Master Brewer - Autumn 2017

MASTER

BREWER

www.shepherdneame.co.uk

Autumn 2017

SINKER OR SANKER? Are you a sinker or a sanker? It’s a question that’s been much on our minds recently at Shepherd Neame. I refer of course to the pronunciation of our new premium lager Cinque.

Its name derives from our home town Faversham’s status as a member of the Confederation of Cinque Ports, of which there were originally five.

The ports were charged with providing ships to defend our nation from foreign invaders and were granted certain privileges in return.

The word ‘cinque’ derives from the Norman French for the number five and there are two schools of thought about how to say it: sink and sank. The sinkers claim the pronunciation espoused by the Confederation themselves, while the sankers adopt the modern French they learned at school.

Commemorative events were held this year to mark the 350th anniversary of the Battle of Medway, as it became known.

The battle prompted the strengthening of the Navy, whose presence in Chatham helped the town to flourish.

While the departure of the Navy in turn led to the town’s decline, happily Chatham seems to be experiencing something of a renaissance (another word borrowed from the French).

Our new bar and kitchen, coincidently named Pier Five (see page 6), is just a few yards from the site of the battle and epitomises our commitment to and confidence in the renewed prosperity of the Medway towns. Here you can toast the future of Chatham by sinking a pint of Cinque, however you choose to pronounce it.

It has been said that it is our differences that bring us together, and so it is with Cinque, as both sinkers and sankers are united in their appreciation of its clean, refreshing taste.

The Cinque Ports were no longer active when in 1667 the Dutch fleet sailed up the Medway and attacked the largely unprotected English ships, which, dare I say, sank.

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Jonathan Neame, Chief Executive @jbneame

REFURBISHED BREWHOUSE UNVEILED We were honoured with a visit from craft beer pioneer Jim Koch, founder of the Boston Beer Company, in June when he stopped by to unveil the results of our brewery refurbishment. Known as the ‘Godfather of Craft Beer’, Jim started brewing in his kitchen in 1984. Six weeks later his first brew – Samuel Adams Boston

Lager – was crowned Best Beer in America at the Great American Beer Festival. It is now the flagship beer of a $2bn business.

Jim said: “It’s an honour to reopen the Shepherd Neame brewhouse where so many classic beers have been brewed and where the brewers continue to innovate while upholding

the extraordinary tradition of craftsmanship and quality this brewery embodies.”

Our historic brewhouse has undergone something of a transformation thanks to a major project to upgrade and modernise equipment while retaining its historic character.

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Jim and the Boston Beer Company are old friends and we brew Samuel Adams Boston Lager for the UK market here in Faversham.

The refurbishment project included the retirement of the brewery’s wooden mash tuns after more than 100 years in service, and the installation of new state of the art stainless steel replacements.

The project also saw the refurbishment of the fabric of the building and the historic streetscape that runs through the centre of the brewery at a cost of around £750,000.

Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame said: “I’m enormously grateful to Jim for joining us and to the whole team

who’ve contributed to modernising the brewhouse.

“This really is the beating heart of Shepherd Neame and its refurbishment ensures the preservation of our heritage. It provides a 21st century brewing operation that reinforces our commitment to quality and ensures we will keep producing great beer for years to come.”

The project took more than 22 weeks and was carefully managed so as not to interrupt brewing and was conducted in close consultation with Swale Council’s Conservation Team and the Shepherd Neame archivist John Owen.

The new mash tuns were installed by leading brewing engineers, Musk. To preserve the historic character of the brewhouse, the teak from the former mash tuns was reconditioned by local shipwright Simon Grillet and used to clad the replacement tuns.

He said: “Each piece of wood had to be reshaped to fit around the new mash tuns.

It was a very peculiar puzzle to solve, and initially caused a few sleepless nights, but they are 100-year-old vessels made from fabulous Burmese teak, prized for its durability and beauty so it was a very worthwhile project.”

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PIER FIVE

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Shepherd Neame is delighted to introduce Pier Five – a new bar and kitchen in Chatham Dockyard.

In a contemporary setting, it offers a modern, international outlook serving the best of hand-crafted beers and lagers, craft spirits and cocktails alongside the freshest artisan coffees.

The kitchen cooks up a delicious menu of gourmet burgers, superfood salads, flamelicked chicken and hand-stretched ovenbaked pizzas.

Open from brunch to dinner, Pier Five is an exciting new waterside destination for discerning beer and food fans.

