potential madeThe Grove Ferry an enticing prospect.

They took over the pub in Julyand wasted no time with painting andrefurbishments: the boathouse functionroom was redecorated and they tookout the carpet to reveal its original oakfloors. The letting rooms are beingrefurbished in a contemporary style.

Jason and Tim created a website,reproducing the format used atThe Wiremill, and have introducedonline booking for rooms and tablesin the restaurant.

“Because of our backgrounds weknow how things should be done,” saidAnthony. “You have to make sure you doeverything properly – it is about attentionto detail and making sure nothing is outof place. We are focused on developingall aspects of the business, particularly therestaurant, functions, and accommodation.”

Master Brewer finds out what Shepherd Neame’s licensees think makes a great pub.

Sara Smiles, of theQueen’s Head,Boughton, makessure everyonefeels comfortableand included. Shesaid: “My aim hasbeen to widen thepub’s appeal andmake it a friendly,welcoming

atmosphere for all the community.Women just didn’t come into my pubbefore but now the male regulars bringtheir wives and families and the knock-on effect is that the ladies will come intogether for coffee or lunch. Now wehave a ladies’ bat and trap team.”

For Peter Reeve, licensee of theWoodman, Farnborough, the secretlies in the enthusiasm of the staff.“I have a fantastic team,” he said.“They always go 100% with everythingthey do. Everyone takes pride in thepub. They enjoy coming to work hereand you see the enthusiasm from behindthe bar rubbing off on the customers.People come for the atmosphere –we call it the Woodman Experience.”

Will Arnold (pictured above), licenseeof the Black Boy, Sevenoaks, has alsorun bars and restaurants and is clearabout the difference a pub provides.“The unique selling point of a pub isthat it is a home-from-home,” he said.“People come to relax and get awayfrom things and to meet their mates.It’s more relaxing than a bar andless formal than a restaurant.”

Many peoplevalue pubs fortheir history andtradition, believesSarah Pemble,from the PepperBox, Ulcombe,which has beenrun by her familyfor more than 50years. “It’s a

chance for people who live in modernhouses to sit by a log fire and soak upthe atmosphere,” she said. “People likecontinuity, both in the building itselfand in the people they see behind thebar. They want to be greeted bysomeone who recognises them andtakes a genuine interest in them.”

“In pubs, peoplelike to know thatthere is somewherethey can go whereeveryone is friendlyand all kinds offood, drink andentertainment arelaid on for them,”said Gayna Barry,from the Flying

Horse, Smarden. “If the church is thesoul of a village, the pub is the beatingheart. As well as being a place forenjoyment, it provides a base for sportsteams and charity work.”

Kevin Taylor,licensee of theTudor Rose,Upnor, says thereis one thing apub can offer thatexists virtuallynowhere else –top quality caskale. Kevin prideshimself on

offering a range of six Shepherd Neamecask ales, as well as guest beers andseasonal beers. “Our selection of caskales makes us unique,” he said.“You have to keep it well but it paysoff as I have people coming fromas far as Sittingbourne, Sidcup andOrpington to enjoy our cask ale.”

Len Mitchell,from the GreenMan, Herongate,said: “Where elsebut a pub are yougoing to find agood selectionof cask beer?That is numberone for me.But pubs are

also becoming some of the few placesyou can find home-cooked, traditionalfood. We prepare all our dishes on thepremises and grow our own vegetablesand people really appreciate that.”

The customer is always right!

The brewery has teamed up with three licensees to complete major improvements to their pubs underour new matched investment scheme, enabling tenants to undertake projects costing up to £50,000.

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Dining in comfortIn the largest development so far, the brewery matched the £25,000

spent by Jason Chamberlain, licensee of the Rose and Crown, in Elham,Kent, to fund a £50,000 project to refurbish the 16th century pub.

The project has improved the pub’s eating area by removing a wall,which divided the dining room from the bar.

Mr Chamberlain explained: “Our eating area had a bar side and arestaurant side and most people felt more comfortable on the bar side.We also had a problem in that the kitchen is on the bar side, so food hadto be brought through that area to the restaurant tables.”

The removal of the wall has opened up the whole dining area into alarger, more inviting space in which guests can enjoy the pub’s a la cartemenu. The enlarged space was completely redecorated with new flooring,lighting and furniture.

Help with barThe Harrow, in Knockholt, Kent, also has a new-look restaurant and bar

thanks to a £14,000 project shared by the licensees and Shepherd NeameMartin Leman, who runs the bar and front of house, and his wife, chef

Sophie Chaleil, invested £7,000 in a new floor, new furniture and a completeredecoration of their 40-seater restaurant. The brewery stepped in with afurther £7,000 to pay for a new bar and state-of-the-art dispense equipment.

Martin, 34, is originally from Normandy, while Sophie, 32, comes fromLyon, the gastronomic capital of France. They have managed pubs andrestaurants in Central London and in France and have been in the tradefor 13 years but this is the first time they have had their own business.

Rosy future for gardenThe brewery also matched the £7,000 invested by licensee Peter Reeve

to landscape the garden at the Woodman, Farnborough.Peter, who runs the pub with his partner Sally Buller, said: “We are the

only pub in the village with a south-facing garden but we have never madethe most of its potential. Half the garden was not really used because therewere lots of ups and downs and it was all a bit odd and mismatched.

“We planned to do some landscaping but money was limited so wehad to scale down our ideas. We approached Shepherd Neame and theirhelp has allowed us to do all the things we wanted to do, including newfencing all the way round. We have levelled out most of it but the raisedsection of the garden has been walled with some steps leading up to it.It is going to look lovely in the summer.”

George Barnes, Shepherd Neame’s property and tenanted tradedirector, said: “We have identified areas which would benefit fromimprovement across the estate and we’re responding to these with solutionsto help our licensees prosper and take advantage of opportunities arisingin the market.”

