OAST - Issue 4 / Summer 2019 by Shepherd Neame

ISSUE 4 / SUMMER 2019

CELEBRATING BEER AND PUBS FREE - PLEASE TAKE ONE

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Issue 4

WELCOME

4 Spitﬁre has landed One of Britain’s best-loved beers has a stylish new look.

Summer 2019

6 The restoration game Restoring one of Shepherd Neame’s historic pubs.

Welcome to the Summer 2019 edition of Oast in which we hope you ﬁnd some respite from disappointing/alarmingly decent weather, disappointing/alarmingly decent sporting performances from our national teams and sportspeople and the annual collapse of the transport system that marks the onset of the holiday season. In this edition we unveil a dynamic and stylish new look for Spitﬁre, celebrated in our special cover, and take a look at the care and attention to detail that goes into the restoration of our pubs.

8 Drinks news All the latest on beer, lager and cider.

10 Five minutes with... General manager at The Marine Hotel in Tankerton, Nick Ings-Kemsley.

The Whitstable Bay range is also sporting a new look for summer and we have some exciting new drinks from our friends at the Boston Beer Company. We’re particularly pleased to introduce Bear Island Triple Hopped Lager which has been fantastically well-reviewed by all who have tasted it. There is also an exciting collaboration with an Italian brewery, we meet the family and cows who supply dairy produce to our pubs and examine the peculiarly Kentish sport of Bat and Trap. Thanks again for all your kind words and please do drop us a line with any feedback and/or suggestions for future articles. Pip pip.

12 Cask Club Italian collaboration MezzoPasso & Shepherd Neame’s Bella Birra Red Rye is June’s beer of the month.

13 Meet the makers Meet the people and cows of Kingcott Dairy.

Benedict O’Connor Editor

14 Shepherd Neame news See what we’ve been up to.

15 It’s deﬁnitely not cricket Discover the ancient pub game of bat and trap at the Market Inn, Faversham.

Editorial: Kathryn Tye Benedict O’Connor Johnny Homer Design: Go Vicinity Creative www.govicinity.com 01227 760116 All enquiries: boconnor2@shepherd-neame.co.uk 01795 542263

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Shepherd Neame

SPITFIRE HAS LANDED One of Britain’s best-loved beers has been given a very stylish new look, which we can now finally share with you. We’re very excited about this at Shepherd Neame as Spitfire occupies a special place in our hearts. It’s not just us who feel this way, we did some research and when we spoke to people in pubs about Spitfire it was clear to us that they had an emotional investment in it too. It’s hard to define, but we’ve had a go: it’s steadfast and loyal, it’s gutsy and full of character. So it’s important to us that when we send out Spitfire from the brewery it is looking at its absolute best. We also think the way it looks should represent the beer and we think the clever people at the design agency Identica have nailed it. The new look captures the dynamism of the brand, the beautiful silhouette of the iconic plane cutting through the logo, its trajectory mirrored in the shape of the label. It’s a strong look and gives you an idea of what to expect when you order a pint or open a bottle. We hope you love it as much as we do and will soon raise a glass in its honour. Cheers.

SPITFIRE ON TOUR

To celebrate the new-look Spitfire we’ve commissioned a custom built Land Rover Defender that dispenses beer. It seemed like a very natural union to bring two Great British classics together, the Land Rover and Spitfire and when we looked into it we found there was already a very natural link. The original Land Rovers were painted green because after the war the only paint available in sufficient quantity was that left over from painting Spitfires. And while it’s hard to improve upon perfection, the addition of beer taps does add a rather excellent dimension to the marriage. Our lovely Spitfire Land Rover will be visiting a number of venues and events throughout the South East this summer. To find out where follow us on social media @spitfireale or search #spitfiresquad.

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closely with the manufacturers to ensure the design team understood all aspects of the ﬁnal production process. The creative stages that followed consisted of identifying the most recognisable elements of the current brand so they could be retained. There then followed a huge amount of creative exploration looking at typography, graphics, layout and colour across all the various packaging formats, from cans to pump clips.

