top of page

Shepherd Neame Scoops Multiple Awards For Beers, Pubs & People



Britain’s oldest brewer, Shepherd Neame, is celebrating a number of accolades received throughout October, recognising the quality of its beers, the success of its pubs and the achievements of its team members.


Its bottle-conditioned Kentish Strong Ale, 1698, has led the way, securing Gold at both the Great British Food Awards and the Taste of Kent Awards (TOKAs).


At the Great British Food Awards, held in London on October 6, 1698 took Gold in the Beer and Lager category. Whitstable Bay Pale Ale and Spitfire Amber Ale each received Bronze in the same category, while Whitstable Bay 0.5% Pale Ale won Bronze in the Alcohol-Free category.


Just two days later, 1698 was named Kent Beer of the Year at the Taste of Kent Awards (TOKAs), held in Gillingham on October 8.


The TOKAs are the longest-running food and drink awards in the South East, celebrating excellence across Kent’s culinary sector. Shepherd Neame also secured two further accolades in the Kent Beer of the Year category, with Whitstable Bay Pale Ale receiving Silver and Bishops Finger taking Bronze.


Spitfire Amber Ale was also Highly Commended in the Best Local Beverage Brand category at the Kent Life Food and Drink Awards, held on October 6.


Shepherd Neame’s Director of Brewing Mike Unsworth said:

“We are delighted to receive these awards for our range of ales and lagers. As Britain’s oldest brewer, we are proud that our continued innovation and commitment to quality continues to be recognised.”

The Brewery’s pub estate has also enjoyed success, with several venues recognised for their food, hospitality and sustainability initiatives. The Dove in Dargate, run by Will Shenow-Brady and Sophie Webb, received Silver for Kent Dining Experience of the Year at the TOKAs.


At the Kent Life Food and Drink Awards, The Three Mariners in Oare was Highly Commended for Pub of the Year, thanks to its elevated food menu that has been in place since licensees Nadine Barnard and Kyle Simmons took over in 2024.


The Old House at Home, Dormansland, received further recognition for its environmental initiatives, with a nomination for the Sustainability Award at the BII National Innovation in Training Awards (NITAs). The village pub previously won Community Sustainability Hero at the PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards and Sustainable Pub of the Year at the Shepherd Neame Pub Awards earlier this year.


Shepherd Neame’s commitment to developing talent has also been recognised, with four members of its team shortlisted across individual categories at this year’s NITAs, alongside the nomination for The Old House at Home. Apprenticeship Lead David Everett has been nominated for Training Professional of the Year, recognising his work in supporting the development of the Brewery’s apprentices.


Joshua Lane, from The George Hotel, Cranbrook, and Nikita Tarasenko from the Duke of Cumberland, Whitstable, are both shortlisted for Hospitality Apprentice of the Year (Back of House).


Joshua has earned finalist places at the prestigious Salon Culinaire culinary competition for the past two years, while Nikita has progressed from Kitchen Porter to Level 3 Chef de Partie Apprentice, demonstrating outstanding resilience and determination.


Tom Smith, who has progressed from Apprentice Brewer to Brewing Operative after joining Shepherd Neame in 2025, is nominated for the Rising Star Award. His passion for brewing led to the development of limited-edition New Zealand Hazy Pale Ale, released last December, which remains in production due to its popularity.


David Everett said:

“We are thrilled that the Shepherd Neame Apprenticeship programme has been recognised with these nominations. This proves that continuing to invest in our team members’ professional development is worthwhile and, when given the opportunity, our apprentices can deliver something truly special.”

The NITA winners will be announced on November 19.


Further recognition of Shepherd Neame’s commitment to developing talent has come through the recently published fifth edition of the Family Business Apprentice Employers Report.


The Brewery ranked sixth in both the Top Family Business Apprentice Employers and Largest New Apprentice Employers lists, and third in the Top Firms with the Most Graduating Apprentices list.


Find out more about Shepherd Neame.




Most Read

V12 Retail Finance Q3 Data Shows Home Improvement Finance More Than Doubling

V12 Retail Finance Q3 Data Shows Home Improvement Finance More Than Doubling

New quarterly data from V12 Retail Finance shows that UK consumers continued to turn to point-of-sale finance for high-value purchases in the third quarter of 2026.

High Street Gloom as Leicester City Centre Welcomes New Openings

High Street Gloom as Leicester City Centre Welcomes New Openings

Leicester continues to buck the national narrative of high street closures as a new wave of restaurants, cafés, fashion stores and independent businesses open their doors across the city centre.

