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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Short description|Brewery in Faversham, England}}{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company
| name = Shepherd Neame Ltd
| name = Shepherd Neame Ltd
| logo = Shepherd Neame Brewery logo.png
| logo = Shepherd Neame Brewery logo.png
| caption =
| caption =
| location_city = [[Faversham]], [[Kent]]
| location_city = [[Faversham]], [[Kent]]
| location_country = England
| location_country = England
| owner = Jonathan Neame<br>Chief Executive
| owner = Jonathan Neame<br>Chief Executive
| foundation = 1698
| foundation = 1698
| industry = [[Alcoholic drink]]s
| industry = [[Alcoholic drink]]s
| products = [[Beer]]
| products = [[Beer]]
| production = {{convert|211000|impbbl|hl}} (2016)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/sites/default/files/Shepherd%20Neame%20Preliminary%20Results%20Release%202016.pdf|title=Shepherd Neame Preliminary Results Release 2016|publisher=shepherdneame.co.uk|accessdate=21 September 2016}}</ref>
| production = {{convert|180,000|impbbl|hl}} (2020)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/sites/default/files/sn_ir19_col.pdf|title=Shepherd Neame Preliminary Results Release 2016|publisher=shepherdneame.co.uk|access-date=28 September 2020}}</ref>
| revenue = £139.9m (2016)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/InvRel/Shepherd%20Neame%20Annual%20Report%202016.pdf|title=Shepherd Neame Annual Report 2016|publisher=shepherdneame.co.uk|accessdate=21 September 2016}}</ref>
| revenue = £145.8m (2019)<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/InvRel/Shepherd%20Neame%20Annual%20Report%202016.pdf|title=Shepherd Neame Annual Report 2016|publisher=shepherdneame.co.uk|access-date=21 September 2016}}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
| num_employees = 1865<ref name="auto"/>
| num_employees = 1318<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/InvRel/Shepherd%20Neame%20Annual%20Report%202016.pdf|title=Shepherd Neame Annual Report 2016|publisher=shepherdneame.co.uk|accessdate=21 September 2016}}</ref>
| website = {{url|shepherdneame.co.uk}}
| website = {{url|shepherdneame.co.uk}}
}}
}}


'''Shepherd Neame''' is an English independent [[brewery]] founded in 1698 in [[Faversham]], [[Kent]], and family-owned since 1864.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SHh-4M_QxEsC&pg=PA85|title=World's Best Beers: One Thousand Craft Brews from Cask to Glass|last=McFarland|first=Ben|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc|year=2009|isbn=9781402766947|page=85}}</ref> The brewery produces a range of [[cask ale]]s and [[filtered beer]]s. Production is around 210,000 brewers' barrels a year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/InvRel/Shepherd%20Neame%20Preliminary%20Results%20Release%202016.pdf|title=Shepherd Neame Preliminary Results Release 2016|publisher=shepherdneame.co.uk|accessdate=21 September 2016}}</ref> It owns 328 [[public house|pubs]] and hotels,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/InvRel/Shepherd%20Neame%20Annual%20Report%202016.pdf|title=Shepherd Neame Annual Report 2016|publisher=shepherdneame.co.uk|accessdate=21 September 2016}}</ref> predominantly in Kent, London and [[South East England]]. The company exports to more than 35 countries including India, Sweden, Italy, Brazil and Canada.
'''Shepherd Neame''' is an English independent [[brewery]] which has been based in the market town of [[Faversham]], [[Kent]], for over 300 years.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shepherd Neame Brewery History|url=https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/brewery/brewery-history|access-date=2020-09-28|website=Shepherd Neame|language=en}}</ref> While 1698 is the brewery's official established date, town records show that commercial brewing has occurred on the site since 1573. Since the brewery's formation in the 16th century, ownership has passed in unbroken succession through five families. The brewery produces a range of [[cask ale]]s and [[filtered beer]]s. Production is around 180,000 [[Barrel-aged beer|brewers' barrels]] a year ({{cvt|180,000|impbbl}}).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shepherd Neame Annual Report 2019|url=https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/sites/default/files/sn_ir19_col.pdf|access-date=28 September 2020|website=Shepherd Neame Annual Report}}</ref> It has 303 [[public house|pubs]] and hotels in [[South East England]], predominantly in Kent and London. The company exports to 44 countries, including India, Sweden, Italy, Brazil, and Canada.


