Shepherd Neame Joins Forces with Faversham Group to Bring Life-Saving Equipment to Its Albion Taverna Pub

Independent family brewer and pub company Shepherd Neame has teamed up with a fellow Faversham-based organisation to improve access to potentially life-saving equipment in its home town.

It was approached with the offer of a defibrillator for its Albion Taverna pub by Faversham Emergency Equipment CIC (Community Interest Company), a not-for-profit group.

The equipment has been installed on the outside of the pub - a stone’s throw from the Brewery itself - so it can be easily accessed 24 hours a day, serving the North Preston and Brents communities, which include many young families, as well as visitors to the area.

Rob Crayford, Director of Faversham Emergency Equipment CIC, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, said: “I am really pleased with the support of both Shepherd Neame and the pub to make this happen.

“It’s good to see Shepherd Neame working with, and helping, the local area, and for the Albion to be stepping up in this way to serve its community.”

The equipment, which includes a Daniel Baird Foundation bleed kit for serious injuries, was funded via Faversham First Responders before it disbanded and purchased, at a subsidised rate, from the charity London Hearts. It was installed free of charge by Elite Electrical, contractors for Shepherd Neame.

It has both adult and child pads, so can be used on all ages, and will be maintained by Faversham Emergency Equipment CIC, which recently also installed one at the Umbrella Centre in Court Street opposite the Brewery. The kit will be registered on the national defibrillator network, so anyone searching for a defibrillator can find its location.

Shepherd Neame also has a defibrillator inside its Brewery reception, which is available during office hours, and one in Partridge Lane.

General Manager at the Albion, Dan Lewis, said: “I know this part of Faversham well, as I live near the pub, and there are lots of families in the area. We believe having a defibrillator here will be a real benefit to the local community, and we were very happy to help.”

According to the Resuscitation Council UK’s 2025 guidelines say that CPR combined with a defibrillator can more than double the chance of survival for patients, and every minute’s delay in delivering a needed shock reduces that chance by around 10%.

The new equipment at the Albion Taverna forms part of Shepherd Neame’s wider support for access to defibrillators in the communities around its pubs. In 2025, the brewer installed six new life-saving defibrillators at its pubs across Kent and Sussex, adding to more than 23 already in place across its estate.

Shepherd Neame also has defibrillators available at its Faversham Brewery and Partridge Lane site.

You can find the Albion Taverna at 29 Front Brents, Faversham, ME13 7DH or by visiting www.albiontaverna.com.

Anyone needing access to the equipment is advised to call 999, who will provide the access code and instructions. You can find your nearest defibrillator at https://defibfinder.uk.

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 the Bear Island and Whitstable Bay collections. It also brews international lagers under licence including premium Thai lager Singha. The independent family business boasts an award-winning visitor centre and 286 pubs and hotels throughout London and the South East, from the historic heart of the City to the Kent coastline.

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For further information please contact Angela Cole via acole@shepherdneame.co.uk.

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