AUTUMN 2008

M A S T E R

BREWER

Introducing our new ale

One of the family

www.shepherdneame.co.uk

Welcome Interim results

While there is no denying these are toughtimes, there is much to celebrate in thisissue of Master Brewer.

The brewery has received another accolade for itsresponsible business practices; winning the CorporateSocial Responsibility category of the Kent Business Awards.This is in addition to our Queen’s Award for SustainableDevelopment, National Business Award for Corporate SocialResponsibility and The Publican Regional Brewer of the Year.

Such success is testament to our focus on theenvironment, commitment to energy efficiency and thevital role our pubs play in their communities. Underliningour modern operations with traditional values continues to prove fruitful.

You will also read in this issue how our pubs remain at the heart of the communities they serve because theyprovide vital resources; everything from meals-on-wheels, to a meeting venue for the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

Further exciting news is the launch of our new caskale for the on-trade – Canterbury Jack. A refreshingly, zestyale with wide appeal, it has proved extremely popular intaste trials and at its launch at the Great British BeerFestival. I urge you all to try a pint for yourselves!

We are delighted with two considerable acquisitions.The George Hotel, Cranbrook, is a classic inn which boasts an excellent reputation and a rich heritage. The Westminster Arms, on Storey's Gate, counts royals and archbishops among its patrons.

This issue would not be complete without honouringone of the brewing industry’s most illustrious figures,Shepherd Neame’s production and distribution directorIan Dixon, who retires after more than 40 years in theindustry. We thank and congratulate him on his vastcontribution to Shepherd Neame and British brewing and give him our best wishes for his retirement.

We also welcome Ian’s replacement, Tom Falcon, whojoins us from logistics giant Maersk Company Ltd, part ofthe A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, where he was the director ofstrategy and process excellence. He also held senior positionsin asset management and procurement and was responsiblefor a portfolio of transport and distribution companies.

Jonathan NeameChief Executive Shepherd Neame

Record sales butincreased costsThe company has proved resilient in theface of the UK’s economic downturn andincreased costs.

Highlights include:

• Turnover up 1.7% to £101.7m• Excellent performance from Asahi Super Dry –

volumes up 11.2%• Voted The Publican Regional Brewer of the Year• Strong performance from London pubs, with

annual like-for-like sales up 5.1%

Although turnover has increased by 1.7% to £101.7m,margins have been squeezed by significant increases incosts, such as malt, glass, utilities and food. Raw materialcost per unit has increased by 45% since 2005/6 andfurther substantial rises are expected into 2009.

As a consequence, operating profit margin beforeexceptional items has fallen from 13.8% to 12.3%.

Chairman Miles Templeman said: “This has been avery challenging year for our industry. There has been asharp downturn in economic activity and consumer confidencein the UK. Our performance has nonetheless been resilientand compares well against a record result in 2007.”

Despite the challenging conditions, ShepherdNeame achieved a satisfactory result from its pub estate.London pubs remained very strong with like-for-like growthof 5.1%, food sales grew by 4.3% and accommodationsales in the managed estate grew by 4.8%.

The company’s ale portfolio has proved veryresilient to the difficult market conditions. The newly-expanded take home team grew revenue by 14.6% andbottled Spitfire sales grew by 15.7%. Asahi Super Dry hashad an outstanding year with volume growth of 11.2%.

Export has also performed extremely well withrevenue up 26.2%. Meanwhile national on-sales grewrevenues by 12.1%.

Chief executive Jonathan Neame said: “We remainoptimistic about long termprospects. We continue toinvest in the business toensure that we have theright pubs, the right brandportfolio, the right peopleskills and production andsupply chain capability to take advantage ofopportunities as they arise.The long term success of Shepherd Neame hasbeen the breadth andbalance of the vertically-integrated businessmodel. This gives us thestrength to be flexibleand adaptable in therapidly changing market.”

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Shepherd Neame has won theCorporate Social Responsibilitycategory of the KentBusiness Awards 2008.

Chief executive Jonathan Neameis pictured receiving the award fromMike Collins of category sponsorRoyal Bank of Scotland.

The award recognises thebusiness that has shown the greatestcommitment to reducing its impact onthe environment and has had the most

positive involvement in its localcommunity during the past year.

The brewery was praised fordemonstrating a long-standingcommitment to the environment withinitiatives such as replacing existingHGVs with new fuel-efficient drayswhich operate well below theemissions limits set in Greater London.

Shepherd Neame was also thefirst company in the UK to install PDX technology which has led to a50% increase in energy efficiency in the brewhouse.

Community achievements haveincluded a commitment to localsourcing, promoting responsibledrinking and fund-raising events inaddition to more than £500,000 worthof sports sponsorship each year.

Jonathan Neame said: “It is anhonour to be recognised by the KentBusiness Awards for our CSR practices.Shepherd Neame takes its responsibility tothe people of Kent and the environmentvery seriously. Sustainable businesspractices allow us to plan for longterm growth and development.”

The brewery was the venue for theTercentenarians’ annual meeting, a uniquegathering of the handful of Britishcompanies more than 300 years old.

Representatives of renowned names including Fortnum & Mason, hatters James Lock and Co, of St James’s, and the Fleet Street bank Hoare & Co enjoyed a brewery tour, a tutored tasting and lunch at the visitor centre.

Two Kent companies are represented in the Tercentenarians,Shepherd Neame and master builders R. Durtnell & Sons, of Rectory Lane, Brasted.

Britain’s most exclusive business club was founded in 1970by Geoffrey Durtnell and Richard Early of bedding firm Early’sof Witney. Membership is only open to those businesses thathave been trading continuously for more than 300 years.