White Hart, CuxtonLicensee Ann Bush and husband

James have teamed up with ShepherdNeame to redecorate and refurbish theWhite Hart, Cuxton, creating a homelycommunity pub with a daily carvery andspace for wedding receptions and parties.The brewery has redecorated the outsideof the White Hart and installed newsignage and low energy lighting, whileAnn and James have decorated theinterior with a slightly more modern look,featuring lighter, more neutral colours.The pub also has a new carpet, newlighting and a wooden dance floor.Now the conservatory restaurant andsnug can be sectioned off and sofasmoved out to create a function roomwith its own adjoining dance area, makingthe pub perfect for wedding receptions,birthday parties and other events.

Britannia, GuildfordIt’s nautical but nice at the

Britannia, Guildford, followingan extensive redecoration andrefurbishment by the brewery.The Britannia, one of the 13 pubspurchased from Punch Taverns in 2009,has been redesigned to reflect itsposition next to the Wey Navigationcanal. The maritime look featurescreams and whites, offset by a newmahogany bar laced with rope. All thefurniture has been reconditioned andreupholstered, and the decorationincludes new wallpaper and freshly-painted walls, and new lighting andsignage inside and out. The interiorlayout has been changed to createmore space and the beer gardenhas a new patio and umbrellas.

Hampton Inn, Herne BayThe Hampton Inn, on Western

Esplanade, Herne Bay, has a lot morespace for customers and a clean, fresh,new look, following a £70,000refurbishment. Two walls and protrudingchimney breasts have been taken outand the bar repositioned. The pub hasbeen completely redecorated in tastefulcream and coffee colours, with newslate tiles, carpets and wooden furniture.

Refurbishments

The Conningbrook Hotel, AshfordThe function room at the

Conningbrook Hotel, in Kennington,Ashford, has a stylish yet sumptuouslook following a £26,000 refurbishment.

Tasteful cream and white décoracts as a backdrop for luxuriant goldcurtains and carpets, and also featuresmodern abstract artwork.

The room has been fitted withits own integral bar, and has a soundsystem for background music. A popularvenue for wedding receptions, the roomaccommodates 65 for a sit-downlunch and about 100 for buffet-styleevents. The room is fully-equippedfor conferences and businessmeetings, with an overheadprojector, a screen and flip charts.

Tudor Rose, BordenDiners can enjoy traditional carvery

food in style and comfort at the Tudor Rose,at Borden near Sittingbourne, following a£55,000 refurbishment by the brewery.

The building dates back to the 1750s and great carehas been taken to create a relaxed, traditional feel, withnew carpeted areas, hardwood floors, and a burgundy andcream theme. Up to 100 guests can enjoy their meals onnew oak furniture and the pub now has four intimatedining alcoves.

Manager Karl Phillips said: “The carvery is stillgreat value but now we can offer an even bettersetting in which to enjoy our hospitality. The warm,comfortable décor is complemented by chandeliers,paintings and drawings of the local area, and abig antique brewery clock in the conservatory.”

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Railway Hotel, WalmerA little-used function room at the Railway

Hotel, Walmer, has been refurbished by thebrewery to allow licensees Stuart and WandaHopkinson to launch a family carvery capable ofserving up to 32 customers at a time. The roomnow has a traditional gold and heritage red theme,with new furniture and dark parquet flooring, andchandelier and pendant lighting. The walls aredecorated with gold-framed mirrors and picturesand the room’s fireplace has been opened upand restored to its former glory.

The World Cup in South Africa promises a month-long feastof football guaranteed to fill pubs and bars across the country.

More pubs than ever before have the latest flat screentechnology and 2010 is the first World Cup in which you canwatch the action in HD and even 3D.

More than ever, it will feel like being there, and the uniqueatmosphere of the local pub is the ideal venue in which toshare the highs and lows of England’s campaign with friendsand neighbours.

One Shepherd Neame pub in particular is the perfectplace to follow England’s fortunes – the Freemasons’ Arms, inCovent Garden, where the Football Association was foundedin 1863. Decorated with football memorabilia, it is the perfectsetting to watch the real thing on plasma TV screens.

Ask your local Shepherd Neame licensee about theirplans for the World Cup, which games will be on and whetherany special events are planned. Some pubs will be featuringa special ale called Four-Four-Two, created for the event bysenior brewer Stewart Main.

Should all our dreams come true, you’ll definitelyremember where you were, pint of Spitfire in hand, whenEngland lifted the World Cup (we hope).

A hot summer is always great news for pubs but this year, even bad weather won’t beable to spoil the fun.

Watching the World Cup

The George Inn at Leeds,near Maidstone, has produceda calendar showing the peoplewho work there performingthe tasks that go intorunning a great pub.

The George Inn Calendar Starscalendar has helped licensees Jennyand Geoff Griffiths raise more than£2,700 for Cancer Research BreastCancer Care.

The calendars, featuring picturesby a pub regular, photography studentChristopher Diamond, were sold for£6 each. Additional funds came from afootball match, a sponsored swim anda generous donation from a villager.

Jenny, who has been at The Georgefor three and a half years, said: “Thecalendar shows pub life in all its variety.”

A day in the life: behind theJanuary (left): Mairee VincentMay (below): Zoe Sturgess

A member of theextended Neame family

played a small part in England’sWorld Cup preparation.

Arthur Moffat, grandson ofRex Neame, was a mascot atthe England vs Egypt friendly

at Wembley in March.

Half the fun of the World Cup is watching teams other thanEngland and learning something of their national culture.Shepherd Neame pubs offer a range of beers to give youa flavour of several World Cup nations while watching theirteam perform on the pitch.

International beer and footie matching:England SpitfireGermany HolstenSwitzerland HurlimannNetherlands OranjeboomJapan AsahiEveryone else Four-Four-Two

(Stewart’s World Cup beer)

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scenes at a busy pub

October (above): Jo Johnson

November (below):Chris Hudson (left)& Paul Kelf (right)

December (above):Jenny Griffiths & Geoff Griffiths

in the pubJustin Allen writes for The Sun and the News of theWorld and is a Kent Journalist of the Year judge, havingpreviously been a winner at the Awards, while workingas a sports journalist in the county. He tells MasterBrewer why it promises to be an exciting summer.

