Shepherd Neame marks 25th anniversary of Faversham Hop Festival
A vintage 1923 Austin 7 Shepherd Neame van transported a beer barrel to the centre of the town, before staff from the brewery rolled it into St Mary of Charity Church for a special service of celebration led by Reverend Simon Rowlands.
Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Shepherd Neame, which is the official partner for Faversham Hop Festival, gave a reading to commemorate “the golden days of hop picking in Kent”.
The company also sponsored the Brewery Stage in Court Street, which featured performances by local musicians on 30 and 31 August, while many of its pubs in the town hosted live music throughout the weekend.
The Old Brewery Store events venue hosted a free exhibition on the history of hops and hop picking in Kent.
'Glorious'
Shepherd Neame visitor centre manager Graham Hukins said: “Faversham Hop Festival is a glorious way of celebrating our town’s special heritage, and Shepherd Neame was delighted to play such a major part in the 25th anniversary event.
“The diverse line-up of music on the brewery stage proved popular, along with our beer tent, and we were also pleased with the reaction to our ceremonial rolling of the barrel. It was the first time we had organised the spectacle, and members of the public really seemed to enjoy it.”
