Shepherd Neame comes to America: an interview with R.H.B. "Bobby" Neame.

R.H.B. "Bobby" Neame, chief executive of the Shepherd Neame brewery of Kent, England, recently toured the United States, testing the market for his family brewery's beers. Shepherd Neame brands have been imported for about a year through Westwood Importing of Highland Park, Michigan. The line now includes Shepherd Neame Master Brew, Spitfire, Bishop's Finger, IPA and Porter, all packaged in distinctive 1/2-liter bottles. Modern Brewery Age recently spoke with Bobby Neame about the brewery's plans for its beers in the U.S.

MBA: What decided you to export your beer to the U.S.?

NEAME: We feel there is a great potential in the world market for British beers. Take our record in the export market, Shepherd Neame is one of the leading imports in Sweden. We also export to Finland and several other European countries. People everywhere are discovering the great quality of British beers. The standard perception is that British beers are warm and brown, but consumers are finding that isn't true at all. British beers, like micro beers in the U.S.A., are enjoying a resurgence worldwide.

Tell us a bit about your marketing plans in the United States...

We are introducing draught beer in four cities: Boston, Philadelphia, Washington. D.C. and New York. These are four of the strongest markets. Currently, our bottled beers can be found in 44 states. We have just invested $500,000 in a new bottling line for our 12-oz. bottles, and we will begin shipping 12-oz. six-packs of Bishop's Finger to the United States. Bishop's Finger Strong Ale, Spitfire, Original Porter and Master brew will continue to be offered in our half-liter bottles.

That half-liter package is very distinctive...

We completely redial our packaging in 1989. We feel that beer - like wine - can be ordered by the bottle with dinner. Our half-liter bottles are just the right size to be shared by two. The unique neck of the bottle leads to better carbonation. Quite accidentally, we discovered that our bottles lead to superior bottle-conditioning versus traditional bottle shapes. In fact, we were just awarded a patent for our bottle.

Tell us about your brands...

Well, our brewery is located in the heart of the hop-growing region in Kent, and we grow and inspect our own hops. We use a variety of hops in all our beers. By blending different hops such as Goldings and Fuggles, we can create a distinctive hop aroma and flavoring.

As to our brands, our IPA was one of the original IPAs to be shipped to India. and just won a gold medal from the British Bottler's Institute.

Bishop's Finger is another award winner. At the Brewing Industry International Awards in 1994. Bishop's Finger won the silver award in the draught Premium cask-conditioned beer category. The name, by the way, refers to a Kentish wayside post erected in the Middle Ages. The signpost pointed the way for those on pilgrimages to Canterbury Cathedral Spitfire was a wonderful surprise for us. We originally brought out that beer to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. As you may know, many of the air battles in 1940 were fought in the Kentish sky, and some of the proceeds from Spitfire sales went to the RAF Benevolent Fund. We had intended to market this beer for only a year but it was so popular with the people of Great Britain that we have added the brand permanently to our portfolio.

Our line also includes the Master Brew Premium, a traditional premium bitter that uses a secret recipe handed down by master brewers since 1698, and Original Porter, affectionately known as "liquid Christmas pudding" because of its deep, rich flavor.

Why did you choose Westwood Importing as your agent in the U.S.?

It was an easy choice for us. Westwood Importers are dedicated specialists, and they have a great track record for marketing premium niche beers. Westwood Importing's strengths are in their focused approach to selling unique craft-brewed beers.

What kind of promotions are you planning in this market?

For one thing, we plan to host beer dinners. We have just published a book on cooking with beer. The beer dinners give us an excellent forum to discuss our products and talk about some of the interesting events in our 300-year history.

In your opinion, what are the greatest challenges ahead for you?

We need to get the word out about British beers. We need to get people to taste our beers. We want to impart some of our history and heritage. Once consumers sample our beers, I'm sure they will appreciate their distinctive world-class quality. Shepherd Neame is committed to this market. There is tremendous opportunity for us here. We are here for the long term.

Thank you, Bobby.