==History==
==History==
The family of Neame were relative latecomers in the overall development of the Shepherd Neame Brewery but, as substantial property owners in the district, Charles Neame of Harefield Court and John Neame of Selling Court were acknowledged to be among the most valuable hop growers in East Kent. [[Theo Barker]] explains in the official account of the Brewery, that it all began with a Captain Richard Marsh who in 1678 is recorded in the [[Faversham]] ''Wardmote Books'' as contributing by far the largest of the ‘Brewers Fines’ made at that date.<ref>"Shepherd Neame : A Story that's been brewing for 300 years" [[Theo Barker]] (1998) Granta Editions, Cambridge and Shepherd Neame: Faversham, Kent</ref>
The Neame family were relative latecomers in the overall development of the Shepherd Neame Brewery. Still, as substantial property owners in the district, Charles Neame of Harefield Court and John Neame of Selling Court were acknowledged to be among the most valuable hop growers in East Kent. [[Theo Barker]] explains in the official account of the brewery that it all began with a Captain Richard Marsh, who in 1678 is recorded in the [[Faversham]] ''Wardmote Books'' as contributing by far the largest of the 'Brewers Fines' made at that date.<ref>''Shepherd Neame: A Story that's been brewing for 300 years'' [[Theo Barker]] (1998) Granta Editions, Cambridge and Shepherd Neame: Faversham, Kent</ref>


Shepherd Neame as such is reported as having been established in 1698, in an advertisement of the ''[[Kentish Gazette]]'' for 11 April 1865. Richard Marsh lived until 1727 when his Brewery was bequeathed to his widow, and then to his daughter, who sold the property on to Samuel Shepherd around 1741. Samuel Shepherd was from [[Deal, Kent]]. He had an interest in malting when he moved to Faversham around 1730 and had established himself as a Brewer of Malt by 1734. Shepherd expanded on his interest, through acquiring a number of public houses, but it was his son, Julius Shepherd, who extended this trend still further upon his inheritance of the Brewery in 1770, when the company held four such outlets. In 1789, he set about modernising the process of malt grinding and pumping, which had been previously worked with the employment of horses, by introducing what was reputed to be the first steam engine ([[Boulton and Watt]]) to be used for this purpose outside London, and was then able to describe his business as the ''Faversham Steam Brewery''.
Shepherd Neame, as such, is reported as having been established in 1698 in an advertisement of the ''[[Kentish Gazette]]'' for 11 April 1865. Richard Marsh lived until 1727, when his brewery was bequeathed to his widow and then to his daughter, who sold the property to Samuel Shepherd around 1741. Samuel Shepherd was from [[Deal, Kent]]. He was interested in malting when he moved to Faversham around 1730 and established himself as a Brewer of Malt by 1734. Shepherd expanded on his interest by acquiring several public houses. However, his son, Julius Shepherd, extended this trend further upon his inheritance of the brewery in 1770 when the company held four such outlets. In 1789, he set about modernising the process of malt grinding and pumping, which had been previously worked with the employment of horses, by introducing what was reputed to be the first steam engine ([[Boulton and Watt]]) to be used for this purpose outside London. He was then able to describe his business as the ''Faversham Steam Brewery''.
[[File:Botany Bay, Broadstairs (2).jpg|thumb|The Botany Bay, Broadstairs]]
⚫
Henry, his second son, born in 1780, continued the family tradition and raised his son of the same name into the business. It was this Henry Shepherd (1816-77) who was to be the last of the Shepherds actively involved in the company. The death of Henry senior at the age of eighty-two occurred in 1862. Although his son was not a businessman of the same determination, the firm's expansion continued adequately with John Mares, who had come to the financial assistance of the Shepherd Brewery during the recession of the mid-1840s and continued as the impetus behind ''Shepherd and Mares'' until Percy Beale Neame joined the brewery in 1864. Mares had seen the potential of the brewery's growth with the arrival of the long-delayed railway service in 1858. He pressed the firm to prepare for such growth actively. Horse-drawn drays were used to carry the brewery's ales throughout Kent, and malts were imported by barge at [[Faversham Creek]] at its wharf, which was also used as the means to deliver its product to London until the 1850s when steamboats were beginning to prove more expeditious to the task. The railways soon even outpaced and replaced the steamboats.


⚫
Mares's unexpected death at the age of 45 in 1864 placed Percy Neame, at the age of 28, as the stronger partner with Henry Shepherd, and with the challenge left to him in Mares's successful expansion programme he brought the Faversham Brewery well into the Neame family's dominion. Jonathan Neame is the fifth generation of his family to run the business. His late father, Robert, was the company's first-ever President.
[[File:Spanish Galleon Tavern.jpg|right|thumb|The Spanish Galleon Tavern in [[Greenwich]]]]