Brewery hosts uniqueTercentenarians’ meeting

Reducing environmental impact

L-R: Jonathan Neame, Lucie Neame, Antoine and Jana Khayat fromFortnum & Mason, Robert Neame CBE and Yvonne Neame

Shepherd Neamehas launched a newcask ale aimed atale-lovers acrossthe UK. MasterBrewer has beenbehind the scenesto find out aboutthe birth of a beer.

THE

HOP

Canterbury Jack was unveiled atCAMRA’S Great British Beer Festival inAugust offering ale drinkers somethingnew from Britain’s oldest brewer.

A 3.5% abv cask beer with arefreshing, zesty flavour, CanterburyJack is hand-crafted using the samehigh-quality locally-sourced barley,hops and water as all ShepherdNeame beers.

Canterbury Jack is brewed withpale and crystal malts. In addition toShepherd Neame’s prized East KentGolding hops, locally-grown Cascadehops are also added to the copper.The latter is a popular Americanvariety, rarely grown in the UK.

Canterbury Jack boasts an eye-catching, embossed pump clip, withlarge, red lettering, and, like its sisterale Spitfire, has its own distinctivebrand of humorous advertising.

A range of Canterbury Jackadvertisements show vintage pubscenes mixed with “rap” characterstalking in modern street slang, and the slogan “The Hip Hop”.

A selection of humorous postcardshas been designed in the same vein.

Shepherd Neame’s marketingand sales director, Graeme Craig, said:“We are very excited about CanterburyJack and were proud to launch it at the Great British Beer Festival in front ofthe country’s most discerning audience.We hope its modern, refreshing flavourwill appeal to established ale drinkersas well as people discovering ale forthe first time.”

Canterbury Jack is available ondraught in Shepherd Neame pubs andselected pubs and bars nationwide. A bottled version for the off-trade isplanned for next year.’’

‘‘This pale, zesty beer tantalisesthe nostrils with the aroma ofgrapefruit before full-bodied,

malty, citrus notes delight the palate, leading to a crisp,refreshing, gentle bitter finish.

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The launch padperfect

Great British Beer Festival visitors get the first taste

The Great British BeerFestival, run by theCampaign for Real Ale,provided the perfectshowcase for CanterburyJack, with 60,000 ale-loversfrom across the countryflocking to Earls Court.

Shepherd Neame sponsored theglassware for the event, and hosted oneof the brewery bars, as well as having a seating area, allowing the sales team to entertain more show visitors,industry colleagues and customersfrom both the on and off trades.

Special Canterbury Jack umbrellas made sure the ShepherdNeame bar could be seen from a distance in the packedauditorium and show-goers supped from 49,000 brandedCanterbury Jack glasses – including pints, halves and thirds.

Brand manager Charlie Holland, who organised thebrewery’s presence at the show, said afterwards: “Our bar did wellover both the trade and public days. I believe we sold around3,500 pints of Canterbury Jack alone and our bar staff receivedgreat feedback from visitors, with Canterbury Jack receiving lotsof positive comments.”

Birth of abrandm

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A light and refreshing, citrusy ale,it’s a far cry from the heavily hoppedmalty bitterness of, say, BishopsFinger. But it is definitely one of thefamily; a true Kentish ale.

The trial beer went through monthsof research and tasting sessions acrossthe UK, and was sampled by a broadrange of consumers.

The early tasting results were encouraging:50% said they liked Canterbury Jack best in a blind tasting against a range of popularnationally-available cask ales.

The next step was to send sample firkinsto a mix of outlets where the beer was trialled“in disguise” to a range of consumers and, onceagain, the response was extremely positive.

With recipe and flavour in place, it was time to bring in RPM3, the advertisingagency behind the hugely successful Spitfireadvertisements, to create a “personality” for thenew beer and to position it in the marketplace.

They came up with the humorous idea ofjuxtaposing Shepherd Neame’s heritage andtradition with modern hip hop language andthe tag line “The Hip Hop” to exemplify thetraditional ale’s modern image.

There was also a conscious decision tomake the logo and pump clip distinctivelydifferent from Shepherd Neame’s other brands,in terms of shape, typeface and colours.

The cheeky advertisements feature in acampaign in the major trade and consumerpublications and the image of the brand is alsosupported by stylish umbrellas and polo shirts.

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Mr Asahi, the world's firstrobotic barman, made hisdebut at Selfridges in London,attracting huge internationalinterest. Mr Asahi servedjournalists and shoppers withAsahi Super Dry, brewed onlicence by Shepherd Neameat Faversham for theJapanese brewers.

Crafted in the UK and Japan, the mechanical wonder weighs in atone tonne, and took eight engineers 200 man hours to build.

It took six months to perfect Mr Asahi’s pouring skills ahead of its appearance at Selfridges, beforeembarking on a nationwide tour,visiting Manchester, Nottingham,Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle,Birmingham and Leeds.

Mr Asahi is controlled by acomputer which regulates compressedair through valves and pistons toprovide the animatronics required to pour the perfect pint.

The robot also takes beer bottlesoff a conveyor belt, pops the caps off,then spins them around on a lazy susan.

For the final flourish ofauthenticity, there’s also a bit of chat.

“Hello everybody,” he asks. “It’s delightful to be here. Would you like an Asahi beer?”

Asahi brand manager ChristianHamilton said: ““The reaction of thepublic and press to the robot has beennothing less than astounding. Mr Asahihas appeared on international TV andin the press and has become one of themost Googled gadgets on the internet.

“The sampling tour has been a great success, with more and more people experiencing the great taste of Asahi Super Dry. The tour has taken in bars and supermarkets in the UK’s top cities.”

R O B O H O P

Pack full of Eastern promiseThe exotic beers of the Far East cometogether in The Asian Collection, a uniquefusion of three premium lagers nowavailable nationwide.

The Asian Collection retails at £5.99 and includes six330ml bottles, two Asahi Super Dry, two Sun Lik Beer andtwo Kingfisher.

