2 minute read
Christmas Dinner The Shepherd Neame Way
Many of us spend the weeks in the run up to Christmas Day planning, and shopping for that big special meal for friends and family. It’s a stressful time for the person in the kitchen. Imagine then, how it feels to be responsible for thousands of Christmas meals in December.
Shepherd Neame is Britain’s oldest brewer, founded in 1698. Shepherd Neame is still rooted firmly in East Kent and has a large brewery in Faversham, supplying its Kent pubs, as well as supermarkets with over 60m pints produced each year. Shepherd Neame’s managed food food offer is led by Head Development Chef Simon Howlett, supported by Development Chef Ellina Smith and Retail Development Manager Gareth Finney.
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We spoke with Simon Howlett, to find out how they plan for Christmas on such a large scale...
When do you start thinking about Christmas menus?
In January (!!) when we review our festive menu to assess what dishes sold well and received positive feedback from both our customers and kitchen teams. Around late February we will start to plan our new menu, which then goes through various reviews including gathering our kitchen teams to try the dishes and offer feedback and ideas. The new festive menu is then shared in our managed pubs and on our websites at the end of the summer as customers begin to think about booking their Christmas events.
What inspires you?
We want to be best in class for the traditional favourites such as roast turkey and Christmas pudding, while also ensuring we are offering something a little different, as some customers will be attending multiple festive events and will want to enjoy something other than turkey!
What’s new on the menu this Christmas?
As the demand for vegan cuisine continues to rise, we have ensured that all our festive menus have vegan and vegetarian choices. We have also added more under-600 calorie dishes and introduced new gluten free menu items, including ‘pigs in blankets’ and Christmas puddings for the first time, to offer as much choice to customers as possible.
We’re passionate about serving great, freshly cooked food, using the finest ingredients. As might be expected from a brewery based in the Garden of England, we want to use the seasonal produce available on our doorstep on our menus wherever possible, working with a handpicked network of farmers, fishermen and food producers throughout Kent and the South East to ensure the best, sustainable fresh ingredients are used. They include Master Butchers Joseph and Henry based in Ramsgate, fishmongers Chapmans of Sevenoaks, and Maidstone-based fruit and vegetable wholesaler RJ Kingsland & Son. Our focus on local produce has also resulted in a reduction of food miles, part of our ongoing efforts to ensure our offer is sustainable.
Shepherd Neame has 8 pubs in Canterbury:
The Shakespeare – 5 Butchery Ln, CT1 2JR
The Parrot – 1-9 Church Ln, St Radigunds St, CT1 2AG
The Bishop’s Finger – St. Dunstans St, CT2 8AF
The Cricketers – 14 St Peter’s St, CT1 2BQ
The White Hart Inn – Worthgate Place, Dane John Mews, CT1 2QX
Ye Olde Beverlie – St Stephen’s Green, CT2 7JU
The Old City Bar – 2 Oaten Hill Pl, Canterbury CT1 3HJ
Millers Arms – 2 Mill Lane, Canterbury, CT1 2AW