Q&A with Richard Clayton, Creative Director of London-based design agency Identica, which designed the new Spitﬁre logo

Can you explain the process from first approach to finished concept? The Shepherd Neame team challenged us to create a modern expression of Spitfire which would appeal to a broader audience whilst retaining recognition with current consumers. Consumer insights were obviously critical so we spent a considerable amount of time understanding who we were targeting with the new design. We also had to establish early in the process if there were any production limitations to ensure whatever we created could be achieved effectively. Trevor Willis, our production director, worked

What is the thinking behind the new Spitfire logo? Not surprisingly, we took inspiration from Spitfire's aerial namesake. The Spitfire is perhaps the most iconic aeroplane in the world and its name evokes a sense of speed and power. We wanted to capture this energy and movement and hardwire into the brand, with the lettering and the plane interacting with one another. After a huge amount of exploration, we selected an option where the plane twisting in a subtle turn cuts through the centre of the lettering, distorting it in its slipstream. This created a construct in which the

Summer 2019

Shepherd Neame brand could be integrated along with the product name. A sweeping blue background further adds to a sense of movement and dynamism. How did the logo evolve and change during the process? We were lucky as we had a very clear vision for the brand from an early point in the process. Following an initial presentation of four to five options, Shepherd Neame pretty much decided on a single direction. There was, of course, a huge amount of fine-tuning, refinement and adaptation that followed before the logo was finalised. You were obviously aware of Spitfire as a brand but had you tasted the beer and if so what did you think? We all knew Spitfire really well, but as soon as we knew the project was coming into the studio we made a point of doing a tasting anyway. Everyone in the studio tried Spitfire at cellar temperature and we asked them to describe the flavour notes. I’m glad to say we have a few more Spitfire converts now.

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Shepherd Neame

BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO HISTORIC PUBS When Shepherd Neame acquired the Cheshire Cheese in London’s Little Essex Street back in September 2018, they found themselves with a truly historic pub on their hands. Located close to both the Temple legal district and Fleet Street, a pub of this name has been recorded on the site since the 18th century, although the current structure dates from 1928 and is a rare and classic example of a so-called improved public house of the interwar period.

Beautiful wood panelling at the Cheshire Cheese after refurbis “The main challenge with a pub like the Cheshire Cheese is making it relevant for today but not destroying its history,” said Martin Godden, Shepherd Neame’s head of property services. “We had to respect the pub’s history but at the same time also be aware of modern concerns, such as health and safety for instance. It’s a balancing act.”

Shepherd Neame spent more than £300,000 on work at the Cheshire Cheese, which was designed by the revered pub architect Nowell Parr and has enjoyed Grade II listing since 2015. While retaining many original ﬁttings and features, the ground ﬂoor bar has been refurbished and a wine bar installed in the basement.

Improved pubs were designed as an alternative to the public houses of previous years, in particular the lavish and gaudy Gin Palaces, which were perceived as rowdy places that encouraged drunkenness. Improved pubs were usually modest and restrained in design, although the quality of design and workmanship was often of the highest quality. They were also an attempt to change the perception of pubs as male-dominated environments.

Martin said: “Often pubs have survived intact for a long time and we regard ourselves as guardians of these historic buildings whenever we acquire them. At the same time it does have to function for today’s customer.

“If we were just to follow the current trend in pub refurbishment we would go in and strip everything out, in effect start again.

shment

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Summer 2019

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OFTEN PUBS HAVE SURVIVED INTACT FOR A LONG TIME AND WE REGARD OURSELVES AS GUARDIANS OF THESE HISTORIC BUILDINGS WHENEVER WE ACQUIRE THEM

Before refurbishment

“But as far as we’re concerned that’s completely the wrong thing to do. For us it will nearly always be a case of starting with the palette given to us and trying to make that work. “The starting point for me is always the architecture, which doesn’t just mean the façade but also the arrangement of the rooms, the layout of the pub and how the rooms work together. “Because there is so much history to many of our pubs we try to be as authentic as possible. That’s why we use top craftsmen when it comes to refurbishment and renovation. If we lose an old

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window, for instance, we would try our best to replace it in the proper fashion.”

Certainly the re-opened Cheshire Cheese is a ﬁne example of a classic London pub that has been refurbished to meet the demands of the 21st century while retaining its rich sense of history.

“The Cheese is such an historically important pub that we had to think hard about our approach,” said Martin. “We could have just gone in and ripped the soul out of it, but that’s not the way Shepherd Neame does things.”

