Shepherd Neame is an English independent regional brewery founded in 1698 in Faversham, Kent.
In addition to offering a range of work placements, since 2015 Shepherd Neame have organised an exclusive experience day for EP students!
The EP team were lucky enough to attend this event, which gave students an unqiue insight into the beer brewing industry.
The event started with a presentation from the company’s Chief Executive, who spoke about the business’ strategy and branding, providing an insight into operations. Following this, students gained the chance to attend a complimentary brewery tour, where they had the chance to see the machines used for each stage of the brewing process. They were able to taste the malt, hops and liquor (chalk-filtered mineral water) used to make the beer and heard the great lengths that the brewery goes to in order to recycle the left-over waste. Shepherd Neame uses five pints of water to create one pint of beer (this is can be as high as eight in other breweries) and 70% of the water is recycled and used for cleaning purposes. The remaining barley is used for cattle feed and the yeast is used to feed pigs. Staff estimate that 95% of the waste from Shepherd Neame is currently recycled, and they are very proud of their locally-sourced hops (80% come from Kentish farms).
Following a networking lunch, the students were split into three groups; scientific processes, marketing and branding and architecturial design.
Scientific Processes
The students were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the laboratory, led by scientist and brewer, Sarah Marshall. She explained how their high-tech machines are used to colour-match the beers, get rid of cloudiness and create the perfect amount of bitterness to keep consumers happy.
The students were then given ear-plugs and protective goggles before entering the bottling factory to see how the beer was packaged.
Marketing
The marketing students attended an interactive workshop on branding and marketing, which addressed how different brands are tailored to specific demographics. Following this, the students were challenged to create their own beer brand, with the winning team receiving a prize!
Architecturial Design
The architecture students gained the chance to spend some time with Martin Godden, Head of Property, where they visited local pubs and hotels and analysed the unique designs and layouts.
The event concluded with the students being given the opportunity to blind taste the products.