Shepherd Neame
Brewers of Faversham
1678 Richard Marsh leased the brewery from the Hilton family
1698 Marsh bought the brewery from the family’s executors.
1726 After Marsh's death the brewery continued under his daughter-in-law Mary and her new husband, a Mr Hilles Hobday.
By 1731, when Hobday died, the brewery owned two Faversham pubs, The Castle and The Three Tuns.
1732 Mary married Samuel Shepherd who took over the running of the brewery
1755 The brewery passed to Shepherd’s sons, John and Julius.
1789 the brewery acquired its first Sun and Planet steam engine from Boulton and Watt.
1819 Julius' son Henry ran the brewery for the next 25 years. Upon his retirement, it passed to Henry Jr and his son-in-law, Charles Jones Hilton
1848 Hilton withdrew and Henry Jr took on John Henry Mares as his partner.
1864 Percy Beale Neame, a 28-year-old hop farmer and brother-in-law of John Mares, joined the firm as a partner, only two months before Mares’ death, forming Shepherd Neame & Company.
1876 Henry Jr died, leaving Percy Neame as sole proprietor.
1914 Shepherd Neame became a limited company, with all of Percy’s children as the shareholders.
Post WWII Shepherd Neame was largely managed by Jasper and Laurie Neame.
1958 Shepherd Neame produced Bishops Finger, a strong, typically Kentish ale
By 1980 the brewery had 65 pubs in total
1990 Shepherd Neame produced Spitfire
Tours
UK's oldest brewery, brewing on same site since at least 1573 (forget the 1698 date they use - it's wrong!), including equipment and operational buildings both old and new. C19 single-cylinder steam engine no longer in use but on view. Visitor centre ( and private pub!) in C15 building saved by Faversham Society
See Also
Sources of Information
- Shepherd Neame [1]