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AWARDS SUCCESS The Full list of winners: •B est Floral Display: The Abbey Hotel, Battle •B eer Hero: Zetland Arms, Deal •P ub Restaurant: The Cricketers, Horsell Birch, Surrey •P ub Food: The Bull, Tunbridge Wells •T urnaround Pub of the Year: The Foresters Arms, Tonbridge • Heart of the Community: The Greyhound, Keston ew Licensee: Caroline and Brodie •N Mauluka, The Plough, Farnham •M anager of the Year: Will Arnold, Black Boy, Sevenoaks •T enanted Pub of the Year: William the Conqueror, Rye • Managed Business: The Ship and Trades, Chatham Maritime

PUB AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED The talent and hard work of our licensees and managers has been celebrated at the annual Shepherd Neame Pub Awards.

The overall Pub of the Year award went to the Belle Vue Tavern in Pegwell Bay, while the William the Conqueror in Rye was named the Tenanted Pub of the Year and the Ship and Trades in Chatham Maritime was named the Best Managed Business.

Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame said: “In a competitive market people expect the highest standards when it comes to food and drink.

“That each of the categories in this year’s awards was so hotly contested is testament to the ability of our tenants, managers and their teams to not only meet but consistently exceed these standards.

“Their efforts make special the everyday pleasures of a drink and meal and enrich the communities they serve.”

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The award for the best pub food went to the Bull, Tunbridge Wells; the Zetland Arms, Deal, won the Beer Hero award for the excellence of its cask ales, while the Three Mariners, Oare, won the award for Outstanding Achievement.

•O verall Pub of the Year: Belle Vue Tavern, Pegwell bay •O utstanding Achievement: Three Mariners, Oare • Innovation: Fenn Bell, St Mary Hoo

The awards were announced at a ceremony at the Conningbrook Hotel, Ashford on June 20.

Tony Pearson, licensee of Pub of the Year winner, Belle Vue Tavern, said: “I’m gobsmacked! When I told my mum I was leaving my job in a bank to run a pub she thought I was mad. This makes all our hard work worthwhile. We wouldn’t have got where we are today without such a strong partnership with Shepherd Neame. We’ve come together to invest money, time and effort in making this a great pub and I’m over the moon.”

Shirley and Tony Pearson from the Belle Vue Tavern

POP-UP STORE TRIUMPHS AT BLUEWATER Shepherd Neame’s first venture into ‘pop-up’ retailing has met with a fantastic response, earning rave reviews from customers and earning the title ‘Store of the Week’.

more about beer, to view our pioneering HOPS360 film (a virtual reality tour of a hop farm) and opportunities to meet our brewers.

The Brewery Store opened at Bluewater Shopping Centre for an initial run of six weeks on May 25th. The shop proved so popular that it was named Store of the Week by Retail Weekly and its residency extended for an extra three weeks.

Head brewer Richard Frost said: “This was a great opportunity for people to come along and find out more about the art of brewing, what makes a great beer and to try our new lager and cider.”

The shop featured in-store bars showcasing our new cider Orchard View (4.5% ABV) and Cinque five grain premium Lager (5% ABV) and gave people the chance to learn

Brewers held tutored tasting sessions, food matching experts demonstrated the best meals to accompany our beers, while merchandise and the full range of our beers and lagers were on sale.

PLAUDITS FOR SHEPHERD NEAME BEER Shepherd Neame beers have scooped an array of medals in a series of brewing industry awards and competitions.

Spitfire Gold, Cinque and Orchard View all picked up gold medals at the British Bottlers Institute (BBI) Awards.

East Coast Pale Ale was awarded gold in the best international cask ale section of the International Brewers Awards, while Whitstable Bay Organic received the silver award in the international speciality beer section.

At the International Beer Challenge 2017, silver medals were awarded to Classic Collection Double Stout, Whitstable Bay Blonde and Whitstable Bay Red IPA, with bronze medals for 1698, Classic Collection India Pale Ale and Spitfire Gold.

Head brewer Richard Frost said: “Congratulations to the whole team.

These achievements recognise the combined efforts of all in the brewery to produce excellent beers and is a testament to all their hard work and dedication.”

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BEER NEWS

‘CINQUE’ FIVE GRAIN PREMIUM LAGER Cinque (5% ABV) is made with barley, rye, wheat, maize, rice and Strisselspalt hops to produce a clean, superior tasting, high-quality lager.

