Shepherd Neame stars in podcast hosted by TV star

The podcast, which went live on Monday 16 January, sees Wallace talk to Shepherd Neame’s managing director of pubs Jonathon Swaine, about its cask beers, the history of Britain’s oldest brewer and its brewery tours in Faversham.

Wallace said to Neame: “There is something about local British beers. I drink your beer (Shepherd Neame) – I’m a fan of it, I don’t mind admitting.”

The BBC MasterChef host also took part in learning how to pour a pint and enjoyed a tutored tasting of six of Shepherd Neame’s beers by director of brewing Mike Unsworth.

Perfect pint

He asked what he should be looking for in a perfect pint and Unsworth said: “It’s good to have a slight bit of settle in there. You should be looking for a nice, clear body on the beer and then up towards the top, you’re looking for a nice, tight, creamy foam – but not too much, that’s the skill of the pouring.”

Wallace, who was told he had poured a pretty good pint then sipped it and said: “That is beautiful. Slightly hoppy and a slightly bitter finish. You know what’s good about beer? You can quaff it.”

The podcast is titled Hop on Board​ and is a compilation of visits to some of the best places to explore on the Southeastern rail network.

Happy and buzzing

Wallace used the rail network to head to his former home town of Whitstable, where he admired Shepherd Neame’s historic Duke of Cumberland pub, and rounded off his visit at the Old Neptune, a Shepherd Neame seafront site.

Describing the Old Neptune, he said: “It is right on the beach – so right on the beach in fact, it is almost lopsided.

“There are live bands at the weekends and people spill out and drink on the beach… it is happy and it is buzzing.”

To listen to the podcast, click here​ and use the link to go to your podcast provider.