Master Brewer - Spring 2010

M A S T E R

BREWER Spring 2010

Support Your Pub World Cup Fever www.shepherdneame.co.uk

Welcome

Record beer volumes increase turnover The company’s results for the first half of the financial year were encouraging, despite poor national economic conditions.

This issue of Master Brewer takes a look at the vital role pubs play in the community and why, with continued political and economic pressure, it is more important than ever to support your local pub. We’re on a mission to open up the debate on alcohol to our customers and to remind them what makes the pub a unique and valuable resource. It is important to correct some of the media myths about pubs and drinking and we urge you to get involved.

We hear from licensees with diverse backgrounds about why they have recently chosen to join us, and find out what’s important to them and their customers. Whether it’s providing a post office service, supporting sports teams or creating allotments for local residents, there’s more going on than you might think.

We also take a look at our new matched investment scheme and how we’ve helped our tenants undertake projects to improve their pubs.

This summer is set to be a busy period with the World Cup taking place, and guest contributor Justin Allen, a sports journalist at The Sun, explains why the pub is the perfect place to follow the tournament.

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

A focus on freshness of beer shows how improvements to the supply chain have enabled us to keep up with demand and ensure our ales and lagers reach consumers in the best 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 of cask ale, they are at the heart of our community and they need your support.

Jonathan Neame Chief Executive Shepherd Neame

In the six months up to December 26, operating profit before exceptionals increased by 17.2% to £6.4 million, as we began to reap the benefits of investments in SAP IT systems, a new bottling line and 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% thanks to increased productivity.

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

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

“We believe that the company has weathered the recession of 2009 well and has taken actions during that period that have strengthened it and put it in a good position to take advantage of further opportunities as they arise.

“Nonetheless, we remain cautious about the impact on consumer expenditure of further potential rises in excise duty, VAT and other taxes over the next year or two and by the impact of further potential regulation on the sector.”

Shepherd Neame is best family business Shepherd Neame has been named the Best UK Family Business in Southern England and Wales in the Coutts Prize for Family Business 2009 / 10.

The brewer was commended for its longevity and sustainability as well as its ability to combine traditional family values with an innovative and forward looking business. The judges also commented on the company’s approach to corporate social responsibility, general good governance and the importance it places on looking after employees. The company now goes on to the national finals with winners due to be announced in June.

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

Q. Why is alcohol consumption increasing in the UK? A. It is not; in fact, it is declining.

Contrary to common perception, total UK alcohol consumption has fallen by over 6% since 2004. Average consumption by men fell from 15.9 units per week in 1997 to 15.2 units in 2007 and dropped a further 4.3% in 2008.

Average consumption by women grew from 6.9 to 7.9 units per week in 2000 but fell back to 6.8 in 2007 and saw a further 22% reduction in 2008.

Consumption among the young is sharply down. However, within this mix, alcohol-related liver disease has steadily increased since the mid 1980s, partly as a consequence of alcohol misuse among a small minority and partly a shift in consumption pattern from lower alcohol beverages such as beer to higher strength wine, cider and vodka.

The British, in fact, drink far less than their EU neighbours and, of 20 EU countries where comparable data is available, the UK ranks only 14th in alcohol consumption per head.

The vast majority of individuals drink responsibly and in moderation, and the vast majority of licensees are responsible individuals.

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

A. The Government has come up with a variety of initiatives, some of which we fully support and others we think go too far. Blanket measures will not be as effective as targeted local enforcement and improved education. Essentially we believe that individuals must take responsibility for their own behaviour but must be provided with all the relevant information and awareness to do so.

We fully support the Drinkaware Trust and are a founding signatory in the Campaign for Smarter Drinking, which also has the full support of the Home Office and the Department of Health.

We also operate the Challenge 21 initiative to tackle underage drinking.

However, we do not support the proposed Mandatory Code of Practice for Alcohol Retailers as we believe this imposes further unnecessary cost and administrative burden on responsible licensees.

A temperance agenda is being pursued against alcohol, but not once have voters being consulted about it.

I don’t think that is right.

Q. Why does beer deserve special treatment?

A. Beer is our national drink and cask ale is unique to Britain; it is almost exclusively produced from UK raw materials such as hops and barley.

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

A. The rate of pub closures is accelerating as a result of recent legislation such as the smoking ban, as well as high operational costs, including utilities and rates. There have been 299 pieces of regulation since 1997 which have had a cumulative adverse effect on the ability of small pubs to compete.

Furthermore, every time duty goes up, pubs have to pass that on to their customers while supermarkets are big enough to absorb the cost. Thereby the price differential increases between the two.

Q. Why do pubs deserve special treatment?

A. Pubs are the heart of the local community and often the last remaining social amenity. They are good for jobs and good for tourism. Furthermore pubs are licensed and regulated environments where the livelihood of the licensee is dependent on them keeping an orderly house.

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Q. Excise duty has gone up by 20% since March 2008 and is scheduled to increase by 2% above inflation each year to 2012/13. Is this the right way to control alcohol misuse?

A. The purpose of taxation is to raise revenue. In spite of these very significant increases, HM Treasury has not increased its tax take on beer.

Beer tax in the UK is already the third highest in the EU and beer has seen significant increases since 1997. We find it hard to understand why the lowest alcohol product – beer – has such an unfavourable regime when compared to hard liquor such as vodka or high

strength cider. We believe that social and economic policy would be better served by having a more favourable tax regime for lower alcohol beverages such as beer, and in particular cask ale, which can only be consumed in the controlled environment of a pub.

What’s great

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

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

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

They are also unique in that they are the only place serving traditional cask ale. In the past year, according to autumn’s Cask Ale Report, approximately 3,000 pubs 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 to 31%. 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 a very special role in the fabric of Britain and no one knows that more than the people who run them – the licensees.

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

about pubs Charles Clover from The Sunday Times My favourite story of this cold winter is the one about the 60 guests who got snowed in over the new year at the Tan Hill Inn, Britain’s highest pub, 1,732ft above sea level in the Yorkshire Dales. What tickled me was not that everyone mucked in peeling potatoes, cleaning lavatories and holding up the bar while Tracy Daly, the landlady, rescued motorists from drifts, nor that the guests appeared so reluctant to be rescued when the roads were opened three days later, but that this was clearly a story that captured the public imagination because of our love affair with the pub.

With 50 pubs closing every week you would think that love affair was well and truly over. We are living through a time of unprecedented disaster for the public house, something that foreigners think is culturally and architecturally unique to Britain. The question is whether we care — I think we do — and whether there is anything we can do to save those centres of community life before they slide into oblivion.