Our England football heroes this summer are off to theland of Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Kevin Pietersen,wildebeest, giraffes, er Zola Budd - and that girl runnerwho looks like a bloke.

Back home, our down-trodden pub trade is set for ahuge boost as millions of footy fans flock to their local towatch the tournament.

If one cannot afford the time, money or aggro gettingto South Africa this summer, the closest way of sampling theexciting World Cup atmosphere is to share a few pints downthe pub with your pals while watching the action on TV.

I watched every one of our 1998 matches at my localwhile living in Deal and it was an unforgettable experience.

From the groans of dismay as England conceded agoal to the frenzied excitement when Michael Owen burston to the world stage with that staggering solo effortagainst Argentina.

I will always remember the entire pub - along withthe landlord and bar staff - dancing around with delight,some starting a conga down the street, after we all thoughtSol Campbell had headed England's winner in that match.

Then we all gasped with disbelief as we looked upat the screen and noticed that not only had his goal beendisallowed by a dodgy linesman, but that seven of ourplayers were off the field celebrating with the coachingstaff ... and Argentina were attacking our goal with justthe goalkeeper and three players defending!

Pubs are a great arena for us all to share theexcitement and one of the rare opportunities we get tocelebrate being English (I would have included the Scotsand the Welsh if they actually ever qualified!)

A few pints of Spitfire, a friendly carnival pub atmosphereand Wayne Rooney scoring a hat-trick in the final.

The perfect summer.

Time to get de beers in

The brewery will donate a proportionof its profits from Spitfire to the RAF todistribute between its associated charities,such as the Royal Air Force BenevolentFund and RAF museums across the UK.

Sales and marketing directorGraeme Craig said: “We are veryexcited about this innovation for thebrand, an industry first. Spitfire wasconceived as a fund-raising beer and,in the 20 years since it was firstbrewed, the brand has raised morethan £200,000 for veterans’ charities,particularly those associated withthe RAF. This agreement cementsthat partnership and will allowus to raise even more money forthese good causes in the future.”

Spitfire will now have theopportunity to work in associationwith RAF personnel such as theRed Arrows and the Battle ofBritain Memorial Flight and usephotographs and other materialfrom RAF museums and archives.

RAF spokesman SquadronLeader Stuart Balfour said: “TheRoyal Air Force is proud to beassociated with Spitfire. Spitfire asa brand sits neatly with the RAF as thereis real synergy between the two. The RAFis iconic as the oldest independent airforce in the world and ShepherdNeame is Britain’s oldest brewer.”

Spitfire now has a new website,www.spitfireale.co.uk, full of classictongue-in-cheek wartime humour,featuring all your favourite ads and thechance for Spitfire-lovers to create their

own. The site has many interactive features,including a moustache ratings system toallow visitors to vote for their favouritead, a “traitors gallery” hall of shame foruploaded pictures of lager drinkers, and

“things we like” and “things we’ve made”sections, gathering curiosities from theweb that are in the Spitfire spirit.

New marketing manager Mark Millerplans to use the landmark year tospearhead a massive push for nationwidesales, with a two-pronged assault onboth bottled and cask fronts.

“I have two main objectives:to develop a strong national marketing

strategy for Spitfire and to target sustainedgrowth,” said Mark. “We’ve lots ofevents and promotions planned andwe are anticipating high demand.

“We plan to build on our rapidgrowth in bottled sales and strongdemand from supermarketsnationwide but we will also bepushing hard to promote caskSpitfire to the on trade. We want toextend Spitfire’s permanent listingsin more bars throughout the UK.”

Mark, 34, grew up in Tonbridge,so is no stranger to Shepherd Neameales and lagers. But his experiencein advertising and marketingextends way beyond beer.

He has held a wide range ofmarketing roles, working with bigcompanies such as Toyota, Asda,the Arcadia Group and Specsaversand well-known brands includingGuinness and Smirnoff.

Mark said: “We are workinghard to show licensees that Spitfiredeserves a prime spot at the barand in the chiller cabinet. It is apremium brand with its own uniquecharacter, which appeals to the

kind of discerning consumers thatevery successful pub needs. We willdemonstrate that stocking Spitfire isgood for the bottom line.

“We’ll be making sure that we useCask Ale Week to put Spitfire in frontof potential customers and are aimingto raise £100,000 to share amongarmed forces charities.”

Brewery teams up with RAF inSpitfire anniversary year

Spitfire steps in to honour veteran Aussie pilot

Chuck Younger won the Distinguished Flying Cross during World War II and today, despite his age, spends threedays a week helping out at an organisation that raises money to help cancer sufferers.

Shepherd Neame was approached by Wayne Gaddes, of The Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland, to see if we couldarrange a treat to say thank you to Chuck.

Fiona Bunting contacted our importer in Australia, Steve Leopold, of Casama Group Pty Ltd., T/A Lionel Samsonin Perth. Steve arranged for a couple of cases of Spitfire Ale, along with a shirt, a bottle opener which makes the soundof a diving Spitfire when you use it, and a pint glass, to be sent to the Foundation via their agency in Queensland.

Mr Gaddes, who presented Chuck Younger with the Spitfire Ale, said afterwards: “He was very emotional about it all,saying it was the best day of his life to think that someone would care so much about him to go to such an effort.”

Spitfire Premium Kentish Ale has become the first beer to be accepted as a licensedpartner of the RAF and launched a new website, two of many exciting developments inthe ale’s 20th year and the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

A 93-year-old Australian charity volunteer, who flew Spitfires during theBattle of Britain, has been honoured for his work with a gift of Spitfire beer.

Kentish ale Canterbury Jack is launched in bottles for the firsttime in an exclusive deal with Tesco.