Following the success of the Olympics, there is hugeinterest in all things oriental and pan-Asian bars andrestaurants are some of the coolest places across the UK to tryChinese, Japanese and Indian food with the beers of the region.

Now the adventure can continue at home, says Sun Likbrand manager Olly Scott.

He said: “We are very excited about teaming up thesethree strong Asian brands, which are packaged together inan Indiana Jones-style treasure box with bottle shots laid over a map showing an aeroplane’s route across India,China and Japan.”

The collection has been launched in specially-designedend-of-aisle boxes in 330 Asda supermarkets across thecountry, with the emphasis on how the beers make theperfect accompaniment to pan-Asian food.

Supermarket customers are offered the chance to buythe Asian Collection together with Asian food for a set price.

Swedes celebrate 50th birthday of

Bishops FingerSweden is one of the major export

markets for Bishops Finger and ShepherdNeame has been celebrating its anniversarywith a series of events on both sides ofthe North Sea.

A party of bar owners and chefs fromSweden were guests of export managerNick Harding at this year’s hop festival.

The day before the festival, the chefsprepared a classic Swedish meal for tradecustomers and other guests at thebrewery which was matched with a rangeof Shepherd Neame ales and lagers,introduced by brewer David Holmes.

The party visited Parsonage Farm, wherefarmer Tony Redsell demonstrated the cuttingand preparation of hops, before visiting TheAnchor for a traditional beer and oysterlunch and an evening out in Canterbury.

After the hop festival, PresidentRobert Neame and his wife Yvonne travelledto Stockholm, where they entertained 100customers with a beer and food matchingevent at the British Embassy, showing how

Shepherd Neame beers can be enjoyedwith traditional Swedish fare.

In the evening, the ambassadorhosted a dinner to celebrate 50 years ofBishops Finger.

Swedish chefs visit the Shepherd Neame Brewery (left to right): Sandra Ekvall, Johannes Branndstrom,Marcus Thoren, Anders Rydgren and Peter Sundberg

The ambassador’s reception (left to right): Daniel Gyhlenius,senior brand manager of Bibendum AB; Elizabeth EngelsenEllqvist, marketing manager of Bibendum AB; RobertNeame, president of Shepherd Neame; and KristerAhnström, sales manager of Bibendum AB

Rural pubs providevital services

More Shepherd Neame pubsare stepping in to providerural communities with vitalservices such as “meals-on-wheels”, post office servicesand even advice.

Gayna Barry, licensee of theFlying Horse in Smarden, Kent,prepares up to 16 hot, two-coursemeals for elderly and infirm villagers onweekdays for a cost of just £3.50 a head.

The pub meals are part ofSmarden’s Good Neighbour Scheme,in which food is prepared in the schoolkitchen during term-time and providedby the pub during the holidays.

Gayna, who cooks all the food at the pub, said: “People can choosebetween two main courses, such as a roast or liver and bacon and have apudding or fruit for dessert. We don’tmake any money out of it – it’s for thegood of the community. The meals use local produce and can be chosenin advance from a weekly menu.

“Smarden is a lovely place tolive,” said Gayna. “We try to supportvillage life with charity nights, byemploying local people and bysourcing the ingredients of our pubfood as locally as possible.”

The Walnut Tree at Aldington,Kent, is providing a venue for stafffrom Ashford CAB to provide impartialhelp and advice to villagers on a drop-in basis, part of a pilot scheme to take Citizen’s Advice Bureaux outinto the community.

Licensee Karen Barrett explained:“Some villagers find it difficult to getinto Ashford so the CAB approachedus about becoming a venue wherepeople could have a one-to-one chatabout their problems and queries.

“The surgery runs from 12.30 to1.30pm every other Wednesday andwe have found them a quiet corner of the restaurant where they will not be disturbed. Other venues includechurch halls but I believe we are theonly pub to be a venue.”

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Eve Lester delivers a welcome meal to Helen Austen

Licensees Gerard and Gayna Barry prepare a firm favourite

Around 3,200 keen walkerstook part in this year’s KentCharity Walk, organised byShepherd Neame and the KentMessenger Group, bringing thetotal amount of money raisedfor Kent hospices since theevent’s inception to £805,000.

This year’s walk set off from CharingRacecourse and covered an 11-milecircular route through scenic woods andparkland and along part of the ancientPilgrims Way. This was an increase onthe 10-mile distance of previous yearsas an eleventh hospice, at Bromley, has been added to the list of thosereceiving a share of the money raised.

Key to the walk’s success are thevolunteer marshals from the RoyalEngineers who help guide the thousandsof walkers around the route. This yearShepherd Neame was also able topresent the Help for Heroes charitywith a £1,000 donation towards theredevelopment of the Defence MedicalRehabilitation Centre – Headley Court.

KentCharity Walk

Walk marshals from the Royal Engineers receive acheque for Help for Heroes from Shepherd Neame

The latest high quality hotel to be acquired by ShepherdNeame has a long and illustrious history.

Set in the heart of the Weald of Kent in one of Cranbrook’s most historicbuildings, The George Hotel has earned a reputation for being one of Kent’sforemost boutique hotels.

The hotel has 12 bedrooms blending period and contemporary features,including eight period rooms in the older part of the building and fourcontemporary rooms housed in the newer part of the hotel.

The hotel’s brasserie holds an AA rosette and is listed in both The GoodFood Guide 2008 and Alistair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay: Pubs and Inns ofEngland and Wales.

All dishes are freshly cooked to order using only the finest ingredients andproduce mainly sourced from the Kent and Sussex countryside and coast. TheGeorge’s suppliers include Park Farm in Hawkhurst, Kent, the Weald Smokery inFlimwell, East Sussex, Lynton Seafoods in Maidstone, Kent, and the Gourmet Game Co in Rye, East Sussex.

