Independent family brewer and pub company Shepherd Neame has raised £30,000 for its Charity of the Year, FareShare.
FareShare is the UK’s biggest charity tackling the environmental problem of food waste for social good. It works with the food industry to get good to eat food, that might otherwise go to waste, to a network of over 8,000 charities and community groups across the UK.
Shepherd Neame launched its partnership with FareShare in July last year, and fundraising activities by team members at the brewery and across its pub estate have included taking part in the Peak District Ultra Challenge in Dorset, a Brewery Bake Off competition, photography competitions, raffles and quizzes.
As part of its fundraising activities, the company pledged to donate 50p for every Kids’ Meal Deal sold on its new Menu for Minis, which went live in August 2023. It also continues to partner with Pennies, the digital charity box. Customers drinking and dining at selected pubs are invited to make a 25 pence donation when they spend over £25 and pay on a card via Chip & Pin. Every penny given goes to charity: 90% to FareShare and 10% to Pennies.
In addition to raising money for the charity, Shepherd Neame offered team members the opportunity to take time away from their roles to volunteer with FareShare. In April, a group of 10 team members spent the day at The Felix Project, FareShare’s London delivery partner, in Poplar, East London. They undertook tasks including preparing and packing meals, and delivering them to local charities.
It is Shepherd Neame’s fifth Charity of the Year partnership following the relaunch of its Sheps Giving charitable arm in 2018. The Sheps Giving committee co-ordinates the donation of thousands of pounds worth of beer each year, along with vouchers for our pub and hotel estate, to local groups and individuals in support of their fundraising activities.
Shepherd Neame’s Chief Executive Jonathan Neame marked the end of the partnership by visiting the team at FareShare’s warehouse in Ashford, Kent, on Wednesday (June 26) and presenting a cheque to Head of Fundraising Kirsty Ford and Warehouse Manager Emma White.
He said: “We are committed to doing the right thing for our communities, our people and our environment. When we were choosing our charity partner last summer, we wanted to work with an organisation which made a real difference to families and individuals in need, and FareShare does just that. Their ethos also fits with our ongoing efforts throughout the business to limit waste and recycle wherever possible, in line with our pledge to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2025.
“We have been pleased to see our team members and pub partners really get behind the charity during the past 12 months, organising events and offering their time to volunteer, and we are delighted with the amount raised for such a fantastic cause.”
Kirsty Ford, Head of Fundraising at FareShare said: “We are so grateful to Shepherd Neame for their continued support for FareShare. These invaluable donations help us get good-to-eat food to the people who need it rather than going to waste. Every day, the food we redistribute to a network of over 8,000 charities in every region helps to strengthen communities. From homelessness shelters and afterschool clubs to refuges and older people’s lunch clubs, these groups are all working harder than ever to provide people with a hand up, not a handout.
“Shepherd Neame’s generous support for FareShare – both through donations and time volunteered – is instrumental in helping people affected by the cost of living crisis. This support means charities can unite more people through food to form connections and access essential support services. Thank you for helping FareShare make the food go further.”
Find out more about Sheps Giving at www.shepherdneame.co.uk/sheps-giving
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About Shepherd Neame
Shepherd Neame has been based in the market town of Faversham, Kent for over 300 years. Perhaps best known for great British classic ales such as Spitfire Amber, which carries the Royal Warrant, its diverse portfolio includes Bear Island East Coast Pale Ale and Bear Island Triple Hopped Lager, and the Whitstable Bay Collection. It also brews international lagers under licence including premium Thai lager Singha. The independent family business boasts an award-winning visitor centre and 300 pubs and hotels throughout London and the South East, from the historic heart of the City to the Kent coastline.
About FareShare
FareShare is the UK’s biggest charity tackling food waste to support social good. We take good-to-eat surplus food from across the food industry, sort it in our regional warehouses across the UK, and pass it onto a network of over 8,000 charities and community groups. These include school clubs, community centres and pantries, hostels, refuges, older people’s lunch clubs, and hospices. Three quarters of the organisations we provide food to, support children and families. During the last financial year, 2023-24, FareShare redistributed the equivalent of over 134 million meals – four meals every second. The 56,000 tonnes of food we redistributed stopped 100,000 tonnes of COe2 going to waste. Visit www.fareshare.org.uk
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For further information please contact Corporate Communications Manager Kathryn Tye at ktye@shepherdneame.co.uk or visit www.shepherdneame.co.uk
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