The great paradox of our time is that the decline of the British pub has been going on over the same period as the rise in alcohol abuse detailed in the report on alcohol by the Commons health select committee, published last week. According to the committee, the nation consumed approximately 3½ litres of pure alcohol per head per year in 1947. The current figure is 9½ litres.

It gets you thinking that the pub, and the drinking of weak beer that traditionally went with it, might be part of the solution.

You have only to look at the demise of the pubs in our rather touristy village in Constable country (pop 1,800) to see how rapid the decline in viability of pubs has been. There were five pubs in the village when Tony Blair came to power in 1997. There are now two: one is a former coaching inn, now a highly successful gastro-pub (pubs that serve good food and wine buck the trend); the other, which is also housed in a medieval building, sells standard tourist fare.

All the pubs we have lost are mourned by the village, even though it is at least partly our own fault they are gone. Our vicar tells me there were six pubs in the village in 1917. Why is it that we lost only one pub between 1917 and 1997 but have lost three since then?

That, we must assume, is caused by recent trends, chief of them drinking at home. We choose to take home our cheap supermarket booze and drink it watching a DVD. Then there are the drink-driving laws and more recently the laws on smoking.

The price of beer comes into it, too.

Tax on beer has gone up 18% since the budget of 2008. The more you acquaint yourself with the detail, though, the less the pub’s decline seems inevitable.

Pub Is the Hub, a Harrogate-based charity, has shown that the pub does not need to die if enlightened businesses and communities don’t want it to. It argues that if rural pubs support the community by taking over the post office, by cooking school lunches or becoming involved with local sports clubs, the public comes back and supports the pub. Some locals have even clubbed together to buy the pub.

As a nation, we have the choice.

A crackdown on supermarkets advertising cheap alcohol, coupled with lower tax for weaker beer — favoured by both the health select committee and Camra, the real ale campaign — could even now turn back the clock and draw people to more civilised drinking, down the pub.

This article originally appeared in The Times and is kindly reproduced with permission from News International.

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More than 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 in rural areas, or hosting knitting nights, conker championships or slimming clubs in the town, pubs provide a focal point in the heart of communities.

In five different ways, these pubs show why “the local” means so much to the communities it serves.

Club for blind David and Sue Potts, licensees of the Market Inn, Faversham, were last year named Shepherd Neame Community Pub of the Year, for creating a pub that is at the heart of the community, regularly organising pub outings and acting as a base for local groups such as the Faversham Blind Club.

Harry Suter, who runs the club, said: “We meet at the Market Inn twice a month for a social meeting, a few games of bingo, a quiz and a few laughs. Two of our members are totally blind and the rest are partially sighted and, with partners and carers, about 20 of us attend each meeting.

“David and Sue are very good.

They let us use the room free of charge.

They are very kind and they always make us very welcome. They are also nice enough to invite us to other events held at the pub.”

Shooting The Chequers Inn, Heaverham, hosts a group of air rifle enthusiasts who use the pub’s large garden for target shooting on Sunday mornings before the pub is open, then come inside for a drink and a chat.

Licensee Richard Barrett said: “They come rain or shine, ever Sunday.

They even shoot in the snow and the only time I can remember them cancelling was when the fog was so bad they couldn’t actually see the target!”

Organiser Clive Bishop said the group had been shooting at the pub for more than five years. He explained: “We were talking about it in the pub and we realised that we all had old air rifles in the cupboard. We thought it would be a good idea to get together and have a practice to get our eye in.

The pub garden was perfect – it is the only place with enough room and a clear backdrop. It does not impinge on anybody and is very safe. Before long, we all got the bug and went out and bought more up-to-date equipment.

“We mostly shoot at paper targets from a range of about 45 yards but we have made all sorts of weird and wonderful targets in our time.”

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

just a pub...

Post office The Chequers at Doddington is one of a number of Shepherd Neame pubs to host a post office service.

It started up many years ago when the village post office closed.

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

“We will either set up on the bar or on a convenient table,” says Angela.

“We provide all the post office’s usual postal and banking services apart from car tax and premium check and send.

People can top up their phones or pay bills and if they call us in advance, they can even order some euros. It is a chance for isolated pensioners to collect their pensions once a fortnight and they will often treat themselves to a puzzle book or choose a birthday card for a relative. Being a village store, we also provide a grocery service. We don’t take that with us but if there is something particular that people want they can call us and we will take it along to the pub for them.”

The post office visits each of the following 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

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

Allotments

Darts

The Harrow, Knockholt, has teamed up with Knockholt Parish Council to help villagers grow their own fruit and vegetables after the brewery leased a three-acre field opposite the pub to provide allotments.

Parish clerk Doreen Jones said: “We have had more than 20 requests for allotments in the village and we approached Shepherd Neame about using the field. It was only used as an overflow car park on carnival days.

We have cut back the long grass, taken out shrubs, put up a shed and a fence and run in a water supply.

“The field is being divided into allotments of 250 square metres, ready for people to start planting fruit and vegetables this spring. It’s very good of Shepherd Neame to let the parish use the land.”

Two people who have taken an allotment are the licensees of the Harrow, French couple Martin Leman and his wife, chef Sophie Chaleil.

They offer a range of classic French and English cuisine in their 40-seater restaurant and are passionate about using only the freshest ingredients.

A year ago, things were rather quiet in the area of Herne Bay served by the Hampton Inn. Now the Hampton is busy and lively – and it’s all down to the game of darts!

When Simon and Amanda Brown took over the pub in February 2009, they realised that bringing people together to have fun was the key to success.

A year on, the pub has nine darts teams, playing on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, a pool night on Wednesdays and the Hampton has just begun sponsorship of a five-a-side football team, which plays in a league at the University of Kent.

Darts player Iain Stalker, who turns out for Hampton B, in the Herne Bay and District Darts League, said: “Darts brings people together. We have a very good group of players. We always turn up, put out a full team and always do our best. It is the relationship between the customer and the landlord and landlady that makes a family atmosphere and a great community spirit. Simon and Mandy have transformed the pub into a lively, friendly place where everyone knows everybody else and new people are always welcomed.”

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Villagers David and Sally Shaw use the pub service for postage and paying bills. “Sometimes we work from home and this is really handy,” said David.

“It’s a lot more fun queuing for a start.”

Isobel Evans collects her pension from Angela, as well as buying stamps and posting parcels. She said: “It’s much easier than going into Faversham and far more 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 the bus into Faversham.”