By George,I think we’ve got it!

AcqThe George was established as a major watering hole

when Cranbrook was the capital of the Weald of Kent’sbroadcloth industry as early as 1300. It has a royal pedigreetoo: Queen Elizabeth I visited the inn in 1573, when she was presented with a silver gilt cup, engraved with a lionsupporting the queen’s arms.

The George is ideal to use as a base to visit a numberof tourist attractions such as Sissinghurst Castle Gardens,Royal Tunbridge Wells and the historic Cinque ports ofTenterden and Rye.

The new manager of the George is Debbie Campbell,who was born in Tunbridge Wells and lived in Sissinghurstfor many years before pursuing a career in hotel management.The former tax specialist ran hotels in Dartmoor and Walesbefore returning to her roots this summer.

“This is a stunning hotel and we have a great teamworking hard to create a unique experience for everyonewho comes here,” said Debbie.

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uisitions

Not many pubs can say they have played host toArchbishop Desmond Tutu,Bob Geldof and PrinceEdward but then theWestminster Arms inWhitehall, ShepherdNeame’s latest acquisition,is no ordinary watering hole.

This bustling bar and restaurantclose to the House of Commonsmanages to keep a very diverseclientele happy and even has a division bell so that MPs and politicaljournalists can scamper back to theHouse in time for votes.

“People from all over thespectrum have been customers for along time,” says manager Gerry Dolan,who runs the Westminster Arms withhis wife Marie. “We get a lot of famousfaces in here but we treat all ourcustomers the same and pride ourselveson serving quickly because that’s whatmost of them are looking for.”

In keeping with its historic settingclose to Downing St, Horse GuardsParade and St James’s Park, the pubserves a traditional menu of steak and kidney pudding, cottage pie andfish and chips alongside a few moremodern favourites.

The Westminster Arms serves a wide range of cask ales and housewines including, of course, BishopsFinger. “We’ll be offering DesmondTutu a glass of that when he nextcomes in,” says Gerry.

Politicians meet pop stars atThe Westminster Arms

The brewery has acquiredthe White Hart, Claygate, a delightfully traditional pub.

Surrounded by orchards and fields,the White Hart is an established meetingplace within the heart of the Kentcountryside known for its real ale. TheVictorian inn has earned a reputation forgood food and hosting special events.

The pub has a large garden withseating and children’s play equipment,

a restaurant with 68 covers and twoseparate bars. Its interior is traditionalwith exposed ceiling beams and otherperiod features.

New licensees Carl and SarahThompson (pictured) are going tocontinue the pub’s theatre nights, atwhich customers can take in a play and enjoy a two-course meal. Therestaurant’s updated menu will offer aselection of wholesome meals preparedfrom fresh top-quality local produce.The pub will also host a regular

folk night, with singing, poetry and storytelling.

Sarah said: “The White Hart hasan atmosphere where people feel part of the family and are at ease whetherthey stay at the bar and chat or enjoy a quiet drink in the corner.”

Property and tenanted trade directorGeorge Barnes said: “We are delightedto have acquired the White Hart andwe look forward to the pub playing anactive role in the local community.”

White Hart plays active rolein community

Mayoral thumbs-up for Bishops Finger

The Mayor of Canterbury,Councillor Carolyn Parry, pulled the first pint at the Bishops Finger,Canterbury, when it re-openedfollowing a £105,000 refurbishment.

The bar area has been improvedand redecorated, with new furnitureand a mirrored bar, as well as historicphotographs and memorabiliacontributing to the traditionalcharacter of the city centre pub and its cosy interior. The pub’s sportoffering has also been upgraded withnew televisions throughout including a large screen which covers the rearwall of the pub.

New outdoor furniture has beenadded to the large beer gardenincluding a giant umbrella; ensuringthe pub is ready for all weathers.

New zest for OrangesThe Oranges’ new licensees, Julia

Butler and partner Ashlee Love (right),have reinvigorated the Ashford pub withan extensive refurbishment and a fresh new menu.

Julia is drawing on her experiencein the pub industry to develop TheOranges’ potential as a great destinationfor lunchtime and evening meals; hermost recent position was as manager at The Albion, Faversham.

Ashlee is reprising his role as headchef and has already created an originalmenu for the pub.

The brewery helped out by paying£16,000 for the exterior of the buildingto be redecorated.

Lamb reopens with fresh new lookThe Lamb, in Farnham, Surrey,

has reopened following a £52,000refurbishment by the brewery.

Jonathan Neame officiallyreopened the pub in August andpresented a charity cheque for £200 to Melanie Hill of Chase Hospice Carefor Children. Tom Bobbins, 78, a former RAF pilot who has been aregular in the pub for many years,pulled the first pint.

The Lamb, in Abbey Street, nowhas a fresh new look, with slate andhardwood flooring, new furniture, blinds,better lighting and refurbished toilets.

The pub also held a musicevening for Chase Hospice Care forChildren recently, raising another £600for the charity. Live music is a bigattraction at the pub, which hostsmusicians from as far as Florida andBoston, playing a range of genres,including rock, blues and ska.

Yew Tree has new look and new menu

The brewery has completed a£60,000 refurbishment at the Yew Tree,Sandling, near Maidstone.

The refurbishment involved acomplete redecoration with newwooden wall panelling, kitchen, toiletsand soft furnishings.

New tenant Mathew Bryant has transformed the pub’s menu byoffering fresh, wholesome dishes using ingredients from local suppliers.

He said: “I want to maintain thispub’s strong sense of community and help out local charities such asTyland Barn.”