Shepherd Neame has embraced 21st-century brewing techniques, for instance, using PDX Reactor Technology for the heat treatment of wort, rather than the traditional method, using a [[Brewing#Brew kettle or copper|calandria]]. This has led to a reduction in energy consumption of 50%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oalgroup.com/|title=Food Processing, Robotics & Automation Food Manufacturing Solutions from OAL|website=Food Processing, Robotics & Automation Food Manufacturing Solutions from OAL}}</ref> Its cask, keg, and bottling lines are all equally high tech, utilising robotics and the latest SAP software to minimise the use of natural resources, while maximising beer quality. Its cardboard packaging is 100% recyclable, and the brewery uses lightweight glass for bottled beer. It also installed a new state-of-the-art Yeast Propagation Plant, which will reduce energy consumption.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BRITAIN'S OLDEST BREWER INVESTS IN STATE-OF-THE-ART BREWING TECHNOLOGY {{!}} Shepherd Neame|url=https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/news/britain%E2%80%99s-oldest-brewer-invests-state-art-brewing-technology|access-date=2020-09-28|website=www.shepherdneame.co.uk}}</ref> The brewery has repeatedly pioneered sustainable brewing methods. It recycles 97% of the grain and hops used in the brewing process as animal feed on local farms and holds a Feed Materials Assurance Scheme certificate. Waste is separated into recyclable elements, and the waste oil from its managed pubs and the brewery's kitchens is collected and converted into biofuel. Its Water Recovery Plant, installed in 2014, allows the wastewater from brewing and cleaning to be recycled rather than sent to the drain.
⚫
Henry, his second son, born in 1780, continued the family tradition, and raised his son of the same name into the business. It was this Henry Shepherd (1816~77) who was to be the last of the Shepherds actively involved in the Company. The death of Henry senior at the age of eighty-two occurred in 1862 and although his own son was not a businessman of the same determination, the firm’s expansion continued adequately with John Mares, who had come to the financial assistance of the Shepherd Brewery during the recession of the mid-1840s and continued as the impetus behind ''Shepherd and Mares'' until Percy Beale Neame joined the Brewery in 1864. Mares had seen the potential of the Brewery’s growth with the arrival of the long delayed railway service in 1858. He pressed the firm to actively prepare for such growth. Horse-drawn drays were used to carry the Brewery’s ales throughout Kent, and malts were imported by barge at [[Faversham Creek]] at its own wharf which was also used as the means to deliver its product to London, until the 1850s when steamboats were beginning to prove more expeditious to the task. The railways soon even outpaced and replaced the steamboats.


⚫
Along with the [[Three Tuns Brewery]] in [[Shropshire]], Shepherd Neame claims to be the oldest brewery in Great Britain. Three Tuns was licensed in 1642, 56 years earlier than Shepherd Neame. However, there is evidence that brewing has taken place on the Shepherd Neame site since at least 1573, over a century before the establishment of the current brewery.<ref>{{cite web
⚫
Mares' unexpected death at the age of 45 in 1864 placed Percy Neame, at the age of twenty-eight, as the stronger partner with Henry Shepherd, and with the challenge left to him in Mares' successful expansion programme he brought the Faversham Brewery well into the Neame family's dominion.

Shepherd Neame have embraced 21st-century brewing techniques, for instance using PDX Reactor Technology for the heat treatment of wort, rather than the traditional method, using a [[Brewing#Brew kettle or copper|calandria]]. This has led to a reduction in energy consumption of 50%.<ref>[http://www.olympus-automation.co.uk/#!pdx/c1hc8 PDX Reactor technology]</ref>

⚫
Along with the [[Three Tuns Brewery]] in [[Shropshire]], Shepherd Neame claims to the oldest brewery in the Great Britain. Three Tuns was licensed in 1642, 56 years earlier than Shepherd Neame. However, there is evidence that brewing has taken place on the Shepherd Neame site since at least 1573, over a century before the establishment of the current brewery.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.faversham.org/pages/standard.aspx?i_PageID=151278
|url=http://www.faversham.org/pages/standard.aspx?i_PageID=151278
|title=History of Shepherd Neame
|title=History of Shepherd Neame
|publisher=www.faversham.org
|publisher=www.faversham.org
|accessdate=30 May 2008
|access-date=30 May 2008
|archive-date=28 September 2011
|last=
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928205315/http://www.faversham.org/pages/standard.aspx?i_PageID=151278
|first=
|url-status=dead
⚫
}}</ref>


==Brewing and product range ==
}}
[[File:Shepherd Neame offers a range of cask ales.png|thumb|200px|Shepherd Neame offers a range of cask ales]]
⚫
</ref>
The brewery uses chalk-filtered mineral water from the brewery's artesian well, deep below the brewery, and 93% of the hops used in its beers are grown in Kent.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sustainability – Shepherd Neame Brewery|url=https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/brewery/sustainability|access-date=2020-09-28|website=Shepherd Neame|language=en}}</ref> In 2016, its 100-year-old solid oak mash tuns were renovated, with each piece of Burmese teak reshaped around the new stainless steel mash tuns.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Brewery History in the Remaking|date=4 December 2016 |url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/faversham/news/brewerys-history-in-the-remaking-116771/|access-date=28 September 2020}}</ref>


