Faversham Steam Brewery is revived with a range of Whitstable Bay Beers

Shepherd Neame is reviving its Faversham Steam Brewery identity as the umbrella brand for a new range of Whitstable Bay beers.

The Faversham Steam Brewery title was originally adopted by Shepherd Neame in the late 18th century, when it became one of the first steam-powered breweries outside of London. The brewery heavily marketed its introduction of automation, after buying a five horse power engine from steam pioneers Boulton and Watt.

The range will consist of three Whitstable Bay beers:

Whitstable Bay Pale Ale: available in cask and keg at 3.9% abv and 500ml bottles at 4% abv. A full-bodied, fruity ale with a subtle bitterness and glorious grapefruit and pine aromas. Brewed with Tettnang and Styrian Goldings hops and Ale and Crystal malts.

Whitstable Bay Blonde Lager: available in keg and 330ml bottles at 4.5% abv. A pale, refreshing lager with spicy overtones perfectly balanced by the scent of fresh flowers. Brewed with Challenger, Centennial and Saaz hops and Lager and Crystal malts.

Whitstable Bay Organic Ale (an existing product): available in 500ml bottles at 4.5% abv. An elegant, appetising, dark blonde organic ale imbued with delicate, sweet summer fruit and smooth soda bread undertones. Clean, crisp and incredibly quaffable. Brewed with Organic Tradition and Organic Challenger hops and Organic Ale and Organic Crystal malts.

Further beer styles and additional packaging options will follow in the autumn.

The coastal town of Whitstable thrives with alternative culture, great seafood and pebble beaches. The beer’s design reflects the town’s roots through the use of an oyster dredger silhouette and a laidback, sun-bleached aesthetic with a muted colour palette, yet retains a modern edge through the use of clean, simple lines and bold silver and black iconography. The brand identity will work as well in a bar or restaurant as in a traditional pub and each beer works well with a wide variety of food, particularly fish and seafood.

The beers are available nationally, both directly from Shepherd Neame and through wholesalers. Draught products will be available with stylish metal cask pump clips and elegant chrome keg fonts. Pale Ale will be available with a lit chrome font.

Pale Ale and Organic Ale will be available in 8 x 500ml trays and Blonde Lager will be available in 12 x 330ml trays and 24 x 330ml cases. Point of sale items will include branded blade bottle openers, bar runners, standard pint and stemmed pint glasses, the latter of which are marked at two-thirds.

Shepherd Neame marketing manager, Mark Miller, said:

“The revival of the Faversham Steam Brewery is the perfect fit for a re-invigorated Whitstable Bay. The result is high quality, modern beers that reach beyond Shepherd Neame’s traditional customers. We look forward to further innovation in terms of beer styles, dispense and packaging.”
Mark Miller, Shepherd Neame marketing manager