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

There is something special about the people who run pubs. Some were born to it, some were brought up in a pub and others find it’s the perfect life for them after pursuing a career in a different field. What they do have in common is a passion for great food and drink 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.

Looking good at Belle Vue Tavern

Pet project at Master Brewer

Award-winning licensees Tony and Shirley Pearson are on top of the world after landing their dream pub on a clifftop overlooking Pegwell Bay. “I have always had an eye on the Belle Vue Tavern,” said Tony. “It is in a stunning location with wonderful views and is a great pub, the only one I would have made the move for.”

Tony, from Wimbledon, and Shirley, from Margate, met after Tony moved down to Kent and “fell in love” with the county. Tony started in the licensed trade 22 years ago in Hythe, working for Whitbread, and went on to open several restaurant pubs for them before joining Morlands in Oxfordshire.

The couple returned to Kent to run a very successful restaurant pub in Kingsgate for 13 years, where they won many awards including The Publican’s Family Pub of the Year, The Morning Advertiser’s Managed House of the Year and The Publican’s Good Food Children’s Menu of the Year.

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

“Our aim is to improve the food and bar trade with a view to getting listings in the major pub and food guides,” said Tony. “We have brought a young chef with us, Steve Harris, who has worked for us for eight years.

After 17 years on the move, experienced licensees Jasmine and Shaun Williams have come full circle, returning to the town where they took their first steps in the pub trade.

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

“We loved working together at the pet shop,” said Jasmine “and decided we would like a job where we could work together and live on the premises.”

Shepherd Neame gave the couple their first opportunity at The Nailbox in Folkestone. They went on to manage a larger independent pub before joining a major pub company. Moving from one challenge to the next, they spent 17 years running 15 large pubs in towns all over the UK.

Tenants’ His creativity and presentation are coming on in leaps and bounds and we are bringing in a second chef to help him.”

Jasmine said: “We got to the stage where we were running a large restaurant pub each and not seeing each other very often. It was very stressful and we realised we had lost touch with the reason why we had gone into the trade in the first place.

“We decided to come back to Shepherd Neame where it all started and where we were happiest. We looked at a variety of pubs available and remembered the Master Brewer in Folkestone from our time at The Nailbox. We knew it had potential.”

The Master Brewer serves the Broadmead Village area of Folkestone, and Shepherd Neame helped produce a leaflet distributed around the village to introduce the couple to residents.

Jasmine makes sure there is also something going on at the Master Brewer to attract customers from all age groups, including a weekly quiz.

Jasmine said: “The brewery has been marvellous, giving us an enormous amount of help and advice. We have had a good welcome and what is pleasing is that people are now coming to us through word of mouth as it gets round that the Master Brewer has changed and is well worth a visit.”

All for one and one for all at Grove Ferry Four friends have combined their experience from across the hospitality industry and teamed up with Shepherd Neame to pursue their vision of the perfect pub at The Grove Ferry, an attractive riverside venue in Kent.

“More than just the pub” is the slogan of Anthony Pender, Jason Rowlands, Colin Charlesworth and Tim Foster, who have already succeeded with their formula of good food, distinctive beers and quality accommodation at The Wiremill pub in Lingfield, Surrey.

Anthony was a business manager, Jason a chief chef, Colin a brewery technician and Tim a senior customer marketing manager when they clubbed together to buy The Wiremill two years ago.

Anthony said: “We all met through work and the idea just gradually came together. I started looking at a few suitable pubs and we thought let’s go for it. Each of us put in 25% of the money but the gamble is paying back.”

tales Key changes at Lock and Barrel Sharing six decades in the licensed trade, Carol and Peter Cooper have worked in many different kinds of pub but now they find themselves in a unique position – running a seaside town’s only pub in a converted ironmonger’s shop.

They took over the pub in July and wasted no time with painting and refurbishments: the boathouse function room was redecorated and they took out the carpet to reveal its original oak floors. The letting rooms are being refurbished in a contemporary style.

Jason and Tim created a website, reproducing the format used at The Wiremill, and have introduced online booking for rooms and tables in the restaurant.

“Because of our backgrounds we know how things should be done,” said Anthony. “You have to make sure you do everything properly – it is about attention to detail and making sure nothing is out of place. We are focused on developing all aspects of the business, particularly the restaurant, functions, and accommodation.”

Until Shepherd Neame opened the Lock and Barrel 10 years ago, the genteel, seaside resort of Frinton, on the Essex coast, had never had a pub.

The Lock and Barrel, on Connaught Avenue, "the Bond Street of the East Coast", was developed on a site

formerly occupied by ironmongers Blowers & Cooper, the town's oldest family business when the shop closed in 1996. In 2000, Shepherd Neame bought the premises and converted the building into a pub, while retaining many of the original features, including the shop front.

Carol, 56, from Glasgow, and Peter, 65, from Manor Park, London, have a total of some 60 years in the licensed trade between them and have both run a number of tenancies and leaseholds over the years. Returning from a three year break from the business, they are now joint tenants with Carol’s son Charlie, 30.

Carol said: “We have had a break to recharge the batteries and now we are enjoying this new challenge with my son. He was brought up in a pub and although he has a marketing degree, he has chosen to come into the trade.

“We are also keen to significantly develop our food offer,” said Carol.

“The pub now serves freshly-prepared food from local suppliers, including a seasonal menu and a specials board.”

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Two years of success at The Wiremill encouraged the four to take on another project and when the lease of The Grove Ferry became available, they seized their chance.

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

Originally a coaching house dating back to 1831, the inn took its name from a hand-drawn ferry and is an excellent base for walkers, fishermen and cyclists.

Anthony said that the lease deal offered by Shepherd Neame, the pub’s location and business potential made The Grove Ferry an enticing prospect.

The customer is always right!

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

Sara Smiles, of the Queen’s Head, Boughton, makes sure everyone feels comfortable and included. She said: “My aim has been to widen the pub’s appeal and make it a friendly, welcoming atmosphere for all the community.

Women just didn’t come into my pub before but now the male regulars bring their wives and families and the knockon effect is that the ladies will come in together for coffee or lunch. Now we have a ladies’ bat and trap team.”

For Peter Reeve, licensee of the Woodman, Farnborough, the secret lies in the enthusiasm of the staff.

“I have a fantastic team,” he said.

“They always go 100% with everything they do. Everyone takes pride in the pub. They enjoy coming to work here and you see the enthusiasm from behind the bar rubbing off on the customers.