As well as beer, it also brews international lagers, under licence, including Samuel Adams Boston Lager,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shepherd Neame signs deal to exclusively import a range of Samuel Adams beers from Boston Beer Company|date=12 February 2015 |url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent-business/county-news/beer-maker-brews-up-new-31746/|access-date=28 September 2020}}</ref> and is the sole UK distributor for premium Thai lager Singha.<ref>{{Cite web|last=morningadvertiser.co.uk|title=Shepherd Neame agrees exclusive Singha distribution deal|url=https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2019/07/23/Shepherd-Neame-agrees-exclusive-Singha-distribution-deal|access-date=2020-09-28|website=morningadvertiser.co.uk|language=en-GB}}</ref> It is also the sole distributor for Angry Orchard Crisp Apple cider; it collaborates with Somerset's oldest family cider maker Sheppy's to produce Orchard View Apple Cider.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A REFRESHING NEW START FOR ORCHARD VIEW CIDER {{!}} Shepherd Neame|url=https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/news/refreshing-new-start-orchard-view-cider|access-date=2020-09-28|website=www.shepherdneame.co.uk}}</ref>
The brewery itself is located very near to Faversham town centre, and it is possible to smell the brewing processes regularly in the town and surrounding streets.


Various Shepherd Neame beers are widely available in UK supermarkets, with ''Bishop's Finger'' and ''Spitfire'' being the most easily found.
==Beers==
{{Advert section|date=June 2016}}
[[File:ShepherdNeameMixedBrandingOnBar.jpg|thumb|Shepherd Neame cask ales]]

Shepherd Neame has been making beer in [[Faversham]], [[Kent]], for more than 500 years. It claims to use traditional methods and 100% natural ingredients.The brewery uses chalk-filtered mineral water from the brewery’s own artesian well, deep below the brewery, and 93% of the hops used in its beers are grown in Kent.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/General-News/Hops-shortage-in-States-sparks-plea-for-brewers-to-buy-British|title=Hops shortage in States sparks plea for brewers to buy British|work=[[Morning Advertiser]]|accessdate=24 August 2016}}</ref> Centuries of brewing experience have been passed down to the current team of brewers, who still use many traditional methods, including handcrafting beer in the UK’s last remaining unlined solid oak mash tuns.

* ''Spitfire Premium Kentish Ale'' (cask: 4.2% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]], bottle: 4.5% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is Shepherd Neame's biggest-selling cask conditioned ale. An infusion of three aromatic Kentish hops adorns this blood-orange tinted bitter, first brewed in 1990 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the [[Battle of Britain]] in 1990.<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.spitfireale.co.uk/spitfire-ale/the-beer.aspx|title=Spitfire Premium Kentish Ale: Spitfire The Beer|publisher=www.spitfireale.co.uk|accessdate=2011-03-22}}</ref> The beer is named after the [[Supermarine Spitfire]] aircraft designed by [[R. J. Mitchell]]. Winner of a Gold Medal and Best Strong Cask-Conditioned Beer of the World at the Brewing Industry International Awards, Spitfire has [[Protected Geographical Indication]], the same regional produce protection afforded to Champagne and Parma Ham.

[[File:Bishops Finger.JPG|thumb|Bishops Finger]]