Canterbury Jack is now available in more than 350 Tesco stores across the UKand will be the supermarket’s charity beer of the year.

The 4% abv ale has been brewed using the finest Kentish hops and barley,creating a light, refreshing and contemporary ale, bursting with citrus nose and flavour.Sharing its name with an ancient hop, and the nickname for a county rogue,it is truly a Kentish character ale.

Canterbury Jack has proved popular on draught in pubs and bars nationwide sincesummer 2008, but this is the first time it will be offered in bottles.

Shepherd Neame and Tesco are proud to support CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leadingchildren’s cancer charity. From the sale of each bottle 20p will be donated by ShepherdNeame (10p) and Tesco (10p).

Mark Miller, marketing manager at Shepherd Neame, said: “We are delighted tobring this new bottled ale to the take-home market, with more customers choosingto buy beer to drink at home. Interest is growing in bottled ales with character andprovenance, and Canterbury Jackoffers a modern, refreshing flavour thatappeals to established ale drinkers aswell as people discovering ale for thefirst time. We look forward to workingwith Tesco, and are pleased to supportsuch a worthwhile charity.”

Ian Targett, ale buyer for Tesco,said: “It’s great to have ShepherdNeame on board for the charitypartnership this year. Their wealthof experience and expertise bringsa great ale to Tesco shelves for avery good cause.”

Canterbury Jack strikesexclusive deal with Tesco

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Sun Lik Beer launched a new-look font, bottle and website to coincide withChinese New Year on February 14, ushering in an exciting year for the brand.

The Year of the Tiger sees draft Sun Lik dispensed from a striking new font. Bottles are now available inbrown glass, rather than green, and the packaging for the 24x330ml case has been reworked, featuring agolden dragon on a background of black, red and white.

Sun Lik brand manager Oliver Scott said: “The brown glass means the gold label appears stronger,achieving much greater impact and standing out more from the supermarket shelf or in bars.

“In a sense, we are going back to our roots as the brown bottle mirrors the Hong Kong-style beerand the beer’s birthplace in the Philippines.”

Sun Lik Beer also continues to lead the way among Asian beers with its lively, colourful andinformative website www.sunlikbeer.com. The new-look site features a mouth-watering dim sum guide,Chinese heritage and regional cuisine, useful Chinese phrases and thrills and glamour with Sun Lik’spowerboat racing teams.

Combined with the finest barley, hops and natural mineral water, a handfulof rice infuses Sun Lik beer with a floral bitterness and long, dry finish that makesit the perfect accompaniment to Chinese and pan-Asian cuisine.

Year of the Tiger ushers innew look for Sun Lik beer

Alistair, 41, comes from Canterburyand has been at The Sun for 18 months.He trained at Canterbury College andworked for a year in France as part ofhis training experience.

“We were looking to use as manydifferent Shepherd Neame beers as wecould in devising our menu,” said Alistair.“We use Spitfire in the batter mix for fish

and chips and Bishops Finger in pies butwe were looking for something that wouldwork with Master Brew.

“Master Brew is quite hoppy buthas a sweet tinge and I thought thatwould work very well with slow-cookedmeat. I use chuck steak but any cut thatis good for slow cooking will taste good.

“It has been very popular. Althoughit is a classic winter dish we have to keepit on all year round – people even askfor it on summer days. Our waiting staffbeg us to keep it on because they saythey are the ones who have to tell ourcustomers if it is not available!”

Cooking with Shepherd Neame beersBraised beef cooked in Master Brew

wins medal at international beer awardsShepherd Neame’s connoisseur ale 1698 has been honoured with aEuropean Star at one of the world’s biggest beer-tasting events.

1698 Bottle Conditioned Ale won abronze medal in the English-Style GoldenBitter category in a blind tasting ofhundreds of beers from all over the world.

The jury of 78 brewing expertsfrom 17 nations convened in Munich,Germany, in October, to taste 836 beersfrom 36 countries in the EuropeanBeer Star Awards, now in its sixth year.

Thrice-hopped, bottle conditioned1698 is a connoisseur ale, originallybrewed to celebrate the brewery’stercentenary.

Characteristically hoppy in theKentish style, 1698 has ProtectedGeographical Indication, the sameunique regional protection affordedto Champagne and Parma Ham.

Tom Falcon, Shepherd Neame’sproduction and distribution director,said: “The European Beer Star is judgedby respected international experts,who are looking for distinctive flavoursachieved with quality ingredients.To achieve a European Beer Star is agreat compliment to the craftsmanshipof our brewers.”

Ingredients:� 1kg chuck steak cut into 4-6 large pieces

� 1 small or half onion finely diced

� 2 carrots each cut into 3 pieces

� 2 sticks of celery each cut into 3 pieces

� 2 medium leeks each cut into 3 pieces

� 15 baby onions (optional)

� 1 tablespoon tomato puree

� 50ml/quarter pint red wine

� Beef stock or water

� 1 pint Master Brew

� 2 sprigs of thyme

� 1 bay leaf

Ingredients for the dumplings:

� 250gm self raising flour

� 125gm suet

� 1 teaspoon chopped thyme

� 1-dessertspoon horseradish sauce mixed with 175ml cold water

Alistair’s recipe for Kentish Beef Braised in

Master Brew with Horseradish Dumplings

Serves 4-6 Recipe devised by Alistair Lycett, chef at The Sun Inn, Faversham

Method:� Heat some vegetable oil in a pan and fry beef on all sides until browned.

Remove beef to a casserole dish

� Add a little more oil to pan and fry diced onion. When onion

is soft, de-glaze pan with red wine, turning up the heat and

letting the wine reduce a little. Pour red wine over the beef

� Add the Master Brew and scatter around the carrots,

celery, bay leaf and thyme

� Stir in the tomato puree and add enough stock

or water to just cover the beef

� Bring to a simmer, cover and place in a pre-heated

oven to 180c/350f/Gas4

� Cook for 1 ½ - 2hrs until meat becomes tender

� Add leeks and baby onions and cook for another 30mins

� Make dumplings: Mix together flour, suet, thyme and seasoning.

