Master
BREWER
www.shepherdneame.co.uk Autumn 2012
REALISING OPPORTUNITY What a relief it has been to enjoy the positivity of summer 2012. There is no doubt that times are tough, but the danger of talking ourselves into the doldrums is ever-present. The finalists at the Shepherd Neame Pub Awards (p.3) exemplify how hard work and entrepreneurial flair not only help to survive challenges, but to succeed despite them. Another reason to be cheerful is the addition of four high quality and characterful pubs to our estate, as detailed on p.6. These are local market leaders in great locations; each one is brimming with character. Our beer and pubs have picked up prestigious awards and we are immensely proud that our managed estate has won the Best Food category at The Publican Awards. We continue to invest in catering, and following this success have appointed a development chef to help our licensees improve their food offer. Elsewhere, our new-look website is all about making it easier for us to engage with customers, they in turn can share our content and enjoy improved online shopping, bookings and interaction. Log on and let us know what you think. The company has always played an active role in campaigning on behalf of beer and pubs; fighting over-regulation and red tape. I hope to continue this work in my new role as chairman of the British Beer and Pub Association. Chiefly among our targets will be securing a debate in Parliament regarding the punitive beer duty escalator, which annually raises tax on beer by two per cent above inflation. Please show your support by signing the online petition: http://snea.me/QhUT5T
Jonathan Neame Chief Executive @jbneame
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Duty on beer has increased 42% since 2008, to put a stop to these increases visit http://snea.me/QhUT5T
SERVING GREAT BEER AND FOOD The brewery has won a whole host of awards, both for brewing great beer and serving excellent food. The company’s managed houses won the Best Food category at The Publican Awards, fighting off stiff competition from a shortlist including three national pub operators. Meanwhile our beers have picked up gold, silver and bronze medals at the International Beer Challenge. Late Red, Canterbury Jack, 1698, Spitfire and Generation Ale were among the taste award winners, while Asahi, 1698 and Generation also triumphed in the packaging category.
Award-winning food: fillet of local cod poached in tomatoes, white wine and herbs
The Ship and Trades at Chatham Maritime has been named Pub of the Year at the Shepherd Neame Pub Awards. Other notable awards included Tenanted Pub of the Year, won by Gareth Finney and Daniel Sidders who run the Albion Taverna, Faversham and Ye Olde Beverlie Canterbury. A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to “Dixie Dean, a former professional boxer, who became licensee of the Prince Arthur, Shoreditch, in 1979.
Shepherd Neame has won 44 international brewing awards in the last five years
NEW LOOK ONLINE The Shepherd Neame website has a great new look and is easier to use than ever before. Bookings for events and accommodation and online shopping have been improved, plus the blog, YouTube channel and other interactive content are now readily accessible through the homepage. Digital marketing manager Polly Wann explains: “We want to make it as simple as possible for customers to use the site, but at the same time we’re making sure they are aware of other areas of the brewery that might be of interest to them, whether that’s tours, running a pub or finding out about our beer.” Cloud WiFi is being installed in many of our pubs
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s ndown Session The Asahi Su Gaze sty Lu at er with Feed
ey Regatta Asahi support Maggie’s at Henl The Events team at the Whitstable Oyster Festival
GLORIOUS HM The Queen arrives to unveil the Bomber Command Memorial
It’s been a summer to remember across the UK. Once again local pubs came to the fore as the place to gather whether watching Euro 2012, the Diamond Jubilee or the Olympics. Our events team have been out on the road and poured 750,000 pints at all manner of events and venues. Here’s snapshot of our summer…
The Olympic Torch rep lay reaches Faversham
usic Festival e Hop Farm M gather for th le op pe 00 ,0 More than 50
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, beer partner Oranjeboom the Farm on ge un at Lo
Becky and Dean Wirrel l celebratin g winning Spitfire's G lorious 2012 promotion Crowds enjoy a Spitfir e at the Bomber Command Me morial
2012 Wings & Wheel, Dun sfold
The Red Arr ows’ displa y for the Dia passes over mond Jubile the Duke of e Wellington , Belgravia
Park
Asahi British Beach Polo Championships at Sandbanks
tta hitstable Rega orks at the W sored the firew on sp y Ba le Whitstab
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ACQUIS A hotel, an inn and four new pubs have been added to the brewery’s estate.
