Skip to main content
12th April 2021

BRITAIN’S OLDEST BREWER HOPES TO GO VIRAL WITH ITS OWN UNIQUE TAKE ON THE CURRENT SEA SHANTY TREND

After Scottish postman Nathan Evans’ rendition of sea shanty Wellerman went viral on TikTok last year, it sparked a surge of interest in the genre which is still going strong, with his Wellerman remix reaching No.1 in the UK charts last month.

Ahead of pubs reopening on Monday, Britain’s oldest brewer Shepherd Neame decided to mark the occasion by offering its own unique take on the sea shanty trend.

Shepherd Neame’s Digital Marketing Executive Stacey Young, who also works as a professional singer, teamed up with friend and fellow Kent musician Karl Reid to write and record Barman, released today (Friday, April 9).

Stacey and Karl individually recorded their vocals at home, and then met in Whitstable to film socially distanced footage at a number of Shepherd Neame pubs around the town for the video to accompany the song. They also invited Shepherd Neame team members and licensees to contribute their own footage singing along to the song, which was incorporated into the finished film. Participants featured include Chief Executive Jonathan Neame, giving a rousing ‘Huh!’ at the end of each verse.

Stacey said: “Everyone is really excited about pubs reopening next week, so we thought it would be fun to celebrate the occasion by creating our very own Shepherd Neame sea shanty! We altered the lyrics of Wellerman to reflect the challenges of the past year and our excitement at finally reopening our pubs. We are really pleased with the finished result – particularly the accompanying film, which is a fantastic celebration of our licensees and team members. We hope people enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it!”

Shepherd Neame temporarily closed the doors of its 312 pubs and hotels on November 5 last year, along with its brewery shop, in line with Government advice.

Following the Government’s confirmation on Monday (April 5) that pubs can open outside spaces from April 12, before being able to offer indoor service from May 17, preparations are now ramping up to welcome back customers at those Shepherd Neame pubs with suitable outside spaces. A full list of the 201 sites reopening on Monday is available here: https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/pubs-hotels-reopening-2021. The rest of the estate will reopen on May 17. Shepherd Neame’s brewery shop in Court Street, Faversham, will also reopen on Tuesday (April 13).

Watch Shepherd Neame’s Barman video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQS3q73WnuM

The audio file is available to download here: https://we.tl/t-mFr1hKTPXb

ENDS

Shepherd Neame’s Barman Lyrics

There once was a pub right by the sea

The sign on the pub said Shepherd Neame

We all went up, we all sat down

Oh cheers, my pub mates, cheers (huh)

Soon may the barman come

To bring us beer and tea and rum

And, when last orders are done

We’ll take our leave and go

For many months, or even more

The pubs were opened then closed once more

All joy was lost, pulled pints no more

And to the pub we could not go (huh)

Soon may the barman come

To bring us beer and tea and rum

And, when last orders are done

We’ll take our leave and go

Da-da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

We all want beer, and food and water

And the staff they’ll come to take your order

So efficient are they, we do applaud ‘em

And the drinks will surely flow (huh)

Soon may the barman come

To bring us beer and tea and rum

And, when last orders are done

We’ll take our leave and go

They’ve not been closed so long before

But this time they’ve been closed some more

We all called our locals and swore

If they opened the pub we’d go (huh)

Soon may the barman come

To bring us beer and tea and rum

And, when last orders are done

We’ll take our leave and go

Da-da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

When closure is done, and we’re all freed

We’ll visit Sheps pubs, we’ve all agreed

As we belong to the Sheps family

And we’ll keep our group in tow (huh)

Soon may the barman come

To bring us beer and tea and rum

And, when last orders are done

We’ll take our leave and go

As far as we know, pub opening’s on

Their gardens bloomed, and the menus done

And we will make a regular call

To support our pub, their team and all (huh)

Soon may the barman come

To bring us beer and tea and rum

And, when last orders are done

We’ll take our leave and go

Soon may the barman come

To bring us beer and tea and rum

And, when last orders are done

We’ll take our leave and go

About Shepherd Neame

Britain’s oldest brewer 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, which carries the Royal Warrant, its diverse portfolio includes Five Grain Lager, the Bear Island Collection and the Whitstable Bay Collection. It also brews international lagers under licence including Samuel Adams Boston Lager, and is the sole UK distributor for premium Thai lager Singha. The independent family business boasts an award-winning visitor centre and more than 300 pubs and hotels throughout London and the South East, from the historic heart of the City to the Kent coastline.


Press release from Shepherd Neame

For further information please contact Public Relations Manager Kathryn Tye on 01795 542259 or email ktye@shepherdneame.co.uk or visit www.shepherdneame.co.uk