Add water and horseradish mixture and gently mix to a soft dough

(don’t over work the dough or dumplings). With floured hands make into 12 balls

� Turn up heat to 220c/425f/Gas7

� Uncover the beef, pop on the dumplings and put back in the oven until dumplings

are cooked and nicely browned on top (about 20-30 mins)

� Serve in large bowls with buttery mashed potatoes

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MB: What is yeast?SS: Yeast is a living single-celled

organism found everywhere. Scientistshave described about 1,500 types ofyeast although that is thought to bejust 1% of the total that exists naturally.

MB: Why do brewers need yeast?SS: The main role of yeast in

brewing is to ferment the natural sugarsextracted from malted barley duringmashing into alcohol and carbondioxide. As fermentation occurs theamount of yeast increases two or threefold. The brewers have to strike adelicate balance between keeping theyeast happy but avoiding excessivegrowth. This can be regulated usinga combination of oxygenation andtemperature control. Each strain hasdifferent requirements.

MB: Who discovered yeast?SS: The yeast that first caused

fermentation is believed to have gotinto a brew by accident as it naturallyoccurs in the air. Today, brewers dependon particular strains of yeast to producedistinctive flavours. Some brewersuse more than one strain in the samefermentation and keeping the ratiosof these yeasts constant can be tricky.The brewers of Lambic beers in Belgiumdo not add yeast but rely on whateveryeast is floating around in the air.Needless to say these beers have avery distinct character. Some mayconsider them undrinkable!

MB: How does yeast influence theflavour of beer?

SS: The flavours produced by anindividual yeast strain will be influencedby the fermentation temperature andthe alcohol content of the final beer.Generally, higher temperatures andstronger beers cause the yeast toproduce more fruity aromas and flavours.

MB: What’s the difference betweenale and lager?

SS: Two basic groups of yeast,top-fermenting and bottom-fermenting,are responsible for the two main typesof beer.

Ale uses yeast that ferments at the‘top’ of the fermentation vessel and athigher temperatures (12ºC – 24ºC). Thefermentation causes the yeast to forminto a foaming head, which then settlesinto a thick, creamy crust, protectingthe beer from air. Ale fermentation takesabout a week and produces flavoursand aromas such as apple, pear,pineapple, grass, hay, plum and prune.

In contrast lager is brewed withbottom fermenting yeast that worksslowly at lower temperatures (0ºC –12ºC) and is often further stored atcool temperatures for up to a monthto mature. The lager yeast gathers atthe bottom of the vessel, graduallyconverting more of the natural sugarsto alcohol. It produces fewer by-productcharacters which leads to a crisper tasteand allows other flavours, such as hops,to come to the fore.

MB: Does the vessel in which thebeer is brewed matter?

SS: Many brewers have found thetype of vessel affects where the yeastferments. In traditional wide shallowsquare vessels the yeast tends to fermenton the top but in tall deep verticalvessels, the yeast tends to fermenton the bottom.

The ability of yeast to sediment iscalled flocculation. Ideally yeast shouldferment vigorously to produce the desiredamount of alcohol and then flocculate toleave nice clear beer in the fermenter.Of course, within those two basic types,lies a huge variety of styles which varywith raw materials, the water used,different strains of yeast and thetechniques employed by the brewers.

MB: What happens to the yeastafterwards?

SS: Yeast is the ultimate productfor recycling because it multiplies duringfermentation and can be recovered tobe used again. A batch of yeast can beused for a number of generations – wenormally use a fresh culture after sevengenerations. Care must be taken thatthe yeast remains consistent and doesnot undergo changes that will alter theflavour. But that’s not the end as eventhe remainder can be recycled to makeother products. Brewer’s yeast is richin vitamins, minerals, amino acids andproteins and spent yeast is consumedby the health conscious as a dietarysupplement or as a key ingredientof savoury spreads such as Marmite.Many brewers dispose of excess yeastby feeding it to pigs.

MB: How does the brewery lookafter its yeast?

SS: Shepherd Neame uses fivedifferent strains of yeast. There arestrict regimes to ensure the strainsare kept segregated. This involvescarefully designed pipe work, goodoperational procedures and efficientplant cleaning regimes.

Samples of all our yeasts arestored off site so that in the event ofa problem at the brewery the strainswould not be lost. Yeasts are the“crown jewels” of brewing, jealouslyprotected and treasured.

Beer has four natural ingredients: malted barley, water, hops and yeast. Of the four,yeast is perhaps the least understood. Master Brewer asks Shepherd Neame microbiologistSue Shepherd why yeasts deserve to be called the “crown jewels” of brewing.

yeastThe importance ofyeast in brewing

Fully packed line-upof events at Brewery

The award-winning visitor centrehas a packed programme of specialevents to look forward to throughoutthe spring and summer.

Celebrate Easter Sunday April 4with a morning brewery tour, followedby a delicious lunch in the magnificent15th century function room.

Enjoy a night out with a differenceon April 9, May 28, June 25 and August 6,with a traditional Ale Samplers’ Supper.After a tour and tasting, relax in the bararea with a two-course meal and a pintof your favourite Shepherd Neame beer.

Embrace the new season at theSpring Beer and Food Evening onMay 7 with a sumptuous four-coursefeast, complemented by a selectionof carefully chosen ales and lagers.

Enjoy a day out with the wholefamily at the Faversham Classic Carand Motorcycle Show on May 16,

where hundreds of historic cars will be ondisplay in the town, alongside ShepherdNeame’s vintage delivery vehicles. Thebrewery will open for tours and Sundaylunch, and this year the Spitfire steamtrain will take passengers from Londonto Faversham for the day, as well asrunning an afternoon return trip toSheerness-on-Sea.

