Brewer wins Family Business award

Kent-based brewer Shepherd Neame has won the Southern England and Wales £25m+ turnover category in the Coutts Prize for Family Business 2009/10.

The brewer and pub owner was named ‘Best UK Family Business’ at a regional level and will now advance to the national finals to be held in London on 8 June 2010.

The competition, which is in its fifth year, is the only one of its kind in England and Wales to celebrate the best-performing medium-sized and large businesses.

The competition is split into three regional categories: Northern England and the Midlands; London and Greater London and Southern England and Wales with two turnover categories: medium – £5-25m, and large – £25m+.

Jonathan Hagger, regional chairman of the evaluation committee, said that the longevity and sustainibility of the business as well as the company’s approach to corporate social responsibility and the importance placed on employee welfare were among the attributes that impressed judges.

Shepherd Neame was established in 1698 and is run by the fifth generation of the family. It is Britain’s oldest traditional brewer and sells the beer it produces through its 369 pubs across the south-east and its other customer bases of retailers and public houses.

Juliette Johnson, head of UK family business at Coutts & Co said: “What really shines through is the strength of the family’s values and how these have acted as the glue binding the family and business together for over 300 years.”

Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Shepherd Neame, said: “We are extremely pleased to be named Best UK Family Business, in the Southern England and Wales region.

“Shepherd Neame remains a proudly independent family company. It brings together the best of modern efficient production and distribution methods with traditional standards which stem from our family values.”

Rupert Millar, 17.02.2010