The Camden Arms, Pembury
The Royal Wells Hotel in Tunbridge Wells is a stunning addition to the estate. The boutique hotel with 23 rooms blends Victorian elegance with modern comfort and luxury. In addition to its restaurant, the hotel hosts banquets and weddings in its two function rooms. They share a garden with the famous Beau Nash pub, also included in the purchase. Located in Mount Ephraim area, Queen Victoria was among the hotel’s most notable former guests, returning several times to take the spa town’s water. The Camden Arms Hotel in Pembury, near Tunbridge Wells, is a renowned 15 room inn which dates back to the 1800s. Shepherd Neame is now the largest independent accommodation provider in Kent. The inn is well positioned for guests to enjoy nearby attractions including Penshurst Place, Hever Castle, Bedgebury Pinetum, Scotney Castle and Bewl Water Reservoir.
The Camden Arms, Pembury
Zetland Arms, Deal
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The brewery’s new pubs include the iconic Old Neptune on Whitstable beach, the Old City Bar in the centre of Canterbury and the King’s Head and Zetland Arms in Deal, both of which enjoy enviable sea views.
Old City Bar, Canterbury
ITIONS The Kings Head, Deal
More than one billion meals are served in pubs per annum The Royal Wells Hotel, Tunbridge Wells
Old Neptune, Whitstable
Old Neptune, Whitstable
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REFURBIS FRENCH BOUTIQUE STYLE AT JOINERS ARMS Four stunning French boutique-style bedrooms are the crowning glory at the Joiners Arms, West Malling, following a £140,000 refurbishment by the brewery and licensees Tony and Sharon Stevens. The luxury double rooms named Amelia, Olivia, Evangeline and Beatrice have all been individually styled and feature original marble-topped French furniture. Other high-end features include a V&A volcanic limestone free-standing slipper bath and a hand-painted four-poster bed.
Joiners Arms, West Malling
ROYAL APPROVAL The Royal in Tankerton has a fresh new look following a £100,000 refurbishment. With views across the Thames Estuary to Essex, the Royal is just a few minutes’ stroll from Whitstable Harbour, and is making the most of its magnificent clifftop setting and sea views with major improvements to its bars, restaurant and garden. The bar and restaurant are presented in a style which reflects the seaside location and features artwork of the Whitstable area. The Royal, Tankerton
LONDON CALLING The brewery’s closest pub to the Olympic park received a facelift just before the Games and its licensee and regulars got into the spirit of the event. Frankie Colclough of the Eleanor Arms in Bow, East London provided Australian radio station ABC with insight on the public mood during their drivetime show. New signage was erected and the pub’s exterior was painted just a few weeks before the competition began. The Eleanor Arms, Bow
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The pub also got into the Olympic spirit, with Frankie’s wife Lesley volunteering as a London Ambassador and four regular customers dancing in the opening ceremony.
HMENTS A double room at the The Dog and Bear
STUNNING REFURB FOR HISTORIC INN A coaching inn in an enviable position on the village square in Lenham has had a major renovation, with more than £300,000 being invested in its accommodation and communal areas. The Dog and Bear has a fresh new look that is complementary to its many period features, some dating back to the 17th century when Queen Anne was a guest. The inn’s 24 bedrooms have been redecorated as have the bar, restaurant and conference facilities. The Dog and Bear, Lenham
ENGLISH COUNTRY GARDEN - HENRY VIII This popular Hever pub has taken full advantage of the summer thanks to an external refurbishment costing £25,000. Work included feature lighting and fencing, new furniture and the addition of a decked area, new pathways and plants.
