Shepherd Neame Teams Up With Pub Licensee To Support Whitstable Yacht

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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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Jul 14, 2025

3 min read

Kia UK has delivered an exceptional first half of 2025, achieving record-breaking sales across several key segments. With 62,005 new vehicles registered year-to-date, Kia firmly secures its position as the UK’s third best-selling car brand so far this year.

Eco cars (EV, PHEV, HEV, excluding mild hybrids) played a pivotal role in Kia’s momentum with 31,643 electrified vehicles registered during H1 – representing more than half of all Kia sales so far this year. This marked an over 7% increase year-on-year, cementing Kia as a top eco car brand in the UK and just below the market leader. For perspective, in 2011 Kia registered 53,614 cars in the entire year.

Strong contributions came from all segments, including the Sportage which is the UK’s second most popular car of any make or model this year with 23,012 registrations year-to-date. The EV3 continues its popularity winning more awards already than there have been weeks in the year, and it is the UK’s most popular retail-registered EV in the first half year, with 6,293 total registrations. Meanwhile, the Picanto saw an increase in registrations of an impressive 35% year-on-year, to 7,607 units registered. Kia’s performance over the first half of 2025 illustrates a compelling blend of product appeal and electrified ambition.

Quick Off The Blocks

A standout January set the tone for the first half year, as Kia recorded its best-ever start to the year with 10,813 units sold and a commanding 7.8% market share, placing it second overall across retail and fleet. The Sportage SUV continued its dominance, topping the UK sales charts in January and maintaining its stronghold as the country’s best-selling SUV in 2024. Quick off the blocks, the all-electric EV3 also emerged as the UK’s best-selling retail EV.

Kia topped UK registrations in February, and it was the number one eco car brand (EV, PHEV, HEV), while the Sportage continued to be the UK’s favourite car with 1,516 registrations. The Picanto was the best-seller in the A-segment and the Ceed the third best-selling C-segment car – testament to Kia’s continued support of the traditional small and hatchback segments.

Kia ended Q1 with a host of records: March was the best-ever month for the brand in its 34-year UK history, with an impressive 19,993 registrations. Kia achieved 35,063 registrations across Q1 with a 6.0% market share. This was the largest ever Q1 result for Kia, made up of the most electrified ‘eco’ models registered in any quarter, including the most plug-in vehicles (EV and PHEV). This was appropriately recognised with the EV3 winning the outright 2025 UK Car of the Year award, following in the footsteps of the EV9 in 2024. Q1 was additionally the best-ever result for registrations of the Stonic, Ceed Sportswagon and Sorento HEV.

The EV3 earned further praise in April, winning the 2025 World Car of the Year award, again following the same accolade awarded to the EV9 the year before. Kia’s drive for innovation was further highlighted with the UK unveiling of the PV5 Purpose-Built Vehicle (PBV) at the Commercial Vehicle Show at the end of April. In addition, April saw Kia voted by the nation’s car dealers as the top brand for the fifth consecutive time in the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) Winter 2025 Dealer Attitude Survey (DAS).

Kia’s registrations continued to impress across both April and May, with Kia ending both months as the third best-selling brand year-to-date, thanks to registrations across all models. Notably, success continued with the EV3 that was the best-selling retail electric vehicle once again, while the Sportage continued its popularity as the best-selling car of any make or model.

Kia ended June as the fourth best-selling brand with 10,043 units registered, with a 5.2% market share month-to-date. The Kia EV3 is the brand’s fastest selling EV, contributing to a best-ever June and Q2 for EV registrations. In addition, Kia scored a Q2 eco car registration record, which was aided by the Sportage surpassing 450,000 lifetime registrations – just ahead of Kia’s announcement of pricing and specifications for the new Sportage on 1 July.

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Shepherd Neame Teams Up With Pub Licensee To Support Whitstable Yacht

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