Treat Dad with a brewery tour andSunday Lunch on Father’s Day, June 20.

Sample the flavours of summer atthe Summer Beer and Food Evening, July30, with four courses carefully matchedwith Shepherd Neame ales and lagers.

Make a weekend of it at theannual Faversham Hop Festival onSeptember 4 and 5, where 20,000people will celebrate the town’s hop-picking history. With street entertainers,live music, dancers and the finest localfare there’s something for everyone to

enjoy, and the Spitfire steam train willalso run from London to Faversham.

Along with special events, brewerytours take place most Mondays-Saturdaysthroughout the year and can makegreat gifts for friends and family.

The brewery is also available to hirefor private and corporate events. Coachtours are welcome and full day itinerariescan be arranged for groups of 12 or more.

For more details visitwww.shepherdneame.co.uk, emailtours@shepherdneame.co.uk or callthe Visitor Centreon 01795 542016.

The brewery has welcomed a wide range of visitors duringthe winter, including students on educational visits, towntwinners, coach parties and even the Red Hat Society,a society of women over 50 whose aim is to have fun andto live life to the full, resplendent in their colourful headgear.

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Pub signs show the way for Visitor CentreThe refurbishment of the former Wines and Spirits Store, now dubbed ‘The Vaults’, has created anattractive addition for visitors taking brewery tours. Visitor Centre manager Graham Hukins explains.

A fascinating collection of old pubsigns – many with a story of their own –adorns the walls of the main warehouse,which dates from 1905. The originalarchitect’s drawings are another of themany artefacts now on display.

The extra space has also enabledadditional vehicles from the company’shistoric collection to be put on showincluding “Charlie’s Dray”. Charlie wasthe last of the Shepherd Neame drayhorses and died in 1963. His dray, arelatively lightweight vehicle, was usedfor local deliveries.

A wealth of hop memorabilia is onshow in the adjacent Malt & Hop Room.Several of the distinctive hessian binsaround which families would sit and stripthe hops from the bines will evokememories for many. There’s a scale modelof a typical Kentish oast enabling visitorsto see how the hops were dried beforebeing sent to the brewery ready to addtheir characteristic flavour and aroma tothe beer. Visitors can also see skuppets– and discover what these curiously-named implements were used for.

The unusual nomenclature isn’tconfined to hop-picking artefacts: itemsrelating to malting include malt rakesand shovels and an intriguingly-titledbogie bin!

Brewery Tours run on most days andadvance booking is strongly recommended.In addition to the newly-opened vaults,visitors are taken behind the scenes to seehow Shepherd Neame’s award-winning alesand speciality lagers are brewed – fromhop to hand-pump. The tour includes avisit to a room containing a million pintsof lager and ends with a tutored tasting,enabling visitors to learn how our masterbrewers assess every batch of beer – withaudience participation actively encouraged!

For further details, or to book, callthe Visitor Centre on 01795 542016 or visitour website www.shepherdneame.co.uk

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Shepherd Neame beer has never been fresher, with ale leaving the warehouseless than five days after being transferred into casks and bottles.

Customers at Shepherd Neame pubs havecertainly noticed the improvements, with more thana third commenting on the freshness and qualityof beer. Production and distribution director TomFalcon explained: “Timing is important in beerquality, especially given the aromatic qualities ofour quintessentially hoppy ales. The sooner we candeliver, the better the beer will taste.”

Kevin Taylor, licensee at the Tudor Rose, Upnor,said customer satisfaction had never been higher.

“We have six real ales on at any one time, andquality is of the utmost importance to our customers,”he said. “They won’t accept anything less than perfect.

“With more and more people enjoying real ale,quality and consistency have never been more important.”

And Jackie Hipwell, licensee at the Swan Inn,Maidstone, said that freshness could affect sales.

“About 90% of our business is cask ale, andcustomers prefer to drink beer that’s absolutelyfresh. If it’s not, our trade will suffer.”

Tom and his team have overseen significantimprovements to the whole production and distributionprocess, which is now capable of consistentlydelivering beer within five days of it being transferredto cask. During the warmer months the beer is alsokept cool using temperature controlled warehousing.

The introduction of new computer software SAP,in April this year, has enabled Shepherd Neame tomanage the supply chain and put the improvementsin place. Tom said: “By using SAP we can oversee thewhole business process – order placement, production,packaging, delivery and invoicing. It means that wecan monitor supply and demand, and we can improveour forecasting and production planning.”

The most obvious change is apparent in thewarehouse: “We’ve changed the way stock is handledafter being bottled or racked,” said Tom. “Ratherthan packaging then waiting for orders to come in,beer is packaged as required, regularly and often.For example Spitfire is now packaged daily insteadof once or twice a week”.

With fewer stockpiles, less time is spent movingcasks, kegs and pallets around the distribution centre.Tom said: “We’ve reduced the amount of manualhandling by our staff and introduced changes toenable quicker order-picking, loading and distribution.”

Customers are more than satisfied with the changes– not only is the beer fresher but Shepherd Neamehas also achieved 100 per cent availability on its caskand keg beers. Tom said: “Customer service hasalways been a priority for Shepherd Neame and ournew processes, supported by SAP and our brand newphone system, are helping us to meet demand accuratelyand in more cost-effective and efficient ways.”

Tom has drawn upon his background in businessimprovement and lean process methods to bringabout the changes to the supply chain. A trip to Asahibreweries in Japan with David Holmes, the headbrewer, inspired them to create a similar environmentat Shepherd Neame. “When we saw the fantasticAsahi brewery and warehousing we recognised somuch potential for our own operation – it was soefficient, so controlled and ran like clockwork.We’ve taken a lot of their concepts on board.”

Shepherd Neame has also reduced time betweenracking and delivery on keg and bottled beers. Thebrewer has installed a state-of-the-art bottling line,which can fill and package up to 36,000 bottles anhour. The new line also uses flash pasteurisation insteadof tunnel pasteurisation, which enhances the flavours,meaning a fresher taste and a longer shelf life.