L-R: Sean McCord (manager), the Mayor of CanterburyCouncillor Carolyn Parry, David Denne from theCanterbury Pilgrims Hospice and Jonathan Neame

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The brewery’s latest accommodationguide has been launched with a specialoffer on pre-Christmas breaks: from 1 December to 18 December, ShepherdNeame’s accommodation houses will beoffering two nights for the price of one,subject to availability.

New in this year’s guide is the recently-acquiredGeorge Hotel, Cranbrook (see feature on page 12).Dating back to the 14th century and visited by QueenElizabeth I in 1573, this ancient inn in the Weald of Kentretains a wealth of period features. The George hasbeen transformed into a boutique hotel and brasseriewith 12 individually designed rooms offering a blend ofcontemporary and period style.

For more information on the special offers availableall year round and to obtain a free accommodationguide, telephone Louise Hopkins at Shepherd Neameon 01795 542173 or visit www.shepherdneame.co.uk.

Shepherd Neame has seven of its pubs featured in The Good Food Guide 2009 published by the consumerassociation Which?.

The Guide features 26 places to dine across Kent and morethan one in four of these are Shepherd Neame pubs. Of the 26entries, there are 10 dining pubs and Shepherd Neame clearlydominates this category owning 70% of the listed pubs.

The Shepherd Neame pubs that have reappeared in theguide are: The Sportsman, Seasalter; The Railway; Faversham;The Granville, Canterbury; The Dove, Dargate, and theFitzwalter Arms, Goodnestone. These have been joined by two new entrants for Shepherd Neame: the Three Mariners,Oare, and the Carpenters, Eastling.

Now in its 57th year The Good Food Guideis recognised as Britain’s leading restaurantreview. All the inspections carried out by theguide are anonymous, all meals are paid for and the publication receives no sponsorship oradvertising, ensuring truly independent reviews.

Crowning gloryThere’s one consolation of a wet summer – it’s goodfor the garden – and thewinners of this year’s PubGarden Awards have madethe best of their outdoorspace despite the weather,each winning £250 worth of gardening vouchers.

The winner of this year’s largegarden award is the King Henry VIII,next to Hever Castle.

Licensee Tracey Begent (right)arrived at the pub 15 months ago andhas already turned the garden into adestination in its own right.

The garden features a pagodacovered in blooms and the patio is ariot of colour from the hanging basketsand borders that surround the seating.There is also a lawn with 10 tables,providing an area to sit and admire the floral displays and wall-mountedfountains.

One of the castle’s ponds backsonto the pub garden, providing aninteresting focal point full of moorhensand ducks.

Tracey said: “When we firstarrived, the garden was in a bit of astate but I could see that there was a lot of potential. I sat down with aprofessional to plan how I would likethe garden to look, the colours andfeatures. The smell on a hot day whenthe aroma of the flowers drifts throughthe pub is gorgeous and the gardengets really busy. I just love walking outonto the patio and seeing all the vividcolours of the flowers.”

Hidden treasure

Pubs set the standard forgood food

The small garden and hangingbaskets award has been wonby The Smugglers Inn, Herne.

Licensees Jacqueline and ColinSutton (left) were commended for theirextensive flower border as well as aflower box that runs the length of oneof the garden walls. The pub hostsregular bat and trap matches so thegarden is dominated by an exceptionallawn with the appropriate chalk markings.

Colin tends the garden for acouple of hours daily, watering andweeding the hanging baskets. Hedeveloped his green fingers upon firstmoving to the pub and set aboutlandscaping the entire garden. It isreinvigorated each year with new flowersand home-made hanging baskets.

He says: “I enjoy working on thegarden and our regulars love sittingout there. It has really come into itsown since the smoking ban with somecustomers discovering it for the firsttime. The bat and trap team says it isthe best pitch they play on.”

New accommodation guide

Pub NewsCrash course in fund-raising

for ‘Penelope Pitstop’Licensee Karen Barrett of the Walnut Tree,Aldington – aka Penelope Pitstop – is picturedtaking a tumble during a day of bank holidayfun in which intrepid soap box racers risked lifeand limb plunging down Forge Hill, Aldington,to raise money for charity.

“Although all the soap boxes were checked before we wereallowed to race, my steering broke and I rolled my cart twice,”said Karen.

The Aldington Soap Box Race was the centrepiece of thefamily day which raised £10,000, shared between PilgrimsHospices and Aldington Village Hall.

Karen takes a tumble, but it’s all in a good cause

Brandsin BBI awardsSeveral brands brewed at Faversham by ShepherdNeame won awards in the British Bottlers’ InstituteCompetition for Ales, Lagers and Ciders 2008.

Master Brew achieved a diploma, while 1698 andKingfisher won silver medals in their respective categories.

Early Bird and Whitstable Bay won silver in thepackaging section of the awards.

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The oldest barman in Britainhas been pulling pints ofShepherd Neame ale for thelast 20 years. Joakim “Chris”Christou celebrated his 100thbirthday recently at theWestwood Masonic Centre,Welling, a Shepherd Neamefree trade account.

Mr Christou has worked theresince the tender age of 80 havingfound retirement too dull and can stillbe found behind the bar on a numberof weekday afternoons. ShepherdNeame free trade account manager Carl Flaxman was in attendance topresent Mr Christou with an engravedpewter ale stoup as thanks for hisexceptional dedication.

Oldest barman serves Shepherd Neame

Right: (l-r) Shepherd Neame’s Carl Flaxman presents Chris with hisbirthday presents, alongside Charlton Athletic’s Steve Sutherland

Pub drinks award successOn-trade market researchcompany ontrack hascrowned Shepherd Neamethe ‘Best Pub DrinksRetailer’ following its annual research projectacross the pub industry.

ontrack surveyed more than 5,000pub customers and 400 employees in the UK. Shepherd Neame wasrecognised for the quality of its drinksservice, glass cleanliness, drinktemperatures, and sufficient ice and lemon, where appropriate.

