Shepherd Neame's royal wedding ale

Faversham brewer Shepherd Neame is celebrating the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton with a limited-edition cask beer to toast the occasion, Royal Wedding Ale.

The specially brewed 4.7 per cent abv ale is available from selected Shepherd Neame houses and pubs.

It is described as: “Full bodied, warming, light in colour, this truly special beer is characterised by a delicious, fragrant, hoppy aroma and palate. A delightful marriage of the finest malts and hops England has to offer.”

But the celebration has been touched with sadness at the brewery. On his brewer’s blog, head brewer David Holmes wrote: “The mixed emotions are because today [April 27] is the funeral of Mrs Kate Neame who for a number of years now has been very much part of the brewery. Kate was a wonderful lady who worked in our visitor centre and took round the site thousands of guests. Kate never lost her passion and enthusiasm for the brewery, its history and heritage and always made sure that every tour ended with a tutored tasting of our very finest beers. Our thoughts are with her family at this time.”

Mrs Neame’s work at the visitor centre will be much missed; the brewery was recently named Small Visitor Attraction of the Year in the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2011.

The national awards, organised by VisitEngland, recognise outstanding commitment to customer service and high quality standards.

After receiving the award on April 15, visitor-centre manager Graham Hukins said: “Winning this award is a great testament to the hard work of the team who provide a first-class experience for our visitors.”