Unexpected challenges
2020 - 2021
With Brexit looming on the horizon preparations were taken by Shepherd Neame, including a financing structure overhaul in 2018, to help prepare the business for uncertain times in 2020. Unfortunately, the UK’s departure from the European Union was to be the least of people’s worries.
The worldwide pandemic of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or Covid-19, devastated the UK and resulted in the enforcement of a national lockdown in March of 2020 to try and slow the spread of the disease. The initial lockdown would last until May, followed by further lockdowns in November and again in January of 2021.
Over the course of the crisis, Shepherd Neame worked hard to protect its people and community. When lockdown came into effect, it was the first pub company to waive 100% of licensee rent, and continued provision of reduced rent following reopening, totalling more than £4.8million in financial support.
It also teamed up with fellow Kent business Copper Rivet Distillery to create alcohol hand sanitiser for the emergency services; sent food from all of its closed sites to local food banks and to support the homeless; and worked with local charity RBLI to create bespoke safety signage for all its sites, which it provided free of charge.
Chief Executive Jonathan Neame also made an outstanding contribution to the hospitality and brewing industries, with regular appearances on national and local media. In 2020, Shepherd Neame received the Mayor’s Award from Faversham Town Council in recognition of its outstanding efforts to support the local community during the crisis. It also won the award for Outstanding Covid Response in the 2021 Kent Excellence in Business Awards, and Jonathan Neame was shortlisted for Business Leader of the Year in the 2021 Publican Awards.
As the UK Government began to roll out a vaccination programme at the start of 2021, Shepherd Neame joined others in the brewing sector in offering its pubs as vaccination hubs to help speed the effort along.