The quality of drink service ratedas the most important aspect of a visitto the pub according to the survey.

Shepherd Neame business district manager Greg Wallis collects the‘Best Pub Drinks Retailer Award’ from ontrack’s Katie Littler

food and drink award final

The George & Dragon in TheStreet, Ightham, won regionalhonours in a competition run by a major local newspaper group.

The 16th century pub, run by Mark andFiona Harris, was chosen as Best Bistro and Best Gastro Pub in the Archant London Foodand Drink Awards 2008 by readers of theGravesend Reporter.

Tenants Mark and Fiona, accompanied bytheir chef Lee Pell, attended an awards ceremonyin September at the Radisson SAS Hotel,Portman Square, London, hosted by renownedchef Jean-Christophe Novelli.

The George & Dragon, Ightham, was namedWine Pub of the Year, in the 2008 ShepherdNeame Pub Awards.

Production and distributiondirector Ian Dixon (above)retired at the end of Julyafter more than 40 years inthe industry.

Directors and staff paid tribute tohis tireless work in the industry with aparty in the visitor centre and aspecially-brewed beer, Ian’s AbsquatulatingAle. The bottles featured a caricature ofIan dressed as a cowboy and bearingthe legend “With his work done, the lone figure on his trusty steed,Mercedes, rode off into the sunset”in honour of his idol, John Wayne.

Ian joined Shepherd Neame in1991 as production and distributiondirector.

In his early career, he gainedpractical training and experience atBrewing Research International andJohn Smith’s Brewery, Tadcaster.

Later he was appointed groupproduction director of Courage Breweries,where he was responsible for part of thedesign and development of the BerkshireBrewery, then the largest in the UK.

During his tenure at theFaversham brewery, Shepherd Neamemade significant strides in cutting waterand power use, achieving a Queen’sAward for Sustainable Development, a National Business Award for CSR and two Kent Business Awards, thisyear for CSR and previously for KentEnvironment Business of the Year.

Ian oversaw the development ofthe Shepherd Neame DistributionCentre, which has improved efficiencyand taken hundreds of lorry movementsoff the medieval streets of Faversham,and the creation of the brewery’s visitorcentre. All the while, Ian was chargedwith meeting the challenge ofmodernising Shepherd Neame’sbrewing operation without sacrificingits tradition or compromising its values.

Shepherd Neame has put asidean acre of land on its farm nearFaversham to house part of theNational Hop Collection, a pioneeringproject supported by Ian, hopresearcher Peter Darby and renownedgrower Tony Redsell to protect Britain’shistoric hop varieties.

Ian and his team of brewers haveenjoyed repeated success at theEuropean Beer Star Awards, the WorldBeer Awards and two consecutive DailyTelegraph/Sainsbury’s Taste of BritainAwards for distinctive beers such asSpitfire, Bishops Finger, Whitstable Bayand 1698. He also introduced theShepherd Neame microbrewery.

One testament to Ian’scommitment to quality has been thewillingness of such respected brandsas Asahi and Holsten to trust ShepherdNeame to accurately recreate theirbeers on licence for the UK market.

Nominated by his peers in theInstitute of Brewing and Distilling, Ian was presented with the All-PartyParliamentary Beer Group’s Brewer of the Year Award by its chairman John Grogan MP, in June, to mark hissignificant contribution to the industry.

master brew

er page 19Jonathan Neame thanked Ian for his tremendous

contribution to the company and presented him with afarewell gift of a silver hip flask. Senior managers andcolleagues joined Ian for a brewer’s lunch in which thecourses were matched with beers that Ian had brewedthrough his career, including Newcastle Brown Ale matchedwith pease pudding and ham stotties, brought downspecially from the North East.

Chairman Miles Templeman said: “During his time withthe company, Ian has overseen major development andmodernisation of the brewery and distribution facilities andsupported the growth of our ale and lager brands. We weredelighted that he was recently named as the All-PartyParliamentary Beer Group Brewer of the Year. We wish hima long and happy retirement.”

Ian also enjoyed a retirement dinner at Brewers’ Hall,London, on 24 September, with friends and colleagues fromhis long career in the industry.

Ian won’t be giving up a life in brewing completely –he has already received a number of consultancy offers andis chairman of Brewing Research International.

But there will be a lot more time for his family and hisother loves – a frog-eyed Sprite, Austin Healey 3000 and anold E-Type Jaguar.

Ian has handed over to Tom Falcon as thenew production and distribution director.

Tom (below) has joined Shepherd Neame from logisticsgiant Maersk, where he was the director of strategy andprocess excellence. He also held senior positions in assetmanagement and procurement and was responsible for a portfolio of transport and distribution companies.

Prior to joining Maersk, Tom spent seven years working in Africa, predominantly for Transami, East Africa’smajor freight forwarding and logistics operator. He thencompleted an MBA at INSEAD and spent three years withA.T. Kearney management consultants. His career has taken him to, among others, Botswana, Kenya, Uganda,Denmark, Holland and France.

Tom, who was born in Canterbury, now lives in Hinxhillwith his wife Annabel and their four children. Tom enjoys anumber of sports and is a keen musician.

Chairman Miles Templeman, said: “I am delighted towelcome Tom to the company. We are confident that hisexperience, particularly in process excellence and transportation,will be of significant benefit to Shepherd Neame insupporting the growth and development of the business.”

Tom said: “I have always been aware of ShepherdNeame’s beers and pubs, having grown up in Kent, and I am thrilled to have joined the company.

“The rate of change across business processes,systems and practices is immense. As Shepherd Neamecontinues to grow and extend its reach, quality, processimprovement and efficiency is becoming more important thanever. My role, with my team, is to drive these improvementsand add to Shepherd Neame’s tremendous success.”