Beer and pubs annually contribute
£28 million to the UK economy Henry VIII, Hever
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WARM WELCOME An extensive refurbishment at the Welcome Stranger, Crowborough, has transformed the community pub thanks to an investment of £60,000. Full external and internal work extended to new ceilings and walls. New features include a feature fireplace, decorative walls by the darts area and feature lighting.
Plough & Harrow, Bridge
PLOUGHING NEW FURROWS The picturesque village of Bridge has a community pub to be proud of thanks to an extensive refurbishment of the Plough & Harrow. A total of £70,000 has been invested in internal and external improvements, including a recreation of the pub’s sign-writing and a large window which opens the pub up to the street.
Welcome Stranger, Crowborough
Images of the village, former licensees and customers line the walls and a snug, darts area and bar billiards table complete a stunning traditional real ale pub.
On average each pub contributes £80,000 to their local economy every year FRUITS OF THE VINE A grand Tenterden pub has benefitted from £50,000 worth of investment, which has resulted in new furniture and soft furnishings plus the installation of a glass-walled lobby.
The Vine, Tenterden
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Further improvements include a redecoration of the interior in addition to an oak framed pergola in the garden.
DEVELOPING GREAT FOOD IN OUR PUBS Licensees looking to improve the food served in their pubs are being supported by the brewery, thanks to a new appointment. Award-winning licensee Carol Haime has been appointed as Shepherd Neame’s first development chef for its tenanted pubs, a role which will allow her to offer expert support to tenants. A licensee at the renowned Sandrock pub in Farnham, Surrey, Carol comes with more than a decade’s experience and has won honours including Pub Food Innovation of the Year and Pub Pie Champion in British Pie Week 2012. Carol says food is now very much a core part of British pub culture: “Every pub is unique, so I’ll help each licensee I work with to develop a bespoke menu that fits both their ambitions for the business, as well as the expectations of their customers. Some will be ready to appoint a chef and offer a full menu, while others may just want to initially test the water with a few tasty bar snacks.” Shepherd Neame's tenanted trade and property director, George Barnes, said: “We recognise that food is essential to the success of the pub trade, and that commitment saw our managed pub business win Best Food Offer at The Publican Awards 2012. “We have a very diverse range of tenanted businesses, from award-winning restaurants with a Michelin star, to successful traditional pubs where licensees want to develop the food offer. We wanted to give our tenanted pubs access to the same levels of expertise that our managed businesses enjoy. This will help talented and entrepreneurial licensees improve their businesses.”
Carol Haime 11
OUR ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY THE ULTIMATE BEER – FROM BRITAIN’S OLDEST BREWER A unique, limited edition beer has been launched which commemorates the five generations of the Neame family that have been involved in the brewery. The hand-crafted beer was aged for a full year before the 3,000 bottles were released. Priced £17.50 and available exclusively from the online shop, the nine per cent ale is hand-wrapped in watermarked paper and encased in a clasped wooden case, making it an ideal gift which can be laid down for a very special occasion.
HOP FESTIVAL The International Faversham Hop Festival once again attracted huge crowds from across the world to celebrate the harvest with a weekend of beer and live music. It is estimated approximately 20,000 people enjoyed the festivities which included a parade, steam train trips and Queen Court Harvest Ale, named in honour of the brewery’s former hop farm. Look out for the Kent Green Hop Beer Fortnight from September 28th – October 12th. Shepherd Neame will be joining 20 other breweries within Kent to brew beers with fresh, green hops that will be sold across the county’s pubs.
CONTEMPORARY KENT Kentish pubs have played a starring role in the return of an advertising campaign displayed across the London Underground network during the Olympics. A photograph of The Plough at Lewson Street (pictured) was one of a handful of images selected by Visit Kent to promote the county in the M&C Saatchi project. The large format posters were viewed by 1.6 million people at stations which carried the most people to the Games.
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Pearly Kings and Queens at the Hop Festival
Crowds gather for the Festival’s live music