People come for the atmosphere – we call it the Woodman Experience.”

Will Arnold (pictured above), licensee of the Black Boy, Sevenoaks, has also run bars and restaurants and is clear about the difference a pub provides.

“The unique selling point of a pub is that it is a home-from-home,” he said.

“People come to relax and get away from things and to meet their mates.

It’s more relaxing than a bar and less formal than a restaurant.”

Many people value pubs for their history and tradition, believes Sarah Pemble, from the Pepper Box, Ulcombe, which has been run by her family for more than 50 years. “It’s a chance for people who live in modern houses to sit by a log fire and soak up the atmosphere,” she said. “People like continuity, both in the building itself and in the people they see behind the bar. They want to be greeted by someone who recognises them and takes a genuine interest in them.”

“In pubs, people like to know that there is somewhere they can go where everyone is friendly and all kinds of food, drink and entertainment are laid on for them,” said Gayna Barry, from the Flying Horse, Smarden. “If the church is the soul of a village, the pub is the beating heart. As well as being a place for enjoyment, it provides a base for sports teams and charity work.”

Kevin Taylor, licensee of the Tudor Rose, Upnor, says there is one thing a pub can offer that exists virtually nowhere else – top quality cask ale. Kevin prides himself on offering a range of six Shepherd Neame cask ales, as well as guest beers and seasonal beers. “Our selection of cask ales makes us unique,” he said.

“You have to keep it well but it pays off as I have people coming from as far as Sittingbourne, Sidcup and Orpington to enjoy our cask ale.”

Len Mitchell, from the Green Man, Herongate, said: “Where else but a pub are you going to find a good selection of cask beer?

That is number one for me.

But pubs are also becoming some of the few places you can find home-cooked, traditional food. We prepare all our dishes on the premises and grow our own vegetables and people really appreciate that.”

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

Dining in comfort In 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 a restaurant 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 had to be brought through that area to the restaurant tables.”

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

Help with bar The Harrow, in Knockholt, Kent, also has a new-look restaurant and bar thanks to a £14,000 project shared by the licensees and Shepherd Neame Martin 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 complete redecoration of their 40-seater restaurant. The brewery stepped in with a further £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 from Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France. They have managed pubs and restaurants in Central London and in France and have been in the trade for 13 years but this is the first time they have had their own business.

Rosy future for garden

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The 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 made the most of its potential. Half the garden was not really used because there were 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 we had to scale down our ideas. We approached Shepherd Neame and their help has allowed us to do all the things we wanted to do, including new fencing all the way round. We have levelled out most of it but the raised section 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 trade director, said: “We have identified areas which would benefit from improvement across the estate and we’re responding to these with solutions to help our licensees prosper and take advantage of opportunities arising in the market.”

Refurbishments Britannia, Guildford It’s nautical but nice at the Britannia, Guildford, following an extensive redecoration and refurbishment by the brewery.

The Britannia, one of the 13 pubs purchased from Punch Taverns in 2009, has been redesigned to reflect its position next to the Wey Navigation canal. The maritime look features creams and whites, offset by a new mahogany bar laced with rope. All the furniture has been reconditioned and reupholstered, and the decoration includes new wallpaper and freshlypainted walls, and new lighting and signage inside and out. The interior layout has been changed to create more space and the beer garden has a new patio and umbrellas.

White Hart, Cuxton Licensee Ann Bush and husband James have teamed up with Shepherd Neame to redecorate and refurbish the White Hart, Cuxton, creating a homely community pub with a daily carvery and space for wedding receptions and parties.

The brewery has redecorated the outside of the White Hart and installed new signage and low energy lighting, while Ann and James have decorated the interior with a slightly more modern look, featuring lighter, more neutral colours.

The pub also has a new carpet, new lighting and a wooden dance floor.

Now the conservatory restaurant and snug can be sectioned off and sofas moved out to create a function room with its own adjoining dance area, making the pub perfect for wedding receptions, birthday parties and other events.

The Conningbrook Hotel, Ashford The function room at the Conningbrook Hotel, in Kennington, Ashford, has a stylish yet sumptuous look following a £26,000 refurbishment.

Tasteful cream and white décor acts as a backdrop for luxuriant gold curtains and carpets, and also features modern abstract artwork.

The room has been fitted with its own integral bar, and has a sound system for background music. A popular venue for wedding receptions, the room accommodates 65 for a sit-down lunch and about 100 for buffet-style events. The room is fully-equipped for conferences and business meetings, with an overhead projector, a screen and flip charts.

Hampton Inn, Herne Bay The Hampton Inn, on Western Esplanade, Herne Bay, has a lot more space for customers and a clean, fresh, new look, following a £70,000 refurbishment. Two walls and protruding chimney breasts have been taken out and the bar repositioned. The pub has been completely redecorated in tasteful cream and coffee colours, with new slate tiles, carpets and wooden furniture.

Railway Hotel, Walmer A little-used function room at the Railway Hotel, Walmer, has been refurbished by the brewery to allow licensees Stuart and Wanda Hopkinson to launch a family carvery capable of serving up to 32 customers at a time. The room now has a traditional gold and heritage red theme, with new furniture and dark parquet flooring, and chandelier and pendant lighting. The walls are decorated with gold-framed mirrors and pictures and the room’s fireplace has been opened up and restored to its former glory.

Tudor Rose, Borden

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Diners 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 care has been taken to create a relaxed, traditional feel, with new carpeted areas, hardwood floors, and a burgundy and cream theme. Up to 100 guests can enjoy their meals on new oak furniture and the pub now has four intimate dining alcoves.

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

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

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

More pubs than ever before have the latest flat screen technology and 2010 is the first World Cup in which you can watch the action in HD and even 3D. More than ever, it will feel like being there, and the unique atmosphere of the local pub is the ideal venue in which to share the highs and lows of England’s campaign with friends and neighbours.

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

Ask your local Shepherd Neame licensee about their plans for the World Cup, which games will be on and whether any special events are planned. Some pubs will be featuring a special ale called Four-Four-Two, created for the event by senior brewer Stewart Main.

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

Half the fun of the World Cup is watching teams other than England and learning something of their national culture.

Shepherd Neame pubs offer a range of beers to give you a flavour of several World Cup nations while watching their team perform on the pitch.

International beer and footie matching: England Germany Switzerland Netherlands Japan Everyone else

A member of the Spitfire extended Neame family Holsten played a small part in England’s World Cup preparation.