Out of Africa

Brewery staff toast Ian’s retirement in the visitor centre

National Hop

Experts in their fieldThese four beer experts arestanding in an unassumingfield in Kent that contains a time capsule of brewingheritage.

Pictured left to right, Dr PeterDarby, Ian Dixon, beer writer RogerProtz and David Holmes are flanked by a unique piece of living history.

For this acre of land nearFaversham, now houses part of theNational Hop Collection, protectingand preserving rare strains of hops.

Shepherd Neame’s Ian Dixon and David Holmes have collaboratedwith Dr Peter Darby, the UK’s leadinghop researcher, and National HopAssociation President Tony Redsell to create the facility – which acts as a back-up for the main body of thecollection at China Farm, Harbledown.

The wirework was completed in thespring and a crop, including numerousrare breeds, blossomed with a very highsuccess rate. The collection includesmany varieties dating back to the 19thcentury and it is hoped by next year thatenough can be harvested for a small brew.

Here Dr Peter Darby and renownedale author Roger Protz, from The GoodBeer Guide, give their expert views onthe importance of the collection for thepast, present and future of British brewing.

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CollectionEach hop variety provides a unique contribution to theflavour and taste of beer.Much of the heritage ofBritish beer was at theformer Wye College hop collection.

In 2007, the National HopAssociation of England transferred the collection to China Farm, nearCanterbury. During 2008, the essentialcore of this collection, comprising 250different varieties and breeding lines,was planted at Shepherd Neame’s landat Queen Court Farm, near Faversham.

This facility will be of immensevalue to the English hop industry. Itsafeguards the varieties against anylosses at the main China Farm site.Queen Court now has 110 named hopvarieties, dating back to ‘Old Golding’from 1790 and ‘Colgate’ from 1805through to the most recent Englishhop variety, ‘Sovereign’, released in 2006.

While access to the collections atWye College was restricted, a viewingplatform at Queen Court will allowvisitors to see many of the varietieslong-lost from commercial productionas well as all the varieties used byShepherd Neame in its beers.

The elite breeding lines, now atQueen Court, contain a huge range of traits to allow new varieties to bedeveloped to meet the challenges of hop production in England in the21st century. In particular, it containsunique dwarf hop lines, and pest anddisease resistance.

Queen Court not only acts as agenetic bank for these traits but thesite will also be used for collectingpollen and making new crosses.

This collaborative projectbetween brewer and hop grower willensure that future English hop varietieswill continue to provide the tastes and flavours associated with theEnglish hop varieties of the last twocenturies, actively preserving thenational hop heritage.

Dr Peter Darby

Preserving hops’ heritage

From themicrobrewery...

Kingfisher and Spitfire on top of the worldKingfisher and Spitfire have won medals in the Monde World Selection 2008, the premierinternational food and drink awards.

Kingfisher won a Grand Gold Award with Palm Leaves in thecategory for Pilsen-style beers, following expert scrutiny by industryjudges. The Grand Gold Award with Palm Leaves is the highest accolade the judging panel can bestow, and recognises products that win more than 90% of jury points.

Spitfire won a Silver Medal in the Pale Ale category.

The winning products went on show at an exhibition and gala event in Vienna.

Monde Selection is an independent international institute founded in 1961 in Brussels, and is the world’s oldest and most respected organisation in the field of Quality Selections. Each year an average of more than 1,500 products are presented to the institute from more than 70 countries in order to find the world’s best food and drink.

Shepherd Neame has joined the beer qualitymonitoring scheme Cask Marque.

Cask Marque, which audits both pubcellars and distribution centres to accreditthe quality and handling of the beer, nowhas 31 corporate members, and thebrewery will become one of the scheme’snational training venues.

Sales and marketing director GraemeCraig said: “The brewery can championbeer quality within our estate with ourexcellent Master of Beer qualification.However, as our cask ale brands, Spitfireand Bishops Finger, are available nationallyit is important that we use Cask Marque aspart of our support package to ensure thatour beer is always served in the bestpossible condition.”

Graeme said the brewery would alsobe supporting Cask Marque initiativessuch as Cask Ale Week, planned for Easter 2009.

Stepping upto the marqueShepherd Neame’s brewers, led by

brewer Stewart Main, have been brewingsmall quantities of beer for special events.The microbrewery has hand-crafted a rangeof different beers including:

Jack in the Green SpecialEvent: Jack in the GreenFestival, HastingsThe beer: This 4.1% abvtraditional beer featured pureSussex honey from PaynesSouthdown Bee Farm as a key ingredient. Stewart’s notes: “The finest Maris Otterpale ale malt was the principal brewingingredient complemented by sun-driedgolden oats and gently kilned caramalt. The hops used were First Gold and Pilot.”

Faversham KriekEvent: Flavours of FavershamfestivalThe beer: A 4.1% abv fruit beerfermented with a mixture ofcherries from the National FruitCollection at nearby Brogdale

and from the garden of The Anchorpub in Faversham.

Stewart’s notes: “Kriek is a traditionalBelgian beer fermented with sour cherries.Our version was a deliciously quaffable palebeer infused with cherries.”

Original WhitstableOyster Bay StoutEvent: WhitstableOyster FestivalThe beer: A 3.7% abvstout made by adding ahandful of fresh oysters to the copper duringthe boil, a practice popular among Britishbrewers just after World War II.Stewart’s notes: “This full bodied traditionalstout, brewed with pale, black, brown andcrystal malts, gave a rich flavour on thepalate. Then the classic bitterness fromgenerous quantities of East Kent Goldingshops took over.”

Kent Show StopperEvent: Kent ShowThe beer: This 4.1% abv traditional beerfeaturing pure honey from Kentish apiaries as a key ingredient, was sold exclusively atShepherd Neame’s real ale bar at the KentShowground, Detling. Stewart’s notes: “A traditional Kentish paleale with a delicate flavour complementedwith the addition of Kentish honey, sourcedfrom local farms, added directly to the cask.”

