Great Days Out
A hoppy whiff on the breeze Much of Faversham’s historic town centre is dominated by Shepherd Neame, the country’s oldest brewer. Its distinctive brick buildings and the occasional hoppy whiff on the breeze are as much a part of Faverhsam as Guinness is to Dublin. Although for many years the date 1698 has been given as the company’s founding date, recent research has established that brewing has been going on at the historic Court Street headquarters since at least 1573.
Beer has been produced using only chalk filtered water from an on-site artesian well, alongside British malted barley and hops picked predominantly in Kent. Since the brewery’s formation back in the 16th century, ownership has passed in unbroken succession through five families only, and the company’s heritage reflects the traditional nature of British brewing history. John Castlocke founded the company behind his own Court Street house which was later acquired by Richard Marsh. It was Marsh who instigated the policy of buying taverns and, in the process, laying the foundations for the company’s extensive pub estate. Samuel Shepherd later
entered the
business through marriage, the first of four generations of his family to own the brewery from 1732 onwards.
Nearby
Te Brogdale Collections - home of the National Fruit Collection, including 2,200 varieties of apple.
Brogdale Farm, Brogdale Road. www.
brogdalecollections.org Call 01795 536250.
Belmont House - world-famous collection of antique clocks.
Trowley Road, Trowley. Te house opens from April to September but the gardens are open daily through the year, from 10am until 6pm.
www.belmont-house.org
Te Edwardian terraced gardens at Mount Ephraim.
Staplestreet Road, Hernhill. www.
mountephraimgardens.co.uk Tel: 01227 751496
24 Mid Kent Living
In 1864, Percy Beale Neame joined as a partner, taking overall control in 1876. Te Neames have been at the helm ever since, and current chief executive, Jonathan Neame, is the fiſth generation of his family to run the business. His father Robert is the company’s first ever President.
Its distinctive brick buildings are as much a part of Faverhsam as Guinness is to Dublin
Troughout its long history, the company has always embraced innovation. In 1789 it was the first brewer anywhere in the world outside London to utilise steam technology in the brewing process, installing a 3hp Sun and Planet machine from steam pioneers Boulton and Wat. Two later machines, dating from 1860 and 1910, are still in situ and are turned over regularly.
Today Shepherd Neame, Britain’s largest independent family brewer, produce in excess of 50 million pints of beer each year, with up to four million pints in production at any one time.
Make time for
Faversham Charter Market – Tuesday, Friday and Saturday; the arts, craſts and food market in Preston Street on the third Saturday of the month; and Faversham Antiques and Vintage Market in Market Place and Court Street on the first Sunday of the month.
Abbey Physic Garden – A magical walled garden tucked away by the Tudor grammar school between West Street and St Mary’s Church. A Chelsea Flower Show award winner that’s free to visit.
Oare Gunpowder Works – Combine a nature walk with streams, small lakes and woodland with a history of the famous gunpowder works. Buggy and dog friendly. Bysing Wood Road, Oare, Faversham.
Sustainability and provenance remain
key to this operation, with 97% of grain and hops used in the brewing process recycled as animal feed. In 2013, £3million was invested in a Water Recovery Plant, and the subsequent recycling of waste water has led to a 40% reduction in overall water consumption. As specialist brewers Shepherd Neame today produce a range of classic and contemporary cask ales, premium lagers and award-winning craft beers. These include iconic Kentish ales such as Spitfire Amber and Bishops Fingers; the innovative Whitstable Bay range of beers and the vibrant Bear Island craſt range, which features East Coast Pale Ale and Tripled Hopped Lager.
The company has 322 pubs and hotels across London and the south east, and is the proud holder of Royal Warrants for both Spitfire Amber Ale and Grant’s Morella Cherry Brandy.
Source: Shepherd Neame
Tours of the brewery cost £18 and include a tasting session. Call visitor centre on 01795 542016 or go to
www.shepherdneame.co.uk/visitor- centre/brewery-tour
Te Shrine of St Jude’s in Whitefriars, 34 Tanner Street, Faversham.
Te Shepherd Neame Brewery – Britain’s oldest brewer in Court Street, Faversham. Call 01795 542016 for visitor centre tours.
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