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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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A family-run Inverclyde business is hiring and training young people in the field of ground investigation, after the business owners accessed specialist advice from Business Gateway.


A & I Geotechnical is supporting youths in the local community by providing them with training and qualifications in the field of geotechnical ground investigation, which the team are experts in.


The team has practical experience on a variety of sites throughout the UK.


A & I Geotechnical offer a full range of in-house geotechnical services including trial pitting, dynamic sampling, cable percussion, technician services, surveying, site supervision, reporting and project management.


The business was founded in 2016 by Ross Cameron and is still led by Ross and supported by his wife Maria Cameron. At the heart of the business is family and their name is inspired by two of their children. A team that once consisted of just Ross now has six team members and is looking to grow further. Four of these team members are young professionals who they have trained, two of them being their sons.


One of the company’s key goals is to provide jobs for young people and give them training in a field they may not have considered. This came from a lack of experienced people in the area, so Ross decided to begin hiring and training young people to teach them all about ground investigation, helping them work towards an NVQ in Land Drilling.


The basic training for these members of staff takes two years, but Ross and Maria are keen to expand this and train them to do even more. Their two sons are further along in their training and so now get involved in the teaching of the less experienced members of the team.


Though it is a small business, the team want to give back to the local area by sponsoring events and sports teams, using local suppliers where possible and only employing people in the Inverclyde area.


When they approached Business Gateway, Ross and Maria met their adviser Mario Alonzi, who has been able to provide advice on growing their business and guidance on how to apply for funding from a range of sources.


Through this support, the couple has received wage-subsidy grants from Inverclyde Council and has managed to secure a place on the Inverclyde Business Growth Programme. The programme allowed Maria to learn more about aspects like finance, net zero, strategy and growth mindset and provided great tips on how to improve workflow and performance.


The couple received 1:1 business support from Mario, as well as being signposted to his wider network and given innovation support. Business Gateway also helped them to facilitate recruitment of new members of the team.


Maria Cameron, Director of A & I Geotechnical said:

“Mario has given us fantastic help and advice. With his support, we have managed to secure a grant for equipment that will help us expand the business and also secured a meeting with Scottish Enterprise."

“Mario has been a great help in continuing to grow the business and provide us with invaluable support.”


Mario Alonzi, Business Gateway adviser said: “

By helping Ross and Maria to grow their business and access funding, we have supported the hiring and training of people in the local community. I look forward to seeing how they continue to grow their business and give back to the area.”

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