Hill Cross Furniture Raises £1,500 For Overgate Hospice

Hill Cross Furniture Raises £1,500 For Overgate Hospice

North Yorkshire furniture specialist Hill Cross Furniture has presented £1,500 to Overgate Hospice after taking on a 1,042-mile cycling challenge inspired by the team’s work on the hospice’s new Inpatient Unit.

Categories

Oct 31, 2023
2 min read

British Airways customers were surprised to find a special out of this world guest, a Dalek, while travelling through Heathrow’s Terminal 5 on Friday.


Much to the surprise of those waiting in the Arrivals hall to meet loved ones, one of Doctor Who’s fearsome foes was seen keeping a watchful eye over British Airways’ arriving customers. The Dalek also mysteriously appeared in Departures where confused customers spotted one of the planet’s best-known villains checking in for a flight to Skaro, an extra-terrestrial destination that isn’t normally on British Airways’ route network.


The unscheduled arrival of the Dalek in British Airways’ home at Heathrow Terminal 5 marked the new partnership between British Airways and BBC Studios to celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, which includes the launch of a dedicated Doctor Who inflight entertainment channel, available for all the airline’s customers travelling on long-haul flights from November 1. The new channel features 13 acclaimed episodes of the longest running science fiction television series in the world.


Calum Laming, British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, said:

“We are really excited to be partnering with the BBC’s Doctor Who to create a dedicated channel on our inflight entertainment system, another fantastic British Original partnership that we know our customers will love. This year alone we have doubled the amount of content available on our in-flight entertainment, and we are committed to continue to bring the best, out of this world, entertainment to the skies.”

Sarah Bold, Head of Marketing, Scripted at BBC Studios, said:

“Doctor Who has been inspiring and entertaining audiences globally for an incredible 60 years and we couldn’t miss this opportunity to bring two iconic British brands together in style to celebrate. Travellers and subscribers will be able to enjoy a curated collection of content and the tie in will reach millions of people throughout the partnership.”

The new Doctor Who inflight entertainment channel on board British Airways’ flights, to celebrate the 60th Anniversary, includes 13 different episodes from series 1-13. Alongside this, customers can enjoy up to *80+ box sets such as And Just Like that Season 2, plus 15+ classic franchises, including Back to the Future and The Matrix, and over *700 pieces of audio, including BBC Proms 2023 Classics and UK true-crime podcast They Walk Among Us. In November, customers can enjoy new release movies such as Scrapper, a British Comedy/Drama, The Haunted Mansion or Meg 2: The Trench.


Doctor Who returns from November 25th on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ for the rest of the world, with three special episodes with David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor to coincide with the 60th anniversary.


The Fifteenth Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa, will then take control of the TARDIS, with his first episode airing over the festive period in 2023. Ncuti Gatwa also features in British Airways’ latest safety video.

Most Read

V12 Retail Finance Q3 Data Shows Home Improvement Finance More Than Doubling

V12 Retail Finance Q3 Data Shows Home Improvement Finance More Than Doubling

New quarterly data from V12 Retail Finance shows that UK consumers continued to turn to point-of-sale finance for high-value purchases in the third quarter of 2026.

High Street Gloom as Leicester City Centre Welcomes New Openings

High Street Gloom as Leicester City Centre Welcomes New Openings

Leicester continues to buck the national narrative of high street closures as a new wave of restaurants, cafés, fashion stores and independent businesses open their doors across the city centre.

Hill Cross Furniture Raises £1,500 For Overgate Hospice

Hill Cross Furniture Raises £1,500 For Overgate Hospice

North Yorkshire furniture specialist Hill Cross Furniture has presented £1,500 to Overgate Hospice after taking on a 1,042-mile cycling challenge inspired by the team’s work on the hospice’s new Inpatient Unit.

Categories

Annexe Communities Secures Funding To Distribute Café Lunch Vouchers

Annexe Communities Secures Funding To Distribute Café Lunch Vouchers

The people of Partick will continue to enjoy affordable, healthy food and a welcoming place to socialise at Annexe Communities' community café, thanks to new funding that will help hundreds of people.

As UK Export Growth Slows, Expert Highlights the Evolving Role of Shipping Containers

As UK Export Growth Slows, Expert Highlights the Evolving Role of Shipping Containers

Seventy years after a converted oil tanker carried the first standardised steel boxes from New Jersey to Texas, the shipping container remains the basic unit that global trade is built on.

ScottishPower Completes Record-Breaking Engineering Operation At East Anglia TWO

ScottishPower Completes Record-Breaking Engineering Operation At East Anglia TWO

ScottishPower Renewables has achieved a global engineering first – completing a record-breaking subsea drilling and duct pull-in operation at its £4 billion East Anglia TWO offshore windfarm.

Recent Posts

bottom of page