*''Bishop's Finger'' (cask: 5% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]], bottle: 5.4%[[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is a fine English Ale that takes its name from the Kentish nickname for an ancient signpost on the Pilgrims Way pointing to [[Canterbury]] and the shrine of [[Thomas Becket]]. The rich, ruby-coloured classic is one of the oldest names in British beer, brewed since 1958. Malt had been strictly rationed during the [[Second World War]], and Bishops Finger was introduced as a celebration to the end of the postwar years of austerity. It has [[Protected Geographical Indication]].
*''Master Brew'' (cask: 3.7% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]], bottle: 4%[[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is the Shepherd Neame's flagship beer. It is a distinctive, amber bitter ale, with a hoppy aroma. It has [[Protected Geographical Indication]].
*'''Brilliant Ale''' (cask: 4% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]], bottle: 5.6% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) was first brewed between 1825 and 1855, and is believed to have been inspired by the early morning sun sending golden shafts of light through the [[brewhouse]] window on to the oak [[mash tun]]. Brewers decided to create a beer that echoed these hues, and used 100% pale [[malt]] and the East Kent [[Goldings]] hops to create a golden, brilliantly bright, hoppy ale. While staying true to the spirit of the popular [[pale ale]], the modern incarnation has been rejuvenated by using the modern hop variety [[Cascade hop|Cascade]].
*'''India Pale Ale''' (cask: 4.5% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]], bottle 6.1% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) hails from the tradition of 18th Century [[India pale ale|IPA]]s, which relied on generous hopping to protect exports during arduous journeys. This modern incarnation retains the strength, body and strong hop character which is synonymous with this beer's provenance. A glorious showcase of the distinct, heavily hopped beers for which Shepherd Neame is famed, India Pale Ale delivers potent bitterness, offset with generous amounts of pale ale malt to deliver a balanced, yet uncompromising brew.
*'''Double Stout''' (cask: 4.0% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]], bottle: 5.2% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is a black, creamy brew with a velvety-smooth palate of dry, burnt flavours, complemented by roast, cocoa and coffee notes.
*'''Mild''' (cask: 3.5% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is a dark beer with a complex aroma of dark chocolate, mocha coffee, vanilla and a smokiness reminiscent of autumn bonfires. The smooth, rich blend of chocolate and coffee is complemented by subtle hoppy, fruit flavours.
*'''Christmas Ale''' (cask 5% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]], bottle: 7% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is available during December. It is a full-bodied, warming winter ale, featuring a warming combination of fruits and spices. It combines pale and crystal malts with Target and Challenger hops for bitterness, and Goldings hops for aroma.

Seasonal beers:
*'''Amber Ale''' (cask 4.5% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is available from January to March. A golden brown beer perfect for winter, Amber Ale boasts a fruity aroma and a full, malty palate. It combines Pale, Crystal and Brown malts, bittered by English Challenger hops, with American Cascade hops added for aroma.
*'''Early Bird Spring Hop''' (cask: 4.3% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]], bottle: 4.5% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is available from March to May. A pale golden beer, with floral aroma, Early Bird is full-bodied and takes its name from the Early Bird variety of East Kent Goldings hops, grown in hop gardens near the brewery. It has been brewed by Shepherd Neame since the mid-1990s.
*'''Goldings Ale''' (cask 4.1% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]], bottle 4.5% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is available from June to September. The soft [[golden ale]] is made from Kentish [[First Gold]] and German Hersbrukker [[hops]], dry hopped with Kentish [[Goldings]] grown in gardens close to the Faversham-based brewery. These citrusy hops are melded with the nutty, wholemeal character of crystal and ale [[malt]] to create a tangy, fresh finish.
*'''Queen Court Harvest Ale''' (cask 4.5% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is available from August to September. It is brewed every year to celebrate the start of the [[harvest]] across Kent’s hop gardens. It is named after Queen Court Farm at [[Ospringe]] near [[Faversham]], the brewery’s former hop farm which houses the National Hop Collection, dedicated to the preservation of the UK’s hop-growing heritage and containing hundreds of rare varieties. The ale features pale and crystal malts and a mix of hops from across the globe to reflect the huge range of varieties available to modern brewers. It is bittered with Kentish [[First Gold]], before German Hersbrucker is added as a late copper hop and a blend of UK Cascade and US Centennial are added as dry hops in cask.
*'''Late Red Autumn Hop Ale''' (cask 4.5% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is available from September to December. The crimson copper-coloured seasonal ale is a complex, full flavoured brew, forging the perfect balance between rich, dark malt flavours and a citrussy hop finish. It blends pale ale malt and gently-kilned crystal malt with UK Cascade and Goldings hops. To enhance its taste and aroma, the brew is triple-hopped, with a late copper addition of Goldings and Cascade.

Shepherd Neame has created a range of innovative limited edition beers under its No.18 Yard Brewhouse brand, using experimental brewing ingredients.
*'''Dragonfire''' (cask 4.5% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is available from April to May. It was created to commemorate St George’s Day, and combines [[barley]], [[oats]], [[rye]] and [[wheat]] with two English hop varieties – Goldings and First Gold – in addition to a fiery secret ingredient. It is full bodied and rich with a mellow mahogany hue.
*'''4-4-2''' (cask 4.0% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is available from June to July, and is named after the England side’s favoured football formation, as it has its own special line-up, in the form of 10 different hop varieties. They are melded with crystal and ale malt to create a delicious, full bodied brew which is pale in colour.
*'''Tallyman’s Special''' (cask 4.5% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is brewed by Shepherd Neame every year for the Kent Green Hop Beer Fortnight at the end of September. Instead of the usual dried hops, the brew uses fresh green hops and showcases the full array of esters and aromas usually lost in the drying process.
*'''Spooks Ale''' (cask 4.7% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is available from October to November. It describes itself as The Official Ghost Brew of All Hallows, and is appropriately a dark ruby colour. It boasts a biscuity palate created by a trio of Pale, Crystal, Brown and Chocolate malts, with bitterness provided by Target hops and a citrus aroma from Styrian Goldings.
*'''Rudolph’s Reward''' (3.7% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is available during December. A crisp, light winter beer, it combines pale and crystal malts with Target and East Kent Goldings hops, with mulled wine spices added at the end of the brew.