Hurlimann Arthur Moffat, grandson of Oranjeboom Rex Neame, was a mascot at Asahi the England vs Egypt friendly at Wembley in March.

Four-Four-Two (Stewart’s World Cup beer)

A day in the life: behind the The George Inn at Leeds, near Maidstone, has produced a calendar showing the people who work there performing the tasks that go into running a great pub.

The George Inn Calendar Stars calendar has helped licensees Jenny and Geoff Griffiths raise more than £2,700 for Cancer Research Breast Cancer Care.

The calendars, featuring pictures by a pub regular, photography student Christopher Diamond, were sold for £6 each. Additional funds came from a football match, a sponsored swim and a generous donation from a villager.

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

January (left): Mairee Vincent May (below): Zoe Sturgess

in the pub Time to get de beers in Justin Allen writes for The Sun and the News of the World and is a Kent Journalist of the Year judge, having previously been a winner at the Awards, while working as a sports journalist in the county. He tells Master Brewer why it promises to be an exciting summer.

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

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

If one cannot afford the time, money or aggro getting to South Africa this summer, the closest way of sampling the exciting World Cup atmosphere is to share a few pints down the pub with your pals while watching the action on TV. I watched every one of our 1998 matches at my local while living in Deal and it was an unforgettable experience.

From the groans of dismay as England conceded a goal to the frenzied excitement when Michael Owen burst on to the world stage with that staggering solo effort against Argentina.

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

Then we all gasped with disbelief as we looked up at the screen and noticed that not only had his goal been disallowed by a dodgy linesman, but that seven of our players were off the field celebrating with the coaching staff ... and Argentina were attacking our goal with just the goalkeeper and three players defending!

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

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

The perfect summer.

scenes at a busy pub November (below): Chris Hudson (left) & Paul Kelf (right)

December (above): Jenny Griffiths & Geoff Griffiths

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October (above): Jo Johnson

Brewery teams up with RAF in

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

The brewery will donate a proportion of its profits from Spitfire to the RAF to distribute between its associated charities, such as the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund and RAF museums across the UK. Sales and marketing director Graeme Craig said: “We are very excited about this innovation for the brand, an industry first. Spitfire was conceived as a fund-raising beer and, in the 20 years since it was first brewed, the brand has raised more than £200,000 for veterans’ charities, particularly those associated with the RAF. This agreement cements that partnership and will allow us to raise even more money for these good causes in the future.”

Spitfire will now have the opportunity to work in association with RAF personnel such as the Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and use photographs and other material from RAF museums and archives.

RAF spokesman Squadron Leader Stuart Balfour said: “The Royal Air Force is proud to be associated with Spitfire. Spitfire as a brand sits neatly with the RAF as there is real synergy between the two. The RAF is iconic as the oldest independent air force in the world and Shepherd Neame is Britain’s oldest brewer.”

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

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

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

New marketing manager Mark Miller plans to use the landmark year to spearhead a massive push for nationwide sales, with a two-pronged assault on both bottled and cask fronts.

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

strategy for Spitfire and to target sustained growth,” said Mark. “We’ve lots of events and promotions planned and we are anticipating high demand.

“We plan to build on our rapid growth in bottled sales and strong demand from supermarkets nationwide but we will also be pushing hard to promote cask Spitfire to the on trade. We want to extend Spitfire’s permanent listings in more bars throughout the UK.” Mark, 34, grew up in Tonbridge, so is no stranger to Shepherd Neame ales and lagers. But his experience in advertising and marketing extends way beyond beer.

He has held a wide range of marketing roles, working with big companies such as Toyota, Asda, the Arcadia Group and Specsavers and well-known brands including Guinness and Smirnoff.

Mark said: “We are working hard to show licensees that Spitfire deserves a prime spot at the bar and in the chiller cabinet. It is a premium brand with its own unique character, which appeals to the kind of discerning consumers that every successful pub needs. We will demonstrate that stocking Spitfire is good for the bottom line.

“We’ll be making sure that we use Cask Ale Week to put Spitfire in front of potential customers and are aiming to raise £100,000 to share among armed forces charities.”

Spitfire steps in to honour veteran Aussie pilot A 93-year-old Australian charity volunteer, who flew Spitfires during the Battle of Britain, has been honoured for his work with a gift of Spitfire beer.

Chuck Younger won the Distinguished Flying Cross during World War II and today, despite his age, spends three days 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 could arrange 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 Samson in Perth. Steve arranged for a couple of cases of Spitfire Ale, along with a shirt, a bottle opener which makes the sound of 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.”

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

Canterbury Jack is now available in more than 350 Tesco stores across the UK and 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 since summer 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 leading children’s cancer charity. From the sale of each bottle 20p will be donated by Shepherd Neame (10p) and Tesco (10p).

Mark Miller, marketing manager at Shepherd Neame, said: “We are delighted to bring this new bottled ale to the take-home market, with more customers choosing to buy beer to drink at home. Interest is growing in bottled ales with character and provenance, and Canterbury Jack offers a modern, refreshing flavour that appeals to established ale drinkers as well as people discovering ale for the first time. We look forward to working with Tesco, and are pleased to support such a worthwhile charity.”

Ian Targett, ale buyer for Tesco, said: “It’s great to have Shepherd Neame on board for the charity partnership this year. Their wealth of experience and expertise brings a great ale to Tesco shelves for a very good cause.”

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

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The Year of the Tiger sees draft Sun Lik dispensed from a striking new font. Bottles are now available in brown glass, rather than green, and the packaging for the 24x330ml case has been reworked, featuring a golden 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 beer and the beer’s birthplace in the Philippines.”

Sun Lik Beer also continues to lead the way among Asian beers with its lively, colourful and informative 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’s powerboat racing teams.

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

Cooking with Shepherd Neame beers

Braised beef cooked in Master Brew Alistair, 41, comes from Canterbury and has been at The Sun for 18 months.

He trained at Canterbury College and worked for a year in France as part of his training experience.

“We were looking to use as many different Shepherd Neame beers as we could in devising our menu,” said Alistair.

“We use Spitfire in the batter mix for fish

and chips and Bishops Finger in pies but we were looking for something that would work with Master Brew.

“Master Brew is quite hoppy but has a sweet tinge and I thought that would work very well with slow-cooked meat. I use chuck steak but any cut that is good for slow cooking will taste good.