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Shepherd Neame

DRINKS NEWS

FRESH NEW LOOK FOR WHITSTABLE BAY The popular Whitstable Bay beer collection has been given a fresh new look for summer, celebrating its coastal roots. The newly refreshed range retains the image of the classic oyster yawl synonymous with Whitstable and anchors it alongside the town’s iconic pub the Old Neptune, one of the few pubs in the UK actually situated on a beach. Shepherd Neame’s Head of Marketing Joanna Richardson said: “This much-loved pub has been incorporated into our branding along with the traditional oyster yawl. “The Whitstable Bay collection celebrates not only the place from which it takes its name but also the best in modern brewing.” Since its inception in 2013 with the launch of Whitstable Bay Pale Ale, the collection has now grown to incorporate Organic Ale, Blonde Lager and Black Stout. In addition to the refreshed look, Red IPA has been renamed Ruby Ale to better represent the character of the beer to consumers. Follow us @whitstablebay and see us at this year’s Whitstable Oyster Festival (@Oyster_Fest) which we are sponsoring as ofﬁcial brewery partner.

Joanna Richardson, Head of Marketing

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Summer 2019

CELEBRATE SUMMER WITH ANGRY ORCHARD ROSÉ CIDER

OUT NOW: BEAR ISLAND TRIPLE HOPPED LAGER The prospect of a new lager from Shepherd Neame is always a wonderful thing and when a triple hopped addition to the Bear Island clan was first mooted, expectations were high. We’re delighted therefore, to report that Bear Island Triple Hopped Lager is indeed something special. When we unveiled it at Craft Beer Rising in London back in February the reviews were exceptional and it was deemed one of the finest beers at the festival. With an ABV of 4.6%, this fullflavoured lager is made with a trio of distinctive hops, Challenger from the UK, Saaz from the Czech Republic and US Mosaic. The end result is a beer with a distinctive aroma and tropical fruit to taste. That’s not why it’s called triple hopped though, it is so called

because hops are added three times during the brewing process, rather than twice as is customary. Head brewer Mike Unsworth said: “We are really excited about the introduction of Triple Hopped Lager to complement Bear Island East Coast Pale Ale.

“Importantly the beer has a clean ﬁnish and good drinkability which leaves you wanting another pint.”

“We have used three different hops to deliver a unique combination of smooth bitterness and a notable fruit aroma with hints of mango and citrus.

Triple Hopped Lager follows the enormous success of the award-winning East Coast Pale Ale, which was launched in 2018. Both celebrate a fusion of British, European and US beer styles and ﬂavours.

“I think we have developed a well-balanced and refreshing lager with a distinctive aroma.

For information on where to ﬁnd Bear Island Triple Hopped Lager follow us @BearIslandBrews.

ARRIVING SOON: SAM '76 More exciting news from our friends at the Boston Beer Company: Sam ‘76, coming soon to a pub near you. Boston Beer helped kickstart the craft beer revolution with their hugely popular Samuel Adams Boston Lager, so they have a long history of innovation and once again they’ve created something quite special. Sam ‘76 combines lager and ale yeast to create a unique hybrid, a craft beer with the ﬂavour of an ale but the refreshing, crisp ﬁnish of a lager. It’s smooth, balanced and with an ABV of 4.7%, highly drinkable. Combining Cascade, Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe hops, it has citrus and tropical fruit aromas, with a refreshing, juicy, citrus taste.

The advent of the gin revolution and the less talked about mixer revolution, both of which show no signs of abating, heralded a very welcome outburst of colour in drinks. Happily this has now spread to cider, which has just as much flavour and character as a decent G&T or even a rosé but with a much lower and more sessionable alcohol content. Shepherd Neame and the Boston Beer Company are therefore delighted to introduce Angry Orchard Rosé Cider (4% ABV) to the UK market. Angry Orchard Rosé Cider has already taken the US by storm, where it is the second largest cider brand (second only to Angry Orchard Hard Cider), capturing an 11% share of the market since its launch last year. Shepherd Neame’s Head of Marketing Joanna Richardson said: “Angry Orchard Rosé Cider is the ideal summer drink: crisp, refreshing and full of flavour. “In the US it’s also proved to be a great alternative to rosé wine and pink gin, as a combination of great taste and lower ABV makes it a more sociable drink.” Angry Orchard Rosé is made with rare French Amour Rouge red flesh apples, which are red right through to the core and provide a rosy blush to this refreshing dry cider, while a touch of hibiscus adds floral notes. Angry Orchard Rosé Cider is available at selected stores and outlets.