Whitstable Bay collection:
Shepherd Neame originally adopted the Faversham Steam Brewery moniker in the late 18th century when it became one of the first steam-powered breweries outside London. The brewery bought a five horse power engine from steam pioneers Boulton and Watt which powered all processes on site, pairing the revolutionary machinery with the finest local ingredients to create exceptional beers. It has now revived the title to reflect the traditional provenance of the Whitstable Bay collection.
*'''Whitstable Bay Organic Ale''' (bottle: 4.5% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is a light-coloured ale brewed using only organic ingredients, including organic Tradition or Challenger hops, organic Ale and Crystal malts and the brewery’s own chalk-filtered mineral water, also certified organic. It combines delicate hints of fresh hops with the softer, buttery richness of pale and crystal malts.
*'''Whitstable Bay Pale Ale''' (draught: 3.9% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]], bottle: 4% [[Alcohol by volume|abv]]) is a light-coloured, thirst quenching beer is brewed with the Challenger and Styrian Goldings hops, and Ale and Crystal malts. The sweet maltiness balances perfectly with the fresh pine notes provided by the hops added late in the process.

See also Whitstable Bay Black Oyster Stout and Whitstable Bay Blonde Lager under Keg.

Keg:
Shepherd Neame produces brewery-conditioned draught beers which are brewed in exactly the same way as traditional, cask beers but filtered before being packaged into pressurised kegs. This ensures consistency of taste, and is the preferred option in bars where there is limited, or no, cellar space.
[[File:WhitstableBayBlackOysterStoutPourShot.jpg|thumb|right|Whitstable Bay Oyster Stout]]
*'''Whitstable Bay Black Oyster Stout''' (draught 4.2% abv), is a silky keg stout brewed using a unique blend of four coloured malts which impart a rich, complex flavour of roasted mocha notes, balanced by a subtly bitterness from the finest Admiral hops, and finished with a smooth, creamy head.
*'''Whitstable Bay Blonde Lager''' (draught: 4.5% abv, bottle: 4.5% abv) takes its name from the golden hue of the beer. It is brewed with Challenger, Centennial and Saaz hops, and Lager and Crystal Malts. It has a floral aroma, paired with buttery biscuit base notes and crisp, citrus flavours.

Bottled:
In addition to the bottled versions of some of its most popular beers such as Spitfire and Bishops Finger, Shepherd Neame also produces some beers in bottle only.

'''1698 Bottle Conditioned Kentish Strong Ale''' (bottle 6.5% abv). First brewed in 1998 to celebrate Shepherd Neame's tercentenary, 1698 is thrice hopped and bottle conditioned. A silver medal winner in the Taste of Britain Awards, 1698 has been included in the International Beer Challenge's World's Top 50 Beers and has won a Gold Award from the British Bottlers' Institute. It has Protected Geographical Indication, the same regional produce protection afforded to Champagne and Parma Ham.

Lager:
The brewery also produces a range of [[lager]]s, mainly under licence, such as [[Samuel Adams (beer)|Samuel Adams Boston Lager]], [[Holsten]] Export, [[Oranjeboom]] and [[United Beverages Group|Kingfisher]], but also [[Hürlimann]] [[Pale Lager|''Sternbrau Lager: Export Bier'']] [330 ml or 500 ml Bottle, 500 ml can, or draft keg; 4.8% ABV]. Shepherd Neame manufactures this beer in Britain and exports it to Europe. A [[bock]] style beer is also brewed. These are served on draught in the brewery's pubs and receive more frontage than non-brewery brands.


==Pubs==
==Pubs==
[[File:Eastern City of London 08.03.2013 16-14-33 east india arms.jpg|thumb|[[East India Arms]] in the City of London]]
[[File:Woolpack, Banstead is a welcoming Shepherd Neame pub.jpg|thumb|199x199px|The Woolpack, Banstead, is a Shepherd Neame pub]]
⚫
The brewery has 303 pubs and hotels throughout London and [[South East England]], from the historic heart of [[City of London|the City]] to the [[Kent]] coastline. The brewery's brands are typically given prominence in frontage with extensive branding. All fonts and pumps bear distinctive logos and branding, glasses are branded, and bar runners advertising house beers are commonplace.

