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Shepherd Neame Teams Up With Pub Licensee To Support Whitstable Yacht



Independent family brewer Shepherd Neame has teamed up with the licensee of its Whitstable pub, The Old Neptune, to support a local yacht competing in an international race.


The Sailing Yacht Cormorant will take part in the 2026 Rolex Middle Sea Race, which starts in Malta on Saturday (October 17), becoming the first yacht from Whitstable to take part in the prestigious event.


Sponsored jointly by Shepherd Neame and The Old Neptune’s licensee Darren Wilton, the yacht will be sailed by Whitstable resident Patrick Maflin, Director and Founder of Marine Accounts, and members of his team. The Kent accountancy firm has spent the last 12 years working with crews, captains and marine professionals across the yachting industry.


Now in its 47th year, the race will start from Malta’s historic Grand Harbour, with the fleet setting off beneath the fortified walls of Valletta before racing out into the Mediterranean.


Affectionately known as ‘The Neppy’, The Old Neptune is one of the country’s most recognisable coastal pubs, thanks to its unique beachfront location. The logos of both the pub and Shepherd Neame’s Whitstable Bay range will be displayed on the yacht’s hull throughout the race.


The award-winning Whitstable Bay collection comprises Whitstable Bay Pale Ale, Whitstable Bay Lager and Whitstable Bay 0.5% Pale Ale. Inspired by the seaside town just a few miles from Shepherd Neame’s historic Faversham Brewery, the range celebrates the character and heritage of the Kent coast.


Licensee of The Old Neptune, Darren Wilton, said:

“Pat is a local at The Old Neptune, and I’ve known him for more than 20 years - we even call him Captain Pat! When he mentioned he would be showcasing Whitstable with a yacht race around Sicily, I really wanted the pub to get involved. You can’t showcase Whitstable without The Old Neptune! We hope the team do well and come back here for a celebratory drink after the race.”

Shepherd Neame Head of Brands Rose Davis said:

“We are thrilled to support the team aboard the Sailing Yacht Cormorant for this historic race. As the first yacht from Whitstable to take on the Rolex Middle Sea Race, this is a fantastic opportunity to introduce our Whitstable Bay range, The Old Neptune pub, and everything else the seaside town has to offer, to an international audience. We wish the team the best of luck!”

From Malta, the fleet heads north towards Sicily before passing through the Strait of Messina, a narrow stretch of water between Sicily and mainland Italy.


The yachts will then race around the volcanic island of Stromboli, along the northern coast of Sicily, and around the western islands of the course, before heading south past Pantelleria and Lampedusa.


The final stretch takes the boats back towards Malta and the finish line, covering approximately 606 nautical miles. The race attracts a diverse field of competitors, from some of the world’s fastest professional racing yachts to experienced amateur crews taking on a demanding offshore challenge. Conditions can include light winds, heavy seas and challenging currents, with crews spending long periods racing through the night. For some, completing the course takes several days at sea.


Patrick said:

“We started with an idea not just to sail a course, but to build a legacy. With the support of Shepherd Neame and The Old Neptune, that idea has become a reality.”

The race can be followed live on the Royal Malta Yacht Club and Rolex Middle Sea Race social media channels, with commentary in English.


Find out more here. 

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London Zoo has welcomed a critically endangered western lowland gorilla infant, after a speedy 17-minute labour.

The tiny infant was born at the conservation zoo to mum Mjukuu at 9:34am on Wednesday 17 January 2024, following an approximately eight-and-a-half-month long pregnancy.

London Zoo’s gorilla keepers were carrying out their usual morning duties when they first spotted that Mjukuu was in labour. Giving the experienced mum some space, they monitored her via CCTV cameras installed in the dens.

Moments after giving birth in the privacy of their back dens, second-time mum Mjukuu could be seen gently cradling her newborn, before allowing the troop’s curious youngsters Alika and Gernot to examine the intriguing new arrival.

London Zoo’s Primates Section Manager Kathryn Sanders said:

“We started our day as normal – we gave the gorillas their breakfast and began our cleaning routines. When we returned to their back dens, we could see Mjukuu was starting to stretch and squat – a sign that she was in labour."

“After a very quick labour – just 17 minutes – Mjukuu was spotted on camera tenderly holding her newborn and demonstrating her wonderful mothering instincts – cleaning her infant and checking it over.”

The birth of a western lowland gorilla at London Zoo is a real cause for celebration – the subspecies is critically endangered and as a result of poaching and disease their wild numbers have declined by more than 60% over the last 25 years.

The infant was fathered by Kiburi, who arrived at London Zoo from Tenerife in November 2022 as part of the international conservation breeding programme for western lowland gorillas – the programme ensures the preservation of a genetically diverse and healthy population of the gorilla subspecies.

Kathryn added: “To say we’re happy about this new arrival would be a huge understatement – we’ve all been walking around grinning from ear to ear."

“We’ll be giving mum and baby lots of time and space to get to know each other, and for the rest of the troop to get used to their new addition – they’re as excited as we are and can’t stop staring at the baby.”

Zookeepers are yet to confirm the sex of the infant, who has remained closely snuggled in its adoring mum’s arms. The infant will remain in close contact with mum for around the first six months of its life.


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