“It has been very popular. Although it is a classic winter dish we have to keep it on all year round – people even ask for it on summer days. Our waiting staff beg us to keep it on because they say they are the ones who have to tell our customers if it is not available!”

in ed is ra B f e e B sh ti n e K r fo Alistair’s recipe lings p m u D h is d ra e rs o H h it w w Master Bre e Sun Inn, Faversham d by Alistair Lycett, chef at Th Serves 4-6

Recipe devise

gs: Ingredients for the dumplin

250gm self raising flour 125gm suet thyme 1 teaspoon chopped ml cold water adish sauce mixed with 175 ser hor 1-dessertspoon

Method:

s until browned. a pan and fry beef on all side Heat some vegetable oil in dish Remove beef to a casserole fry diced onion. When onion and pan to oil re mo e Add a littl wine, turning up the heat and is soft, de-glaze pan with red f e. Pour red wine over the bee Ingredients: letting the wine reduce a littl 4-6 large pieces Add the Master Brew and scatter around the carrots, 1kg chuck steak cut into ly diced celery, bay leaf and thyme 1 small or half onion fine and add enough stock ces pie Stir in the tomato puree 3 2 carrots each cut into beef the er or water to just cov cut into 3 pieces 2 sticks of celery each place in a pre-heated and er Bring to a simmer, cov ces pie 3 into cut h eac s 2 medium leek oven to 180c/350f/Gas4 al) il meat becomes tender 15 baby onions (option Cook for 1 ½ - 2hrs unt ins ee ons and cook for another 30m 1 tablespoon tomato pur Add leeks and baby oni soning. sea and me thy wine together flour, suet, 50ml/quarter pint red Make dumplings: Mix dough soft a to mix tly gen and mixture make into 12 balls Beef stock or water Add water and horseradish ds han red flou h dough or dumplings). Wit the k wor r ove n’t (do w 1 pint Master Bre 25f/Gas7 Turn up heat to 220c/4 2 sprigs of thyme k in the oven until dumplings on the dumplings and put bac Uncover the beef, pop 1 bay leaf d on top (about 20-30 mins) are cooked and nicely browne buttery mashed potatoes Serve in large bowls with

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

1698 Bottle Conditioned Ale won a bronze medal in the English-Style Golden Bitter category in a blind tasting of hundreds of beers from all over the world.

The jury of 78 brewing experts from 17 nations convened in Munich, Germany, in October, to taste 836 beers from 36 countries in the European Beer Star Awards, now in its sixth year.

Thrice-hopped, bottle conditioned 1698 is a connoisseur ale, originally brewed to celebrate the brewery’s tercentenary.

Characteristically hoppy in the Kentish style, 1698 has Protected Geographical Indication, the same unique regional protection afforded to Champagne and Parma Ham.

Tom Falcon, Shepherd Neame’s production and distribution director, said: “The European Beer Star is judged by respected international experts, who are looking for distinctive flavours achieved with quality ingredients.

To achieve a European Beer Star is a great compliment to the craftsmanship of our brewers.”

The importance of in brewing

yeast

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 microbiologist Sue Shepherd why yeasts deserve to be called the “crown jewels” of brewing.

MB: What is yeast?

SS: Yeast is a living single-celled organism found everywhere. Scientists have described about 1,500 types of yeast although that is thought to be just 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 sugars extracted from malted barley during mashing into alcohol and carbon dioxide. As fermentation occurs the amount of yeast increases two or three fold. The brewers have to strike a delicate balance between keeping the yeast happy but avoiding excessive growth. This can be regulated using a combination of oxygenation and temperature control. Each strain has different requirements.

MB: Who discovered yeast?

SS: The yeast that first caused fermentation is believed to have got into a brew by accident as it naturally occurs in the air. Today, brewers depend on particular strains of yeast to produce distinctive flavours. Some brewers use more than one strain in the same fermentation and keeping the ratios of these yeasts constant can be tricky.

The brewers of Lambic beers in Belgium do not add yeast but rely on whatever yeast is floating around in the air.

Needless to say these beers have a very distinct character. Some may consider them undrinkable!

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

SS: Many brewers have found the type of vessel affects where the yeast ferments. In traditional wide shallow square vessels the yeast tends to ferment on the top but in tall deep vertical vessels, the yeast tends to ferment on the bottom.

The ability of yeast to sediment is called flocculation. Ideally yeast should ferment vigorously to produce the desired amount of alcohol and then flocculate to leave nice clear beer in the fermenter.

Of course, within those two basic types, lies a huge variety of styles which vary with raw materials, the water used, different strains of yeast and the techniques employed by the brewers.

MB: What happens to the yeast afterwards?

SS: Yeast is the ultimate product for recycling because it multiplies during fermentation and can be recovered to be used again. A batch of yeast can be used for a number of generations – we normally use a fresh culture after seven generations. Care must be taken that the yeast remains consistent and does not undergo changes that will alter the flavour. But that’s not the end as even the remainder can be recycled to make other products. Brewer’s yeast is rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids and proteins and spent yeast is consumed by the health conscious as a dietary supplement or as a key ingredient of savoury spreads such as Marmite.

Many brewers dispose of excess yeast by feeding it to pigs.

MB: How does the brewery look after its yeast?

SS: Shepherd Neame uses five different strains of yeast. There are strict regimes to ensure the strains are kept segregated. This involves carefully designed pipe work, good operational procedures and efficient plant cleaning regimes.

Samples of all our yeasts are stored off site so that in the event of a problem at the brewery the strains would not be lost. Yeasts are the “crown jewels” of brewing, jealously protected and treasured.

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MB: How does yeast influence the flavour of beer?

SS: The flavours produced by an individual yeast strain will be influenced by the fermentation temperature and the alcohol content of the final beer.

Generally, higher temperatures and stronger beers cause the yeast to produce more fruity aromas and flavours.

MB: What’s the difference between ale and lager?

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

Ale uses yeast that ferments at the ‘top’ of the fermentation vessel and at higher temperatures (12ºC – 24ºC). The fermentation causes the yeast to form into a foaming head, which then settles into a thick, creamy crust, protecting the beer from air. Ale fermentation takes about a week and produces flavours and aromas such as apple, pear, pineapple, grass, hay, plum and prune.

In contrast lager is brewed with bottom fermenting yeast that works slowly at lower temperatures (0ºC – 12ºC) and is often further stored at cool temperatures for up to a month to mature. The lager yeast gathers at the bottom of the vessel, gradually converting more of the natural sugars to alcohol. It produces fewer by-product characters which leads to a crisper taste and allows other flavours, such as hops, to come to the fore.

