Shepherd Neame, the regional brewer and pub operator, has been named ‘Best UK Family Business’ in Southern England and Wales.
The brewer of Spitfire ale won the regional heat in the '£25m-plus' turnover category of the Coutts Prize for Family Business and will now go forward in the same category in the awards’ national finals, being held in London on June 8.
The awards evaluate factors such as longevity and sustainability of the business; family as well as corporate governance; ability to remain a family concern while being a forward-looking business, and the importance of staff within the organisation.
Juliette Johnson, head of Coutts’ UK Family Business section, said what the judges noted most was the strength of the Neame family's values “and how these have acted as the glue binding the family and business together for over 300 years”.
