SHEPHERD NEAME PUB THE DOVER CASTLE REOPENS TO CUSTOMERS WITH A NEW TEAM AND REFRESHED LOOK

A new team and a revitalized look inside and out now greets visitors to Shepherd Neame’s reopened village pub, The Dover Castle.

The historic coaching inn, situated in Teynham near Sittingbourne, has been welcoming visitors since the 1640s. It has just undergone a stylish refresh after moving to join the Faversham-based brewer and pub company’s retail estate, following many successful years as a tenanted business.

Inside it has been redecorated, while outside, the pub’s patio in its extensive south-facing garden can now seat up to 100 people with brand new tables and chairs.

The dining area has been recarpeted and the tables and chairs refurbished and reupholstered, while the function room, a popular choice for a variety of occasions from business meetings to family celebrations, has also been given a fresh new look.

Heading up the team is General Manager Christian Webber, who joins the independent family business fresh from a career running mainly cinemas and restaurant sites across the country during the past three decades.

A CAMRA member and ale drinker since the age of 18, a move to pub management was always in the stars for Christian, 54, who lives with his wife and grown-up children in Larkfield, 

“I have got a passion for pubs,” he said. “The Dover Castle is a beautiful historic building, and it looks amazing now, too.”

“We have given it a spruce up and the garden is the icing on the cake. I just want to be entertaining my customers and making sure they have a fantastic experience – that is what I like to do. I love people and love socialising.”

He hopes to utilise the pub’s patio and large garden, which also has a children’s play area, with some family events in the coming months and possibly host live music in the afternoons and occasionally in the evenings too.

Christian brings with him decades of experience in running businesses and as a regional manager. He said of his move to Shepherd Neame: “I wanted to broaden my horizons, and do something for myself – and I love pubs! When I saw that this opportunity was available at such a great site and with such a well-known local company, I had to go for it.”

The pub can cater for up to 100 covers, with seating for 100 more in its patio and garden, and customers will be able to choose from a delicious new menu of freshly prepared food, served every day. Seasonal local produce is used wherever possible, with dishes ranging from braised beef, ale and onion pie to a full rack of smoky and sticky BBQ pork ribs and pea and shallot ravioli to Debham Vale 28 day aged 8oz sirloin steak, while for pudding, options include lemon and white chocolate pavlova or banoffee pie and warm triple chocolate brownie. 

Customers can also choose from an extensive range of drinks, from Shepherd Neame’s award-winning range of ales and lagers to premium wines and spirits.

The new team Christian has brought together includes Deputy Manager Tom Phillips, who has moved from The Vine Inn at Tenterden, and Head Chef, Megan Hutchinson, along with some popular bar staff who have moved from other Shepherd Neame sites including The Sun Inn in Faversham and The Crown at Rochester.

Also continuing at the Dover Castle is Lee Marshall, who was part of the team for several years under previous tenants, Kelly Tompkins and Stuart George, who have moved to run the Tudor Rose at Borden, which is also a Shepherd Neame pub.

Christian said: “Our aim is to provide amazing customer service and quality food. We hope that with that we will win the hearts of the good people of Teynham.

“I have got a brilliant team. We have set ourselves up for success. The future is bright – especially with a south facing garden!”

You can find the Dover Castle at 20 London Road, Teynham, Sittingbourne, ME9 9QS, call 01795 522500 or visit www.thedovercastle.co.uk.