Head brewer Richard Frost said: “Using five grains gives Cinque a complex flavour with a deep and satisfying mouth feel, while the use of aromatic French Strisselpalt hops lends a distinctive refreshing citrus note.

“Cinque is a genuine premium quality lager, with the grains combining to produce a long lasting head that helps retain the flavour, presenting our customers with a great beer.”

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Cinque’s name derives from the Norman-French word meaning five (pronounced ‘sink’) and pays tribute to Shepherd Neame’s home town of Faversham, a member of the confederation of Cinque Ports. The Cinque Ports were established in the 12th century to maintain ships ready to protect the coast from foreign invaders. asting notes: Five grains provide T a complex but clean malt base overlaid with a delicate and refreshing citrus aroma.

Aspall’s Harry Kester and Shepherd Neame’s Richard Front

ORCHARD VIEW We are proud to introduce our first ever cider, celebrating the best of British craftsmanship and produce.

Orchard View (4.5% ABV) is an artful blend of several apple varieties, including some of Kent’s finest produce and is named in honour of one of Shepherd Neame’s former neighbours.

Shepherd Neame has practiced the art of brewing at its Court Street brewery in Faversham, Kent since 1698, and for much of that time the brewery enjoyed a view over what is marked on 18th century maps as Mrs Gillow’s Orchard.

Orchard View is the product of a partnership between Britain’s oldest brewer and Aspall, Britain’s oldest family-owned cidermaker.

Their skills have combined to produce a lightly sparkling, crisp, mid-golden, apple cider.

Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Shepherd Neame, said: “When we first thought about making a cider we knew straight away that it had to be authentic, traditionally made and reflect the character of our home in the Garden of England.

“We have created a distinctive, refreshing cider that will make an excellent new addition to our ranges of real ales and lagers.”

asting notes: Clear mid-golden in colour, T lightly sparkling with a fresh bittersweet apple aroma with characteristic smoky cedar wood notes. Harmonious palate suffused with a gentle creamy sweetness, medium to full in body, with a lingering taste of fresh crisp apple. Finishes long and dry.

Apple varieties used in Orchard View include: Gala, Braeburn, Jonagold, Katy, Cox, Russett, Windsor, Worcester, Bramley and Howgate Wonder.

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GREAT PUBS We love our pubs and we want them to look their best. Here is a small sample of some of the improvements we have carried out in recent months:

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THE MINNIS BAY BAR AND BRASSERIE The Minnis Bay Bar and Brasserie in Birchington has undergone a stunning transformation and now boasts a new bar with a coffee lounge and a 100-seat restaurant.

On the first floor a glazed extension affords panoramic views and outside a new sea-facing terrace has been constructed seating up to 70 diners and fitted with wind break screens.

The menu has been given a complete overhaul, taking its location as its cue and featuring classic and modern seafood along with stone-baked pizzas, steaks and burgers.

THE HARROW Village pubs have faced huge challenges in recent years with factors such as the smoking ban, rural unemployment and rising beer duty contributing to a raft of closures.

It’s great therefore to see local communities rallying round to save what for many is the beating heart of the village, so when the people of Stockbury came to us to buy their local we were only too happy to help.

The Harrow had been struggling for years and when we decided to sell it in September 2016 a group of residents set up a Community Benefit Society (CBS) to raise money to buy it.

Jonathan Neame, Rt Hon. Helen Whatley MP and pub regular Chris Porter

The CBS now has 141 shareholders and after a concerted effort on their part and with our assistance they were able to buy the pub.

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CROWN AND ANCHOR The Crown and Anchor, Shoreham, has been repainted inside and out, the flooring replaced throughout the pub and new furniture installed. The kitchens have been given a make-over and fitted with new equipment, while outside the garden has been tidied up and extended.

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THE OLD HOUSE AT HOME The Old House at Home in Dormansland has been sympathetically updated to retain its historical charm with the addition of a new kitchen, toilets, cellar, furniture and a double sided log burner.

Outside the south-facing front garden has been remodelled to provide seating for 45 people, with new outdoor heaters installed and extensive planting.

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SUMMER FUN Shepherd Neame supports a wide range of community events throughout the year, from local art projects to major rock festivals. Hopefully, you’ve seen us at one of the many events we’ve been involved in this summer, but if not here’s a little taster.

ZZ Top Ramblin Man Fair, Mote Park

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Medway hosted Wet Wet Wet (left) and Craig David (right) at Rochester Castle as well as Medway in Flames (centre) to commemorate the Battle of Medway.