Tasting notes: Amour Rouge apples provide an irresistible rosy red blush and an apple-forward taste, with ﬂoral hibiscus notes, complemented by light tannins and a dry ﬁnish.

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Shepherd Neame

five minutes with…

NICK INGS-KEMSLEY

GENERAL MANAGER AT THE MARINE HOTEL, TANKERTON

Age: 33 Lives: Whitstable Favourite Shepherd Neame beer? Bear Island East Coast Pale Ale Favourite non-Shepherd Neame beer? Anything by Time and Tide Brewery

Career: I grew up in Dorset and always wanted to be a teacher. After school I studied biology and educational studies at Keele University, then moved to Canterbury for teacher training, working behind the bar at a restaurant in Whitstable in my spare time. After completing my course I taught Science at Herne Bay High School for a year and a half but discovered that teaching wasn’t for me. I phoned my former manager at the restaurant and they took me on in a full-time role, which ended up being the start of a 12 year career with the company. I progressed to assistant manager at the Whitstable restaurant before moving around Kent to work at a number of the company’s other sites including as general manager at a hotel in Dover. I then returned to the Whitstable restaurant as general manager, working there for three years before moving to The Marine Hotel in December 2017. Why did you decide to pursue a career in hospitality? I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after teaching, but returning to work at the restaurant helped me discover that I was good at the job and enjoyed it, and it was what I was meant to be doing all along. As a teacher you can be interacting with students who don’t want to be there, but in this industry the majority of people come in wanting to have a good time. You get to help put smiles on people’s faces, and you do it while having fun with your colleagues, as the nature of the job inspires fantastic team camaraderie.

My manager at the restaurant also encouraged me by helping me to understand that hospitality was an exciting industry with many opportunities to progress. What attracted you to Shepherd Neame? As I have been living in Whitstable for several years I knew The Marine Hotel well. It is a beautiful venue with amazing sea views, in a quiet location yet just 15 minutes’ walk from Whitstable town centre. I couldn’t miss the opportunity to apply for the role of manager. I was also interested in working for a much smaller, family-run company. With Shepherd Neame I have a real say in how my individual business runs, and feel much more invested in the company. What do you enjoy about the job? I have a real passion for food and drink and accommodation, and I enjoy the excitement and challenge of working with our team to deliver the best standard of service possible every day. When people take the time to come to me and say that they have enjoyed their time with us at The Marine, it is an amazing feeling. That is what we are here for; to make memories for people by providing a special experience. I also find it very rewarding to see members of our team developing their skills and progressing in the industry. What qualifications are needed for your role? I wasn’t qualified when I started in the industry, but you learn on the job and I was provided with the necessary training and qualifications by my managers as I progressed. What does a typical day involve? The Marine Hotel is a big business as it has 30 rooms and 50 staff, and my role is to look after its overall development, including overseeing the sales and marketing strategy. I spend as much time front of house as I can to be visible, but my departmental managers drive the business on a day to day basis. I liaise with them every day to make sure we have the team and tools to

run smoothly. I try to ensure that my team’s schedule is planned two to three weeks in advance as work-life balance is important to me. I believe that in order to perform well you have to be able to step away and enjoy down time, and you need to be able to plan that time. Someone working 60 hours a week isn’t working at their best. How has the industry changed? The rise of social media has had a real impact on the industry, as everything is photographed and shared, so standards have to be really high. It has also resulted in more reviews and communication from customers, which can pose challenges but also offers a significant benefit in that we are able to respond quickly. What is tough about the job? It can be difficult to recruit people, as there is still a general misconception that hospitality is an easy job or that it isn’t something to be considered as a career. It can also be tough to react to the speed of changing trends and fashions in food and drink. The hotel has a really broad audience, so we have the additional challenge of trying to appeal to as many people as possible without becoming bland. What personal characteristics help you in your role? I would describe myself as calm and patient, which is essential as this job involves dealing with a wide range of people in sometimes challenging