Fully packed line-up of events at Brewery The brewery has welcomed a wide range of visitors during the winter, including students on educational visits, town twinners, coach parties and even the Red Hat Society, a society of women over 50 whose aim is to have fun and to live life to the full, resplendent in their colourful headgear.

The award-winning visitor centre has a packed programme of special events to look forward to throughout the spring and summer.

Celebrate Easter Sunday April 4 with a morning brewery tour, followed by a delicious lunch in the magnificent 15th century function room.

Enjoy a night out with a difference on April 9, May 28, June 25 and August 6, with a traditional Ale Samplers’ Supper.

After a tour and tasting, relax in the bar area with a two-course meal and a pint of your favourite Shepherd Neame beer.

Embrace the new season at the Spring Beer and Food Evening on May 7 with a sumptuous four-course feast, complemented by a selection of carefully chosen ales and lagers.

Enjoy a day out with the whole family at the Faversham Classic Car and Motorcycle Show on May 16,

where hundreds of historic cars will be on display in the town, alongside Shepherd Neame’s vintage delivery vehicles. The brewery will open for tours and Sunday lunch, and this year the Spitfire steam train will take passengers from London to Faversham for the day, as well as running an afternoon return trip to Sheerness-on-Sea. Treat Dad with a brewery tour and Sunday Lunch on Father’s Day, June 20.

Sample the flavours of summer at the Summer Beer and Food Evening, July 30, with four courses carefully matched with Shepherd Neame ales and lagers.

Make a weekend of it at the annual Faversham Hop Festival on September 4 and 5, where 20,000 people will celebrate the town’s hoppicking history. With street entertainers, live music, dancers and the finest local fare there’s something for everyone to

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

Along with special events, brewery tours take place most Mondays-Saturdays throughout the year and can make great gifts for friends and family.

The brewery is also available to hire for private and corporate events. Coach tours are welcome and full day itineraries can be arranged for groups of 12 or more.

For more details visit www.shepherdneame.co.uk, email tours@shepherdneame.co.uk or call the Visitor Centre on 01795 542016.

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

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

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The extra space has also enabled additional vehicles from the company’s historic collection to be put on show including “Charlie’s Dray”. Charlie was the last of the Shepherd Neame dray horses and died in 1963. His dray, a relatively lightweight vehicle, was used for local deliveries.

A wealth of hop memorabilia is on show in the adjacent Malt & Hop Room.

Several of the distinctive hessian bins around which families would sit and strip the hops from the bines will evoke memories for many. There’s a scale model of a typical Kentish oast enabling visitors to see how the hops were dried before being sent to the brewery ready to add their characteristic flavour and aroma to the beer. Visitors can also see skuppets – and discover what these curiouslynamed implements were used for.

The unusual nomenclature isn’t confined to hop-picking artefacts: items relating to malting include malt rakes and shovels and an intriguingly-titled bogie bin!

Brewery Tours run on most days and advance booking is strongly recommended.

In addition to the newly-opened vaults, visitors are taken behind the scenes to see how Shepherd Neame’s award-winning ales and speciality lagers are brewed – from hop to hand-pump. The tour includes a visit to a room containing a million pints of lager and ends with a tutored tasting, enabling visitors to learn how our master brewers assess every batch of beer – with audience participation actively encouraged!

For further details, or to book, call the Visitor Centre on 01795 542016 or visit our website www.shepherdneame.co.uk

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From brewer to publican:

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

Customers at Shepherd Neame pubs have certainly noticed the improvements, with more than a third commenting on the freshness and quality of beer. Production and distribution director Tom Falcon explained: “Timing is important in beer quality, especially given the aromatic qualities of our quintessentially hoppy ales. The sooner we can deliver, 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, and quality is of the utmost importance to our customers,” he said. “They won’t accept anything less than perfect.

With fewer stockpiles, less time is spent moving casks, kegs and pallets around the distribution centre.

Tom said: “We’ve reduced the amount of manual handling by our staff and introduced changes to enable quicker order-picking, loading and distribution.”

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

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

Tom has drawn upon his background in business improvement and lean process methods to bring about the changes to the supply chain. A trip to Asahi breweries in Japan with David Holmes, the head brewer, inspired them to create a similar environment at Shepherd Neame. “When we saw the fantastic Asahi brewery and warehousing we recognised so much potential for our own operation – it was so efficient, so controlled and ran like clockwork.

We’ve taken a lot of their concepts on board.”

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

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

master brewer page 21

“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, and customers prefer to drink beer that’s absolutely fresh. If it’s not, our trade will suffer.”

Tom and his team have overseen significant improvements to the whole production and distribution process, which is now capable of consistently delivering beer within five days of it being transferred to cask. During the warmer months the beer is also kept cool using temperature controlled warehousing.

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

The most obvious change is apparent in the warehouse: “We’ve changed the way stock is handled after being bottled or racked,” said Tom. “Rather than packaging then waiting for orders to come in, beer is packaged as required, regularly and often.

For example Spitfire is now packaged daily instead of once or twice a week”.

The Malt and Malt Houses of the Shepherds Securing a good quality supply of malt for brewing was as important to the Shepherds more than 200 years ago as it is today. Selecting and ensuring a reliable supply of barley, obtaining good malt at competitive prices and supporting the local economy are timeless requirements. Our own archives and those of Faversham show how the Shepherds dealt with these demands and how the malting industry developed locally in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Shepherds’ sources of the supply of malt fluctuated over the centuries between home production, purchase from local producers and purchase from sources further afield.

In 1740 Samuel Shepherd was advertising in a Kent newspaper as a maltster of both brown and pale malt, which suggests home production for his own brewing was more than adequate.

For more than a century Faversham had been an exporter of malt via the coast trade with London.

The Standard Malthouse, Faversham (viewed from Abbey Street) was built in 1794, extended in 1859 and demolished in 1978 – from collection of Arthur Percival

As the Shepherds’ brewing output expanded their malting capacity was either inadequate or the price at which it could be bought in was too advantageous to be missed. Our 1818 Cash Book suggests all malt was being purchased, for about £8,500 a year. Most came from Byles and Co. at Ipswich, but some came from Ham Tite in Faversham.

By 1820 malt supply policy was changing again as the brewery was spending about £1,700 on barley, which was malted in-house.

The trend back to home production accelerated 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 are now sending out is brewed from new East Kent hops and malt equal to any we have ever had’.

By the 18th century Kent had ceased to be a significant barley and malting area like East Anglia, but towns like Faversham and the surrounding area did have a few malt houses.

