Sheps grabs Gold in 'beer Olympics'

Gold, Silver and Bronze medals are not confined to the London Olympics, for Kent family brewer Shepherd Neame has picked up awards in all three departments in the “Olympics of the beer world”, the International Beer Challenge.

Shepherd Neame, England’s oldest brewery dating from 1698, won Gold for Late Red Autumn Hop Ale while Canterbury Jack took Silver. Bronze medals went to 1698 bottle-conditioned ale, Spitfire Kentish Ale, Generation Ale and Whitechapel Porter brewed for Asda.

Late Red is brewed all year round and the 4.5% beer is brewed with Kentish hops, barley malt and mineral water all sourced close to the brewery. Canterbury Jack (3.5%) uses pale and crystal malts and is hopped with English Cascade and East Kent Goldings grown within a few miles of the brewery.

Head brewer Richard Frost said, “To win six medals is a tribute to the expertise and experience of all the brewers at Faversham, who are dedicated to brewing flavoursome ales of the highest quality.”

Picture shows (front row, left to right): Jean Timmons, head brewer Richard Frost and Chris Gregson; (back row, l to r): Norman Conner, Jemima Vickers, Adam Fickling, Mark Whitehead and Angus Mitchell.

*Shepherd Neame has teamed up with Quex Park in Birchington who use home-grown potatoes to make premium quality chips. The result is Roast Beef and Spitfire Ale Crisps, available in selected branches of Waitrose at 85p a bag.