situations. In a busy, big business like this, it is also essential to be organised and to be able to multi-task. I would also say that if you’re into drama then this industry is likely to suit you, as I see our role as a performance, putting on a show for our guests. What do you consider your biggest success at the company so far? I am very proud of my team’s evolution, with signiﬁcantly higher retention levels and more training completed. It was also a real honour for The Marine to be chosen for the £500,000 refurbishment that began in January. What is your advice for anyone interested in this type of role? Start at the bottom, work hard and embrace any form of training and development on offer to you. It is a viable career with a path of progression open to anyone with determination and a passion to provide great service. You can travel the world working in hospitality. It really is one of the most interesting and exciting careers out there. What are your hobbies and interests outside work? I am a fair weather golfer, and my husband Sam and I enjoy travelling. Normally the places that we choose are inﬂuenced by their food and drink, so I can gain inspiration for my work! As we live in Whitstable, we also enjoy long walks along the seafront and around the local countryside.

The new-look Orangery at The Marine Hotel

FANCY A FREE MEAL ON YOUR BIRTHDAY, EVERY YEAR? If so, all you have to do is join the Shepherd Neame Birthday Club. As a member of the club we’ll send you a voucher for a free meal on your birthday*, exclusive offers, menu info and occasional pub news. We hate spam as much as you do, so we promise never to sell your data to other people, or send too many emails. If at any time you want to stop hearing from us, just hit ‘unsubscribe’.

To sign up, visit: WWW.SHEPHERDNEAME.CO.UK/BIRTHDAYCLUB

*Terms and conditions apply. You must be over 18 to join. Free meal applies to a free main course when purchasing at least one other. Only available in participating outlets. Vouchers can be used in any participating outlet, regardless of the favourite venue you choose. By signing up you are agreeing to our full terms and conditions.

NEW FOR 2019

@bearislandbrews

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Shepherd Neame

LOCAL HERO NAME: Sass Mansoon LIVES: Tooting OCCUPATION: IT consultant REGULAR AT: The George, Soho

What are you drinking? A pint of Shepherd Neame’s Bear Island East Coast Pale Ale. It’s a great beer, and what I always go for when I come here. Why are you here? I work in Soho and come here a couple of times a week with colleagues for a drink. We haven’t tried the food yet, though the pizzas that they serve look great! Why did you choose The George? It is convenient as we work nearby, but we also like it here as the manager Lisa and her team are really friendly and we have got to know them. It seems like everywhere is getting turned into a fancy bar, particularly around this area of London, but The George is still a proper pub with a traditional look and feel and serves a proper pint. You know you will receive a warm welcome, and it is the perfect place to relax and enjoy a drink with friends.

THE ITALIAN JOB Shepherd Neame’s Cask Club ale initiative continues to go from strength to strength, and the beer for the month of June looks the most intriguing yet. Bella Birra Red Rye is the result of a collaboration between Shepherd Neame and Italian craft brewery MezzoPasso. With an ABV of 4.4%, the beer was brewed at the Faversham Brewery in May when Italian brewers Bernardo Perfetti and Gabriele Di Marcantonio visited to work alongside the Shepherd Neame team. The result is a distinctive session ale combining sweet malt with red berry and citrus flavour notes courtesy of a quartet of hops, namely English Bramling Cross and Target alongside Amarillo and Lemondrop from the US. “Bernardo and Gabriele visited us back in April to talk about the beer we wanted to brew and some exciting ideas emerged,” said Shepherd Neame’s head brewer Mike Unsworth. “After putting our heads together we came up with a recipe for a red rye beer with some delicate Italian herb flavours and a citrus/lemon finish. We have aimed for a balance of biscuit and nutty rye with delicate hop flavours and aromas, and just a hint of herbs.” Perhaps the most extraordinary thing about this new beer is the herbs, added to the copper late in the boil. Bernardo Perfetti explained: “Having decided on a red rye beer we wanted to spice it up with something different that had an Italian flavour. We came up with the addition of rosemary.”

other collaborations that they worked on with other brewers and were really impressed, so we were very excited to have this opportunity.” Looking further ahead, the Cask Club beer for July will be Hard Labor, an American-style Double IPA with an ABV of 4.6%. Hopped no fewer than four times, with home-grown Target alongside Azacca and Chinook from the US, it boasts bold citrus and tropical ﬂavours for a truly satisfying ﬁnish. www.sncaskclub.co.uk