Tom said: “The new systems we’ve put inplace over the last year are helping us to improveefficiencies in brewing, packaging and sourcing, sothat consumers can enjoy the perfect pint of beer.”

Shepherd Neame’s distribution centre before (left) and after (right) the changes were put in place.

From brewer to publican:faster fresher&

The Malt and Malt Houses of the Shepherds

The Shepherds’ sources of thesupply of malt fluctuated over thecenturies between home production,purchase from local producers andpurchase from sources further afield.In 1740 Samuel Shepherd was advertisingin a Kent newspaper as a maltsterof both brown and pale malt, whichsuggests home production for his ownbrewing was more than adequate.For more than a century Favershamhad been an exporter of malt via thecoast trade with London.

As the Shepherds’ brewing outputexpanded their malting capacity waseither inadequate or the price atwhich it could be bought in was tooadvantageous to be missed. Our 1818Cash Book suggests all malt was beingpurchased, for about £8,500 a year. Mostcame from Byles and Co. at Ipswich, butsome came from Ham Tite in Faversham.By 1820 malt supply policy was changingagain as the brewery was spendingabout £1,700 on barley, which wasmalted in-house.

The trend back to home productionaccelerated for in 1852 Henry Shepherd,from one of our Letter Books, stated‘we undertake all our own malting’.In 1869 he boasted ‘the beer we arenow sending out is brewed from newEast Kent hops and malt equal to anywe have ever had’.

By the 18th century Kent hadceased to be a significant barley andmalting area like East Anglia, but townslike Faversham and the surroundingarea did have a few malt houses.

Most were attached to breweries, anddeveloped with the brewing industry,some were attached to pubs but a fewwere independent. By the mid 19thcentury the latter had disappeared andFaversham malting was carried outexclusively by Shepherd Neame andRigden Breweries.

The earliest reference to a malthouse on the brewery site is 1705 and itis interesting that in 1717 Richard Marshwas the first person in Faversham to buyinsurance; and that was for the stock inhis timber and tiled malt house. It wasopposite the brew house, where themalt kiln now is. It was rebuilt in brickas we see it today and modernised byHenry Shepherd Jnr. It went out ofproduction about 1880.

The enterprising Julius Shepherdextended the malting by buying a pieceof land at the end of Abbey Street andabout 1795 building ‘a malt house,stowage and drying oast on the site’.Its future reflected the fluctuations inthe malting market place. It was leasedto maltster and brewery supplier HamTite; then to James Barnes; then wassold to Samuel Shepherd Jnr. in 1821;who in turn sold it to his nephew,Giles Hilton; who by 1859 resold it to thebrewery. This went out of production inthe 1960s, was sold and later demolished.

The next brewery expansion ofmalting came in 1864 when the large newbrick malt house at the end of St John’sRoad was built. This was on a site nextto the new railway line. It cost over £2,000and remained in use until the 1970s.

One other malt house was builtby the Shepherd family, probably as aspeculation, based on perceived demand.In the 1830s Samuel Shepherd Jnr., oneof the most enterprising of the family,built a malt house at Island Wharf, atthe head of the creek. It lasted barely ageneration and as we have no recordsfor that period we can only guess whatit supplied to the brewery.

At the same time there were anumber of independent maltstersin Faversham. Probably the largestindependent malting, until it was taken

over by Rigdens and closed in the 1840s,was on Edward’s Bank, where ShepherdNeame General Stores are now. RobertMien, a linen draper, had a malt housenear Cooksditch in the 1750s but themost curious malt house was run for afew years by Daniel Plommer, the town’spost master, behind The Bear.

Such was the local malting industry,but what were the respective outputs?In short we don’t know as few detailedrecords have survived. We can onlyestimate the relative sizes of the maltstersin Faversham. The small miscellaneousmalt houses probably produced onlyfor domestic consumption. The two bigindependent maltsters, Chambers andRead, possibly produced as much asRigdens and may have acted as maltmerchants for the surrounding villages.

Over the centuries the malt housesproduced a variety of malts for the varietyof beers brewed. Samuel Shepherd wasadvertising pale and brown malt. For thenext century we have no records butin 1850, we were producing Pale Malt,Amber Malt, Porter Malt and PatentMalt. By 1875 we were producing Pale,Brown and Black Malt.

A good supply of malt rested ona good supply of barley. Over time thischanged like the supply of malt, fromlocal to national to mixed, but we havefew records to plot exactly what washappening. For Samuel Shepherd’smodest production of 2,500 barrels ofbeer a year East Kent probably supplied

Securing a good quality supply of malt for brewing was asimportant to the Shepherds more than 200 years ago as itis today. Selecting and ensuring a reliable supply of barley,obtaining good malt at competitive prices and supporting thelocal economy are timeless requirements. Our own archivesand those of Faversham show how the Shepherds dealt withthese demands and how the malting industry developedlocally in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Standard Malthouse, Faversham (viewed fromThe Anchor) - from collection of Arthur Percival

The Standard Malthouse, Faversham (viewedfrom Abbey Street) was built in 1794, extendedin 1859 and demolished in 1978 – from collectionof Arthur Percival

White Horse Malthouse, Boughton (to left of pub)was on this site from the 1750s, closed andconverted to an oast house in 1874 and demolishedin the 1950s.

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enough barley for his needs. As outputgrew to about 6,000 barrels in the early19th century and upwards to 40,000 by1875, imports from further afield musthave been needed.

The few records we have show thatin 1819/1820 most of the barley we usedcame from Byles and Co of Ipswich, bysea, from the great barley districts ofEast Anglia. The balance came fromnine local Faversham farmers and oneFaversham merchant: Austen Neame,the father of Percy Neame, of HomestallFarm; Robert and John Cobb and HenryRead of Throwley and Sheldwich; JohnJell and William Harnett of Boughton;George Morgan, the son-in-law of JuliusShepherd, of Macknade; Augustine Kempof Graveney; Francis Perkins of Faversham;and John Holmes, a merchant.