Most were attached to breweries, and developed with the brewing industry, some were attached to pubs but a few were independent. By the mid 19th century the latter had disappeared and Faversham malting was carried out exclusively by Shepherd Neame and Rigden Breweries.

The earliest reference to a malt house on the brewery site is 1705 and it is interesting that in 1717 Richard Marsh was the first person in Faversham to buy insurance; and that was for the stock in his timber and tiled malt house. It was opposite the brew house, where the malt kiln now is. It was rebuilt in brick as we see it today and modernised by Henry Shepherd Jnr. It went out of production about 1880.

The enterprising Julius Shepherd extended the malting by buying a piece of land at the end of Abbey Street and about 1795 building ‘a malt house, stowage and drying oast on the site’.

Its future reflected the fluctuations in the malting market place. It was leased to maltster and brewery supplier Ham Tite; then to James Barnes; then was sold to Samuel Shepherd Jnr. in 1821; who in turn sold it to his nephew, Giles Hilton; who by 1859 resold it to the brewery. This went out of production in the 1960s, was sold and later demolished.

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

One other malt house was built by the Shepherd family, probably as a speculation, based on perceived demand.

In the 1830s Samuel Shepherd Jnr., one of the most enterprising of the family, built a malt house at Island Wharf, at the head of the creek. It lasted barely a generation and as we have no records for that period we can only guess what it supplied to the brewery.

At the same time there were a number of independent maltsters in Faversham. Probably the largest independent malting, until it was taken

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

over by Rigdens and closed in the 1840s, was on Edward’s Bank, where Shepherd Neame General Stores are now. Robert Mien, a linen draper, had a malt house near Cooksditch in the 1750s but the most curious malt house was run for a few years by Daniel Plommer, the town’s post master, behind The Bear.

Such was the local malting industry, but what were the respective outputs?

In short we don’t know as few detailed records have survived. We can only estimate the relative sizes of the maltsters in Faversham. The small miscellaneous malt houses probably produced only for domestic consumption. The two big independent maltsters, Chambers and Read, possibly produced as much as Rigdens and may have acted as malt merchants for the surrounding villages.

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

Over the centuries the malt houses produced a variety of malts for the variety of beers brewed. Samuel Shepherd was advertising pale and brown malt. For the next century we have no records but in 1850, we were producing Pale Malt, Amber Malt, Porter Malt and Patent Malt. By 1875 we were producing Pale, Brown and Black Malt.

A good supply of malt rested on a good supply of barley. Over time this changed like the supply of malt, from local to national to mixed, but we have few records to plot exactly what was happening. For Samuel Shepherd’s modest production of 2,500 barrels of beer a year East Kent probably supplied

enough barley for his needs. As output grew to about 6,000 barrels in the early 19th century and upwards to 40,000 by 1875, imports from further afield must have been needed.

The few records we have show that in 1819/1820 most of the barley we used came from Byles and Co of Ipswich, by sea, from the great barley districts of East Anglia. The balance came from nine local Faversham farmers and one Faversham merchant: Austen Neame, the father of Percy Neame, of Homestall Farm; Robert and John Cobb and Henry Read of Throwley and Sheldwich; John Jell and William Harnett of Boughton; George Morgan, the son-in-law of Julius Shepherd, of Macknade; Augustine Kemp of Graveney; Francis Perkins of Faversham; and John Holmes, a merchant.

By 1861/1862, when we have a complete list of suppliers to The Standard Malt House, there were 86 local suppliers of 2,661 quarters of malt. That is an average 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 many more. A few years later, with demand soaring, non-local names yet to be identified come in, who, for example, were Scotch and Free?

Such in outline is the development of malting and the malt trade in Faversham during the years of the Shepherd family. It is a picture of a changing market place, changing needs and, as today, changing reactions to those needs.

John Owen FSA

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

Licensees and staff show true grit Shepherd Neame staff didn’t let the winter snow get in the way of delivering and serving beer to customers and many of our pubs provided much-needed sanctuary and warmth from the freezing conditions.

Heart and soul The Walnut Tree, run by Don and Glynis Cross, has become a defibrillator station for the area around East Farleigh, near Maidstone, providing vital on-thespot equipment for use by paramedics and community first responders.

Customers raised £1,100 to buy the life-saving gear and Glynis, who is already a St John Ambulance first-aider, is having special training in its use.

She hopes to become a community first responder, covering a two-mile radius around the rural pub.

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Distribution manager Andy Miller said: “Over the week and a half that we were most badly affected, we made just over a thousand deliveries to our own estate, managed houses and free trade and, of those, only 26 deliveries came back. Of those that came back, 24 were successfully delivered the following day.”

The dray did struggle to get to The Star at Heathfield and the Horse and Groom at Rushlake, in a remote part of East Sussex. But the beer still got through as Fiona Airey from the Horse and Groom, and Sue Chappell, from The Star, drove out to the main road in their 4x4s to meet it and loaded up with beer and wine.

Health and safety manager Rob Pooley used a company 4x4 to pick up brewery staff stuck in the snow.

Andy said: “It was a big team effort with customer services at the focal point, letting customers know what was happening to their delivery. Transport replanned work and the warehouse reloaded the deliveries, often into hastily revised routes and different vehicles.”

A 4x4 also came into play at The Mermaid at Bishopsbourne, which was busier than normal because villagers were unable to get to work. Business development manager Mike Davies said: “We struggled to get a delivery there so a farmer with a big off-road vehicle drove the licensee to the brewery to collect more beer.”

Brewery sponsors Kent running challenge The brewery has agreed to support an exciting new endurance event to be held in September across 82 miles of Kentish coastline and countryside.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo courtesy of ISP Photography

Alastair Sawday’s Pubs and Inns...

10 copies must be won Twelve Shepherd Neame pubs and hotels, including the Royal Albion at Broadstairs and The George at Cranbrook, feature in the 2010 edition of Alastair Sawday's Pubs and Inns of England and Wales, published this spring.

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

The guide is indispensable for those who like their pubs with open fires, flavoursome beers, stylish sofas, chalkboard menus and a choice of wines by the glass. Whether you're stopping 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 compartment essential for all real-ale drinkers and gastropub lovers.

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

Master Brewer reader discount

Send your answer on a postcard to Master Brewer, The Mill House, Hollingworth Court, Ashford Road, Maidstone ME14 5PP or email competitions@shepherdneame.co.uk with your name, address and phone number. The first 10 correct entries drawn on April 30 will receive the prize.

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

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

In which Kent seaside town would you find the Royal Albion Hotel?