The roots of the MezzoPasso brewery can be traced back to 1998, operating literally as a garage set-up. Since 2014 it has operated from a bespoke brewery based in Popoli, a small town with a population of just 5,000 located close to Pescara in the region of Abruzzo. They produce an acclaimed range of beer that covers such disparate styles as APA, IPA, porter and even a British-style session bitter. Given the clear inspiration that they have taken from British beer, they were delighted to visit Britain’s oldest brewer. “Shepherd Neame is a very important brewery and we know it well,” said Bernardo. “We tasted some

View our tasting video at: facebook.com/shepherdneame

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Summer 2019

MEET THE MAKERS

KINGCOTT DAIRY: SUPPLIERS OF CHEESE TO SHEPHERD NEAME PUBS Dairy farming isn’t just a job for Steve Reynolds, it is his passion. He has even named every one of his 150-strong herd of cows. Steve and wife Karen have owned Kingcott Dairy at Iden Manor Farm in Staplehurst since 1990, and currently have 100 milking cows and 50 calves aged up to two years. Up at 5.15am seven days a week, 365 days a year to milk the herd, before milking again at 4.30pm, often labouring into the night to ensure all the other necessary work around the farm is complete, it is a tough job, but one that the father-of-three says he wouldn’t change.

Steve said: “We ﬁrmly believe that happy, healthy cows produce the best tasting milk. We make sure that the whole milking herd has free access to our ﬁelds for grazing during spring, summer and autumn. We do not restrict them and prefer to see them out at grass rather than shut in sheds and yards whenever possible.” A third of all their milk is now used for cheese production, after they introduced a purpose-built dairy on the farm in 2009.

They are then wrapped by hand and distributed to consumers.

Steve, 54, said: “I come from a long line of West Country dairy farmers, the Kingcott family, so it is in my blood. I grew up in Chislehurst, so when my wife Karen and I decided to take on our own dairy farm, we wanted to stay in the area and were thrilled to ﬁnd Iden Manor Farm.” Almost 30 years since they took on the 250 acre farm, it is now a family affair, as the couple’s sons Frank, 22, and Archie, 17, help out with the business. Kingcott Dairy produces 900,000 litres of milk a year, and boasts Red Tractor Assured status in recognition of excellent safety, hygiene, animal welfare and food production standards. Its milk is also assured under the Free Range Dairy Pasture Promise scheme, awarded to dairies that allow cows the freedom to graze for at least six months of the year.

Steve said: “Our cheesemaking process normally starts around 6am, using the warm cow’s milk as soon as it is produced. As our cheese room is close to the milking parlour, it is a matter of counting food metres rather than miles!” Steve said: “We were looking at ways to diversify to generate more income for the farm. Blue cheese is my favourite, so I went on a course in Cheshire and learnt how to make it. I came back and started experimenting, and our Kentish Blue cheese was the result.” They use a labour-intensive handmade production process which takes around eight weeks, turning out 300 kilos of cheese a week. Careful nurturing is needed during the maturing period, including turning and rubbing the cheeses regularly.

Initially they were selling 15 whole Kentish Blue cheeses a week, and now sell 100 a week. The range has expanded to include Kingcott Blue and Kentish Blue Mature, and its quality and ﬂavour has been recognised by awards from the British Cheese Awards, World Cheese Awards, Great Taste and Taste of Kent Awards. Steve said: “We have been delighted by the reaction to our cheese. We supply to individuals and businesses in Kent, London and parts of Sussex, and launched our online shop and website in 2013 to help keep up with demand.” He added: “Whether people are buying our milk or our cheese, it has been great to see the huge surge of interest in local produce. They don’t want to see food going all over the country, and they want to know about the farms that the dairy is coming from. We take great pride in what we do, and really care about our animals, so it is great to have our efforts recognised and valued.”