⚫
The brewery owns around 330 pubs and establishments, mostly in Kent, but extending across the South East of England. These are predominantly tenanted public houses situated in towns and villages. The brewery also manages its own chain of hotels, including The Royal Albion in [[Broadstairs]] and The George Hotel in [[Cranbrook, Kent]]. The brewery's own brands are typically given prominence in terms of frontage with extensive branding. All fonts and pumps bear the distinctive logos and branding, glasses are branded and bar runners that advertise the house beers are commonplace.


==See also==
==See also==
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==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


===Bibliography===
==Sources==
* "Bottle of Britain Campaign" (1997–2005)
* "Bottle of Britain Campaign" (1997–2005)


== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{official website|http://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/ }}
* {{Official website|http://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/ }}
* [http://www.ratebeer.com/brewers/shepherd-neame/711/ RateBeer]
* [http://www.ratebeer.com/brewers/shepherd-neame/711/ RateBeer]
* [http://www.quaffale.org.uk/php/brewery/501 Quaffale]
* [http://www.quaffale.org.uk/php/brewery/501 Quaffale]
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{{British Royal Warrant holders}}
{{British Royal Warrant holders}}
{{Pubs in London}}
{{Pubs in London}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:1698 establishments in England]]
[[Category:1698 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Breweries in England]]
[[Category:Breweries in England]]
[[Category:British Royal Warrant holders]]
[[Category:British royal warrant holders]]
[[Category:Companies based in Kent]]
[[Category:Companies based in Kent]]
[[Category:Faversham]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Faversham]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Kent]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Kent]]

Latest revision as of 12:15, 6 April 2024

Shepherd Neame Ltd
IndustryAlcoholic drinks
Founded1698
Headquarters
Faversham, Kent
,
England
ProductsBeer
Production output
180,000 imperial barrels (290,000 hl) (2020)[1]
Revenue£145.8m (2019)[2]
OwnerJonathan Neame
Chief Executive
Number of employees
1865[2]
Websiteshepherdneame.co.uk

Shepherd Neame is an English independent brewery which has been based in the market town of Faversham, Kent, for over 300 years.[3] While 1698 is the brewery's official established date, town records show that commercial brewing has occurred on the site since 1573. Since the brewery's formation in the 16th century, ownership has passed in unbroken succession through five families. The brewery produces a range of cask ales and filtered beers. Production is around 180,000 brewers' barrels a year (180,000 imp bbl (29,000,000 L; 6,500,000 imp gal; 7,800,000 US gal)).[4] It has 303 pubs and hotels in South East England, predominantly in Kent and London. The company exports to 44 countries, including India, Sweden, Italy, Brazil, and Canada.

History[edit]

The Neame family were relative latecomers in the overall development of the Shepherd Neame Brewery. Still, as substantial property owners in the district, Charles Neame of Harefield Court and John Neame of Selling Court were acknowledged to be among the most valuable hop growers in East Kent. Theo Barker explains in the official account of the brewery that it all began with a Captain Richard Marsh, who in 1678 is recorded in the Faversham Wardmote Books as contributing by far the largest of the 'Brewers Fines' made at that date.[5]

Shepherd Neame, as such, is reported as having been established in 1698 in an advertisement of the Kentish Gazette for 11 April 1865. Richard Marsh lived until 1727, when his brewery was bequeathed to his widow and then to his daughter, who sold the property to Samuel Shepherd around 1741. Samuel Shepherd was from Deal, Kent. He was interested in malting when he moved to Faversham around 1730 and established himself as a Brewer of Malt by 1734. Shepherd expanded on his interest by acquiring several public houses. However, his son, Julius Shepherd, extended this trend further upon his inheritance of the brewery in 1770 when the company held four such outlets. In 1789, he set about modernising the process of malt grinding and pumping, which had been previously worked with the employment of horses, by introducing what was reputed to be the first steam engine (Boulton and Watt) to be used for this purpose outside London. He was then able to describe his business as the Faversham Steam Brewery.

The Botany Bay, Broadstairs

Henry, his second son, born in 1780, continued the family tradition and raised his son of the same name into the business. It was this Henry Shepherd (1816-77) who was to be the last of the Shepherds actively involved in the company. The death of Henry senior at the age of eighty-two occurred in 1862. Although his son was not a businessman of the same determination, the firm's expansion continued adequately with John Mares, who had come to the financial assistance of the Shepherd Brewery during the recession of the mid-1840s and continued as the impetus behind Shepherd and Mares until Percy Beale Neame joined the brewery in 1864. Mares had seen the potential of the brewery's growth with the arrival of the long-delayed railway service in 1858. He pressed the firm to prepare for such growth actively. Horse-drawn drays were used to carry the brewery's ales throughout Kent, and malts were imported by barge at Faversham Creek at its wharf, which was also used as the means to deliver its product to London until the 1850s when steamboats were beginning to prove more expeditious to the task. The railways soon even outpaced and replaced the steamboats.

