Kent brewer Shepherd Neame has scrambled comedians Armstrong and Miller in their fighter pilot roles to promote its best-selling Spitfire Ale in an ad campaign this summer.
The move comes after the brewer said it wants to increase exports of several of its beers including Spitfire, Bishops Finger and the organic Whitstable Bay.
Shepherd Neame, which has 350 pubs, reported sales rose 2.6% in the six months to the end of December with a particularly strong Christmas period. But chairman Miles Templeman said that on top of the poor weather during the summer “the much-anticipated boost to tourism from the Olympics did not materialise.”
Operating profits were flat at £6.7 million and pre-tax profits slipped from £4.8 million to £4.5 million as the company continued to invest in its pubs. Chief executive Jonathan Neame said: “Our performance reflects the underlying strength and resilience of our business as we have invested consistently in our brands and pubs.” He added the New Year had started well despite January’s snow.
The dividend rises from 4.9p to 5p.
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