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Shepherd Neame

SHEPS NEWS SHEPHERD NEAME’S TEAM EXTREME ANNIVERSARY CHALLENGE RAISES MORE THAN £13,000 FOR CHARITY running 106km around the island. In addition to the challenging length of the route, with over 1,960m of climb it is renowned for being tough on the legs. The team has raised more than £13,000 so far, and donations are still being made. The money will be going to Shepherd Neame's Charity of the Year for 2018/19, the Silas Pullen Fund. It supports the Brain Tumour Charity in memory of 11-year-old Faversham schoolboy Silas, who died from an aggressive brain tumour in 2013.

Shepherd Neame's Team Extreme raised more than £13,000 for charity by taking on the Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge in May. It was a particularly special achievement as this year marks the 10th anniversary of Team Extreme, a group of staff including Chief Executive Jonathan Neame, who tackle tough endurance challenges for charity. A total of 18 members of staff signed up for the Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge: walking, jogging or

Jonathan Neame said: “We wanted to push ourselves with a particularly tough challenge to mark the 10th anniversary of Team Extreme, and the Isle of Wight Ultra certainly provided that! It was a very demanding but rewarding experience, and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely. On behalf of the team, I would like to thank all those who have given so generously and helped us raise a signiﬁcant amount of money for a very worthy cause.” For more information about Shepherd Neame’s Charity of the Year, visit www.shepherdneame.co.uk/shepsgiving

PRAISE FOR COUNTRY PUB The Compasses Inn at Crundale, near Canterbury, has just been named joint runner-up in the Daily Telegraph’s Pub of the Year awards. Judges said: "A warm welcome, open ﬁre, great smells from the kitchen, and a feeling of candlelit cosiness bolstered by low beams and garlands of hops, and 'just one drink' easily becomes a few. Actually ﬁnding the whitewashed pub down narrow country lanes feels an achievement, rewarded further by Rob Taylor's food - stout-pickled mussels; roast pigeon with potato terrine - which draws visitors from way beyond the hamlet of Crundale." Rob has run The Compasses Inn with wife Donna since 2012. Since then it has won a string of awards and been awarded two prestigious AA Rosettes and a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Donna and Rob Taylor

INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM FOR DOUBLE STOUT Shepherd Neame’s Double Stout has been honoured at the prestigious International Brewers Awards. This biannual event was started back in 1886 and is believed to be the oldest international brewing competition in the world. The jet black, bottled beer, part of the Faversham-based brewer’s Classic Collection, was awarded Bronze in the Dark Beer (4.8%-5.7% ABV) category. The original 1870 recipe was written in shorthand and Shepherd Neame’s team of 21st century brewers had to ﬁrst decipher this before they could make the beer. Head brewer Mike Unsworth said: “This is a fantastic achievement, and a great testament to our team’s hard work and dedication. We pride ourselves on producing excellent beers, and it is great to have our efforts recognised at an international level.” Senior brewer Stewart Tricker (pictured above) and laboratory manager Sarah Marshall accepted the award during a ceremony at Guildhall in the City of London.

GREAT ESCAPE COMES HOME TO THE BREWERY Shepherd Neame staff turned out in force to welcome the RAF Spitfires Rugby 7s home from a 1,300km bike ride to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Great Escape. The Faversham Brewery marked the final stage of a gruelling ride from the notorious Stalag Luft 3 POW camp in Zagan, Poland from which 76 Allied troops escaped in 1944, an event later immortalized in the classic film starring Steve McQueen. The team was joined on the final stage by Mike Goody, representing the RAF Benevolent Fund, for which the ride raised funds. Mike had a leg amputated after he was involved in an explosion

while serving with the RAF Regiment in Afghanistan in October 2008. Squadron Leader Tim Barlow said: “It’s been a brilliant experience to be out there at Stalag Luft 3 where the Great Escape started and to re-enact the home run. It was a very poignant experience which brought the past and the future together very nicely.” Shepherd Neame is the main sponsor of the RAF Spitfires Rugby 7s, as well as being a longstanding supporter of the RAF Benevolent Fund and an official partner of the RAF. Shepherd Neame’s classic ale Spitfire was first brewed to mark the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

WE HAVE A WINNER Thanks to all who entered our competition in the Spring edition of Oast to win a framed copy of our City of London map. The question was: which famous Londoner buried his Parmesan Cheese? The answer was Samuel Pepys, who did so in an attempt to try and save it from the approaching ﬂames of the Great Fire of London. History does not relate the outcome, but it is not a course of action to be recommended. Anyway, the winner is Philippa Davies of Canterbury. Congratulations Philippa.