Mares's unexpected death at the age of 45 in 1864 placed Percy Neame, at the age of 28, as the stronger partner with Henry Shepherd, and with the challenge left to him in Mares's successful expansion programme he brought the Faversham Brewery well into the Neame family's dominion. Jonathan Neame is the fifth generation of his family to run the business. His late father, Robert, was the company's first-ever President.

Shepherd Neame has embraced 21st-century brewing techniques, for instance, using PDX Reactor Technology for the heat treatment of wort, rather than the traditional method, using a calandria. This has led to a reduction in energy consumption of 50%.[6] Its cask, keg, and bottling lines are all equally high tech, utilising robotics and the latest SAP software to minimise the use of natural resources, while maximising beer quality. Its cardboard packaging is 100% recyclable, and the brewery uses lightweight glass for bottled beer. It also installed a new state-of-the-art Yeast Propagation Plant, which will reduce energy consumption.[7] The brewery has repeatedly pioneered sustainable brewing methods. It recycles 97% of the grain and hops used in the brewing process as animal feed on local farms and holds a Feed Materials Assurance Scheme certificate. Waste is separated into recyclable elements, and the waste oil from its managed pubs and the brewery's kitchens is collected and converted into biofuel. Its Water Recovery Plant, installed in 2014, allows the wastewater from brewing and cleaning to be recycled rather than sent to the drain.

Along with the Three Tuns Brewery in Shropshire, Shepherd Neame claims to be the oldest brewery in Great Britain. Three Tuns was licensed in 1642, 56 years earlier than Shepherd Neame. However, there is evidence that brewing has taken place on the Shepherd Neame site since at least 1573, over a century before the establishment of the current brewery.[8]

Brewing and product range[edit]

Shepherd Neame offers a range of cask ales

The brewery uses chalk-filtered mineral water from the brewery's artesian well, deep below the brewery, and 93% of the hops used in its beers are grown in Kent.[9] In 2016, its 100-year-old solid oak mash tuns were renovated, with each piece of Burmese teak reshaped around the new stainless steel mash tuns.[10]

As well as beer, it also brews international lagers, under licence, including Samuel Adams Boston Lager,[11] and is the sole UK distributor for premium Thai lager Singha.[12] It is also the sole distributor for Angry Orchard Crisp Apple cider; it collaborates with Somerset's oldest family cider maker Sheppy's to produce Orchard View Apple Cider.[13]

Various Shepherd Neame beers are widely available in UK supermarkets, with Bishop's Finger and Spitfire being the most easily found.

Pubs[edit]

The Woolpack, Banstead, is a Shepherd Neame pub

The brewery has 303 pubs and hotels throughout London and South East England, from the historic heart of the City to the Kent coastline. The brewery's brands are typically given prominence in frontage with extensive branding. All fonts and pumps bear distinctive logos and branding, glasses are branded, and bar runners advertising house beers are commonplace.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Shepherd Neame Preliminary Results Release 2016" (PDF). shepherdneame.co.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Shepherd Neame Annual Report 2016" (PDF). shepherdneame.co.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2016.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Shepherd Neame Brewery History". Shepherd Neame. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Shepherd Neame Annual Report 2019" (PDF). Shepherd Neame Annual Report. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  5. ^ Shepherd Neame: A Story that's been brewing for 300 years Theo Barker (1998) Granta Editions, Cambridge and Shepherd Neame: Faversham, Kent
  6. ^ "Food Processing, Robotics & Automation Food Manufacturing Solutions from OAL". Food Processing, Robotics & Automation Food Manufacturing Solutions from OAL.
  7. ^ "BRITAIN'S OLDEST BREWER INVESTS IN STATE-OF-THE-ART BREWING TECHNOLOGY | Shepherd Neame". www.shepherdneame.co.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  8. ^ "History of Shepherd Neame". www.faversham.org. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
  9. ^ "Sustainability – Shepherd Neame Brewery". Shepherd Neame. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  10. ^ "Brewery History in the Remaking". 4 December 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Shepherd Neame signs deal to exclusively import a range of Samuel Adams beers from Boston Beer Company". 12 February 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  12. ^ morningadvertiser.co.uk. "Shepherd Neame agrees exclusive Singha distribution deal". morningadvertiser.co.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  13. ^ "A REFRESHING NEW START FOR ORCHARD VIEW CIDER | Shepherd Neame". www.shepherdneame.co.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2020.

Sources[edit]

  • "Bottle of Britain Campaign" (1997–2005)

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shepherd_Neame_Brewery&oldid=1217540115"