Swale Ale The FREE magazine of the Swale branch of CAMRA The Campaign for Real Ale Local brewery invests in its heritage s many Swale Ale readers will be aware the A largest brewery in our area, and in Kent, is Shepherd Neame. As well as its major brewing arm, Shepherd Neame also own and operate a total estate of 354 pubs, comprising 44 managed pubs and 310 tenanted and leased pubs. With many of its competitors failing to invest in their tied estate and with vast numbers of pub closures nationally, it is interesting that we are currently seeing Shepherd Neame invest heavily in the refurbishment of many of its pubs. Swale Ale has reported on the great work completed at The Fountain, Sittingbourne and The Bear in Faversham to name a few. Pubs The Three Horseshoes, have been given traditional new hand painted Staple Street signage by Eric Pollard, and often sympathetic restoration of their interiors, which is a far cry the brewery announced the sale and/or closure from the ‘Irish’ style pub chains of the 1990s. of 35 pubs over a two year period, and in our This investment in its tied and managed pub own area we have already had to say goodbye chain is always welcome, particularly at a time of to the Mechanics Arms in September 2012 and national belt tightening, and shows a The Windmill on January 2nd 2011. commitment to local communities. The question lies in what Shepherd In the past year the brewery has Neame will decide to do next. See page 3 undertaken a number of high profile acquisitions including four pubs from Enterprise Inns (The Old Neptune, Whitstable; The Old City Bar, In this issue… Canterbury; The Kings Head, Deal and The Zetland Arms, Kingsdown, Deal). The brewery Pubs at the extreme of Swale has also been expanding its hotel portfolio Pub tour: A Canterbury Tale following the acquisition of two prestigious Timothy Taylor visits Faversham hotels in the first half of the year and a further A village pub walk south of Sittingbourne inn purchased in February 2012. Trips out: all within a day of Swale The story of Shepherd Neame pubs has Jolly boys tour to Sheppey not always been bright. At their AGM in 2009 Spring Issue 2013 1 2 Spring Issue 2013 Local brewery invests in its heritage In order to answer many of the food this question our led houses have brewery liaison had considerable officer Bob investment, Thompson arranged a t t e n t i o n i s for me to meet with moving towards John Humpherys and the wet trade. Martin Godden and The Imperial in came along to take Southborough, for some excellent example, a wet led photos for our high street local, records. has undergone a Our meeting refurbishment to began with a visit to enhance its The Anchor in traditional Abbey Street, features. New pub signage at the The Three Horseshoes Faversham. This O u r Plough and Harrow Inn, Staple Street, Hernhill refurbishment has second visit in Bridge only recently taken Faversham was to place, and it was the intention that the building The Bear Inn. We were told about how during work should complement the pub’s historical refurbishments the brewery were keen to character. Work was done to remove the unearth and rejuvenate existing features. At shelving above the bar, making it easier to grab The Bear many changes were made to the glimpses of the back bar and ‘cosy seating areas’. original refurbishment plans to take advantage of Extensive work has taken place in the building to the discoveries uncovered as wood chip and the left of the pub which used to be the Crab layers of paint were removed. Shack restaurant. The new space is intended to Shepherd Neame were interested in be a coffee shop in the daytime and provide reinstating original features such as the dividers additional seating to the main bar area in the in The Railway Hotel in Faversham, which were evening. This seems to be a diversification that particularly requested by the licensee Chris may appear in other Shepherd Neame owned Maclean. town centre pubs where additional space can be However the biggest changes to each found. pub during their refurbishment seems to be the Like many pubs extensive effort that is that have been going in to the hand refurbished over the past painted signage. This three years, The Anchor painstaking attention to has both a wet and dry detail shows a keen trade. However the interest in the brewery’s brewery were keen to pub heritage, maintaining establish that its assets for people to refurbishments were not enjoy long into the future. only intended for [KS] restaurants or gastro pubs, but rather any Photographs courtesy of Bob premises that showed an Coffee shop at The Anchor, Faversham Thompson, Brewery Liaison opportunity. Now that Officer and Shepherd Neame. Spring Issue 2013 3 Swale Ale © Editorial Spring 2013 elcome to the latest edition of Swale Ale. As you read