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Summer 2019

IT’S DEFINITELY NOT CRICKET If, one ﬁne summer evening, you ﬁnd yourself supping a pint at the Market Inn, Faversham, there’s a very good chance a game of bat and trap might be going on in close proximity. This sturdy old pub, just yards from the Faversham Brewery itself, is one of half a dozen or so Shepherd Neame hostelries where this ancient and quintessentially Kentish pub game continues to thrive.

HOW TO PLAY AND WHERE TO SEE IT

The Market Inn is widely regarded as the ‘Wembley of bat and trap’ and is home to two teams, Market Inn A and Market Inn B. It is also ‘home’ venue for a handful of other teams, some representing pubs that closed long ago. It is an indicator of the game’s enduring appeal that while many pubs have closed their doors over the years, bat and trap teams from those pubs have continued to exist, albeit sometimes leading a rather nomadic existence. The history of bat and trap itself is rather hazy as little documentation from its early days survives, although its roots can probably be traced back as far as the 13th century and it is reputed to be a forerunner of cricket. Bat and trap was once played throughout the South East, although Kent has always been its heartland. It went into decline in the years immediately leading up to the Great War but remained popular in Kent and in 1921 the Canterbury and District Bat and Trap League was established, with six founding teams inaugurating the competition the following year. It remains the game’s premier competition, although other leagues continue to operate, including the East Kent Friendly and the Sevenoaks and District. Among the founding teams back in 1922 was one representing Shepherd Neame pub Ye Olde Beverlie at St Stephen’s Green, Canterbury. Bat and trap is still played there today, although the pub’s team now play in the East Kent Friendly League. Ye Olde Beverlie can also claim to have played a major role in the development of cricket in Kent, which would appear to conﬁrm the connection between bat and trap and our national summer sport. Although the number of teams competing has declined, for those that continue to play it remains a crucial part of the summer pub experience.

“It’s better than darts and pool because you’re playing outside in the fresh air,” said Jakey Jones, press officer for the Canterbury and District League and himself a keen player. “The game has a unique atmosphere and things can get quite heated, especially during cup finals and towards the end of the season when promotion and relegation are at stake.” Jones, who has been playing since 1985, plays for Gentil Knyght B, one of three teams to have retained the name of the Canterbury pub that closed a few years back. He said: “There are many local rivalries that have grown over the years. If you ever get to see a game you’ll notice there’s a lot of friendly banter exchanged.” And while it remains most closely associated with Kent, the game also has its admirers further afield. “Although essentially Kentish, it is played in Australia, and in America too,” said Jones. “I’ve recently been contacted by a chap in Bilbao who wants to start playing in Spain. We might get a Gentil Knyght team together, fly out and give him a game.”

Bat and trap is contested by two teams, each consisting of eight people. The teams take it in turn to bat and bowl, one team batting while the other bowls. The order is decided by the toss of a coin. Each batsman will play the ball which sits on the trap, a wooden device that when struck will ﬁre the ball into the air. The batsman then has to hit the elevated ball back down the pitch between two posts, seven feet tall, at the other end. If he succeeds, a member of the other team will then bowl the ball back down the pitch in an attempt to knock down the batsman’s wicket, a small wooden ﬂap at the front of trap. If the bowler fails, then the batsman is awarded a run and can bat again. There are a number of ways in which a batsman can be ‘out’: if his wicket is knocked down; if he hits the ball wide of the posts (and hence off the pitch); if he is caught by a member of the opposing team without the ball bouncing; if he fails to hit the ball out of the trap after three attempts; if he hits the ball more than seven feet in the air. The process of batting and rotated bowling continues until all batsmen are dismissed. The teams then change roles and the process is repeated. The team with the highest number of runs wins the leg, with each match played over a best of three legs basis. Among the Shepherd Neame pubs where bat and trap is played are The Alma, Painters Forstal; The Artichoke, Chartham; The Dove, Dargate; The Evenhill, Littlebourne; The FitzWalter Arms, Goodnestone; The Market Inn, Faversham; The Royal Oak, Mersham; The Smugglers Inn, Herne and Ye Olde Beverlie, Canterbury.