Shepherd Neame ages 150 years overnight
Kent family brewer Shepherd Neame may have to rethink its entire marketing strategy, after newly discovered documents pushed the date of the historic Faversham Brewery's founding back around 150 years.
The company, which owns 370 pubs and brews beers such as Spitfire, Bishop's Finger and Asahi, has long used 1698 as the year which justifies its claim to the title of 'Britain's Oldest Brewer'. It even brews a premium bottled ale called 1698.
However, Faversham historian John Owen has now uncovered evidence that brewing took place on the company's town centre site in Court Street much earlier.
The findings were announced at a civic ceremony in Faversham which saw the official opening of the new £350,000 brewery visitor centre. The company expects the centre to attract 20,000 visitors a year, as well as to help boost Faversham's attraction to tourists and visitors to the area.
The occasion also saw the unveiling of the brewery's new President's Gates, which mark company president Bobby Neame's 50 years of service with the family business.
Shepherd Neame had long suspected a link between the current site and the former Benedictine monastery nearby, which brewed beer from the 11th century until its dissolution by Henry VIII in 1550.
The new documents show that John Castlock, the last abbot, later owned a brewhouse on the Court Street site which he left to his family in his will. Taking this as proof that brewing moved from the old Abbey brewhouse to the current site sometime between 1550 and 1573, Mr Owen is now looking for more evidence to fill in the gaps in the early history of the brewery.
"The documents will be out there somewhere," he said, "although not all in the same place. It's a bit like a historical jigsaw puzzle, but I'm confident we'll find all the pieces."
Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame said "This is exciting news. Research is ongoing and we hope to establish further connections with the old abbey brewery."
Recalling the company's high profile 300th birthday celebrations in 1998, Jonathan joked that his father Bobby may become the first brewery chief to preside over a 300th, 400th and 500th anniversary.
He added: "In fact, we're not really sure how the 1698 date was arrived at in the first place. Company legend has it that was the year the customs house in Maidstone burnt down, meaning there were no earlier records of us having paid duty on beer."
However, a decision on renaming 1698 ale and reprinting all the company's advertising and marketing literature is officially on hold until more evidence comes to light.