this the daffs should W be up and the lambs should be frolicking, or Published by the Swale Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale Ltd (CAMRA). alternatively winter has decided to outstay its welcome and it is still freezing. Either way the Circulation: 1000 good people at Swale CAMRA have been beavering away to bring you another packed Editorial Committee and Contributors: magazine. In this edition there are articles that Les Bailey, Suzanne Collins, Derek Cole, range in topics from ‘A Canterbury Tale’ to ‘A Gary Holness, Simon Ing, Paul Irving, Gill few from the Few’, plus all the regular pub and Joiner, Keith Joiner, Andrew Kitney, David brewery news from around the area and a Selves, Keir Stanley, Bob Thompson, Jeff whole lot more. Waller, Malcolm Winskill. Many thanks to all of those that have contributed to the magazine. We invite you to Print Liaison: Les Bailey settle back with a pint of your favourite ale and Advertising: Gary Holness enjoy and if there are some pubs you have not ——————————————–———— yet visited that feature in these pages then we urge you to seek them out and give them a try. All correspondence to: Les Bailey 58 Wallers Road Faversham Advertising rates: Kent ME13 7PL Half Page £25 Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01795 538824 Full A5 Page £50 ———————————————–——— Any opinions expressed within these Minimum circulation 800 pages are those of the individual authors only and do not represent those of CAMRA or any of its officials. The existence of this publication in a particular outlet does not imply an endorsement of it by Swale CAMRA. ———————————————–——— Printed by: Abbey Print, Faversham ———————————————–—— Branch Details Chairman: Simon Ing Secretary: Les Bailey Treasurer: Les Bailey Visit our award winning website at www.camra-swale.org.uk 4 Spring Issue 2013 Chairman's Chat would like to start by thanking everybody to us. It is not as hard as you may fear, after all I I that over the last year has helped with the managed to write this and the spell checker is a creation of this magazine. It takes a lot of work, wonderful thing. I have even managed to write and is all voluntary. From writing the first article, the odd (or is that very odd) article and had it getting advertising, setting out and collating, printed. This magazine is free and everybody proof reading (and even when we do this the involved is a volunteer, so no one gets paid. But odd mistake can still get through), going to the the magazine is covered by copyright, which printers and then distributing this magazine to all means nobody can reproduce your work the places you can find it. I won't list names, you without permission. One more thing - we have know who you are, so once again thank you. to send a copy to the British Library, so if you Now to you the reader. We always need do write something for us, you can claim to be a articles, points (or even pints) of view, adverts published author and when people doubt you, and your opinions. So if you have something you you can tell them where to find the proof! can write about, we would like to hear from you. If we can print it, we will, and you will be So if you do have something for us to print credited as the author. It would be nice to have please send it to [email protected]. opinions other than ours. Have you been to a pub and had a good or bad experience? Could you write about it? Have you found your perfect Simon Ing pint? Tell everyone! Write it down and send it Faversham’s hidden gem The Shipwright’s Arms, Hollowshore, Faversham A 17th Century traditional creek side free house. Selling up to five real ales from Kentish brewers, and serving good food. Take a trip back in time and savour the delights of a truly traditional pub. Rated by Jamie Oliver as one of the top 100 traditional pubs in the country. Please check website or phone to confirm hours of opening. Tel: 01795 590088 Web: www.theshipwrightsarmspub.co.uk Directions: At Davington School turn into Ham Road and follow the signs across the marsh. Spring Issue 2013 5 THE FOUNTAIN SITTINGBOURNE Thai Restaurant and Takeaway Tue to Sat 12 noon—2:30pm & 5—10pm SHEPHERD NEAME ALES SERVED Mon—Sat 11am—11pm Sun 12—8.30pm 37 Station Street, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3ED 01795 228971 6 Spring Issue 2013 Swale CAMRA Branch Diary Wednesday 10th April 2013 Branch Business Meeting: 8pm Swan & Harlequin, Conduit Street, Faversham April is Community Pub Month Celebrating the Great British Wednesday 8th May 2013 Pub Branch Business Meeting: 8pm Brown Jug, Horsham Lane, Upchurch Wednesday 12th June 2013 Try and take a friend or relative to Branch Business Meeting: 8pm one of your favourite pubs in the Bowl Inn, Egg Hill Road, Charing area, perhaps one you haven't been Saturday 6th July 2013 to for a while.