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Rusty Thorneycroft, who laid the foundations of thecompany’s tenanted tradeestate department duringthe 1970s and 80s, has diedfollowing a short illness.

The former tied trade director,who retired in 1988, died in the springafter suffering a stroke last Christmas.He was 84. Tragically, his wife Fiona,known to many at the brewery, alsodied soon afterwards, in July.

Born in Surrey, Rusty spent his early career in the Army, rising to the rank of Major in the Buffs.

Robert Neame met Rusty whileplaying cricket and was sufficientlyimpressed to ask him to join thecompany in 1966. Rusty started out as free trade representative for West Kent.

In 1972, Shepherd Neameacquired 32 pubs from Whitbread,following a ruling by the Monopoliesand Merger Commission. Rusty wascharged with creating a new departmentand a new strategy, focusing on thepub side of the business.

Colleague Bryan Mulhernrecalled: “Suddenly the tied tradeestate had increased by a quarter and it was our job to liaise with all thetenants in this much larger operation. I joined Rusty in a tiny attic office at the top of the brewery and our first handover was at the Duke ofCumberland, Whitstable.

“On the way there, I asked himexactly what we were supposed to doat a handover. He admitted that hedidn’t have the faintest idea but said ‘If we stand around and look importantthen we’ll find out as we go along’.”

Another important member of theteam was Rusty’s dog – a Jack Russellterrier called Macintosh – whoaccompanied him everywhere. Part of Bryan’s apprenticeship in tied trademanagement was taking Macintosh for a walk each morning before thebusiness of the day commenced, a role subsequently passed to GeorgeBarnes when he joined the brewery in 1978.

Rusty loved cricket – he was amember of the MCC – and despitebeing Surrey-born was a keen Kentsupporter, moving to Chestfield, nearWhitstable, so he could be within easyreach of the St Lawrence Ground.

After retiring, Rusty and Fionamoved to Exmouth, to be nearer their son.

Bryan said: “He was well-liked andwell-respected by all of the tenants.Rusty was so well regarded by thepeople he dealt with on a day-to-daybasis that more than 250 licensees andtrade colleagues attended a surpriseretirement party for him.”

George Barnes, the currentproperty and tenanted trade director,said: “Rusty set and established high standards. He was instrumental in developing the tenanted tradedepartment and was a wonderfulperson to work for.”

OBITUARY

RustyThorneycroft

Rusty (pictured with his wife Fiona)receives his retirement gifts from tenants

liaison committee chairman John Spencer

Sport

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The Kent Spitfires, carryingSpitfire logos on their shirts,and the Essex Eagles, alsosponsored by ShepherdNeame, met at Lord’s in thefinal of the Friends ProvidentTrophy on 16 August.

Shepherd Neame’s sales teamentertained 75 guests from each countyat the match which Essex won by fivewickets after Kent had set a disappointingtotal of just 214 in their 50 overs.

Essex chased down the total with an unbeaten 70 from man-of-the-match Grant Flower.

The rivals also met in an excitingTwenty20 finals day at the Rose Bowl,Southampton.

Kent won the semi-final by 14 runs before losing out to Middlesex in a thrilling final in which Rob Key’smen fell just three runs short of theiropponents’ total of 187, the highest-ever in a Twenty20 cup final.

Kent missed out on the prize oftaking part in matches against Englandand Trinidad and Tobago but have theconsolation of being invited into nextyear’s proposed Champions League.

The Old England XI, featuringsuch great names as John Lever,Richard Ellison and Clive Radley, tookon a drinks industry XI organised byShepherd Neame and the MorningAdvertiser in a charity cricket match atthe Provender Ground near Faversham.

With a major contribution of 70 runs from England ladies cricketcaptain Charlotte Edwards, the industryteam won the game after a nail-bitingfinish, reaching the Old England totalwith just two balls to spare.

Shepherd Neame’s MartinMcCague went in at number 11 and he and licensee Chris Annand put on30 runs in three overs to edge theindustry team home.

But the real winner was theLicensed Trade Charity which was£6,000 better off after the event thanksto a charity auction.

The industry’s finest line up alongsideOld England greats

Sales and marketing director Graeme Craigpresents Stanmore with their trophy

Drinks Industrytake on OldEngland XI

Spitfire and Asahi sponsor European Open

Left: Essex toast a well deserved win

Spitfire Premium Kentish Ale andAsahi Super Dry were two sponsors ofthe European Open Golf Tournament,

held at the prestigious London GolfClub, near Brands Hatch, Kent.

A dedicated Spitfire bardecorated with Spitfire’s populartongue-in-cheek advertisements,served Spitfire on draught throughoutthe tournament.

Asahi and Spitfire bannersappeared on tees and both brandswere available at refreshment outletsacross the course.

The final of the Shepherd NeameTwenty20 Club Championship was held at Kent County Cricket Club’s St Lawrence Ground at Canterbury on Sunday 14 September.

The four clubs who made it to the finals day were Kent championsBromley; Essex champions Colchester& East Essex; Surrey championsAshford and Middlesex championsStanmore with Stanmore coming out on top.

More than 200 cricket clubs fromKent, Essex, Surrey and Middlesexcompeted in this fast and furiousversion of the game, competing for a share of £25,000 in prize money.

The championship is organised by former Kent and England cricketerMartin McCague. The bulk of the prizemoney was shared by the finalists but clubs not reaching the finals alsowon prize money for exceptionalperformances during the competition.

Colin Montgomery tees off at the 12th

Brands go head to head onfinals daysCredit: Kieran Galvin

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

Shepherd Neame Twenty20 Club Championship