By 1861/1862, when we have acomplete list of suppliers to The StandardMalt House, there were 86 local suppliersof 2,661 quarters of malt. That is anaverage of only 30 quarters each.That list too is a roll call of local farmers:Neame, Cobb, Murton, Abbott, Hyde,Wildash, Collard, Leese, Hilton, Ely,Maxted, Elvy, Dodd, Munn and manymore. A few years later, with demandsoaring, non-local names yet to beidentified come in, who, for example,were Scotch and Free?

Such in outline is the developmentof malting and the malt trade inFaversham during the years of theShepherd family. It is a picture of achanging market place, changing needsand, as today, changing reactions tothose needs.

John Owen FSA

Distribution manager Andy Millersaid: “Over the week and a half thatwe were most badly affected, we madejust over a thousand deliveries to ourown estate, managed houses and freetrade and, of those, only 26 deliveriescame back. Of those that came back,24 were successfully delivered thefollowing day.”

The dray did struggle to get toThe Star at Heathfield and the Horseand Groom at Rushlake, in a remotepart of East Sussex. But the beer stillgot through as Fiona Airey from theHorse and Groom, and Sue Chappell,from The Star, drove out to the mainroad in their 4x4s to meet it andloaded up with beer and wine.

Health and safety manager RobPooley used a company 4x4 to pickup brewery staff stuck in the snow.

Andy said: “It was a big team effortwith customer services at the focalpoint, letting customers know what washappening to their delivery. Transportreplanned work and the warehousereloaded the deliveries, often into hastilyrevised routes and different vehicles.”

A 4x4 also came into play at TheMermaid at Bishopsbourne, which wasbusier than normal because villagerswere unable to get to work. Businessdevelopment manager Mike Daviessaid: “We struggled to get a deliverythere so a farmer with a big off-roadvehicle drove the licensee to thebrewery to collect more beer.”

Shepherd Neame staff didn’t let the winter snow get in the way of delivering and servingbeer to customers and many of our pubs provided much-needed sanctuary and warmthfrom the freezing conditions.

Licensees and staff show true grit

The Malthouse, Preston (viewed from St John’s Road)

Heart and soulThe Walnut Tree, run by Don and

Glynis Cross, has become a defibrillatorstation for the area around East Farleigh,near Maidstone, providing vital on-the-spot equipment for use by paramedicsand community first responders.

Customers raised £1,100 to buythe life-saving gear and Glynis, who isalready a St John Ambulance first-aider,is having special training in its use.She hopes to become a communityfirst responder, covering a two-mileradius around the rural pub.

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Published on behalf of Shepherd Neame by Edwards Harvey, The Mill House, Hollingworth Court, Maidstone, Kent ME14 5PPPrinted on 80 per cent recycled stock that has been awarded the NAPM and Eugropa recycled certificates

Brewery sponsorsKent running challenge

Twelve Shepherd Neame pubs and hotels, including the Royal Albion at Broadstairs andThe George at Cranbrook, feature in the 2010 edition of Alastair Sawday's Pubs and Innsof England and Wales, published this spring.

The prestigious guide features more than 900 special pubs and inns, and 200 withrooms to stay in.

The guide is indispensable for those who like their pubs with open fires, flavoursomebeers, stylish sofas, chalkboard menus and a choice of wines by the glass. Whether you'restopping for a hot beef sandwich on a day’s trekking in the hills or looking for a city break,there will be something here for you. This great little guide is a glove compartmentessential for all real-ale drinkers and gastropub lovers.

Master Brewer has 10 copies of the guide to be won. Just answer this simple question:

In which Kent seaside town wouldyou find the Royal Albion Hotel?

Send your answer on a postcard toMaster Brewer, The Mill House,Hollingworth Court, Ashford Road,Maidstone ME14 5PP or emailcompetitions@shepherdneame.co.ukwith your name, address and phonenumber. The first 10 correct entriesdrawn on April 30 will receive the prize.

Alastair Sawday’s Pubs and Inns...10 copies must be won

The brewery has agreed to support an exciting new enduranceevent to be held in September across 82 miles of Kentishcoastline and countryside.

The Shepherd Neame Kent Ultra Challenge is a three-day extreme running eventwhich takes participants across fields, clifftops, beaches and areas of natural andhistorical interest. The challengers, who will start and finish in Canterbury, must overcomemany physical extremes, testing their strength, endurance and mental fortitude.

Surprisingly, this form of extreme running is not a modern sport but is almost as oldas Shepherd Neame. Ultra running, formerly known as “pedestrianism”, dates back tothe 1700s, and once attracted large crowds.

The 82-mile course is divided into three stages, Canterbury to Folkestone, Folkestoneto Sandwich and Sandwich to Canterbury, using footpaths and cycle routes and avoidingroads as much as possible. Runners have to carry everything they need to sustain themfor the three days but accommodation is provided at the end of each stage.

Runners will assemble in Canterbury on Thursday 16 September for registration anda kit check, before setting out at 8am on Friday 17 September. They will run the equivalentof a marathon three days running before returning to Canterbury on the Sunday evening.

Chief executive Jonathan Neame said: “We are delighted to sponsor the inauguralShepherd Neame Kent Ultra Challenge and we hope the organisers will be able to usea number of Shepherd Neame pubs on the route as checkpoints. This is a marvellousopportunity for Kent to host a large sporting event and show just how much the countyhas to offer.”

For more details, visit www.kentultrachallenge.co.uk or join the Facebook groupShepherd Name Ultra.

Master Brewer reader discountMaster Brewer readers can order thenew edition of Alastair Sawday's Pubsand Inns of England and Wales at aspecial pre-publication price of £9.60 -that's a 40% discount on the RRP of£15.99. Just call 01275 395431 andquote ‘Shepherd Neame’.

Photo courtesy of ISP Photography