Brewery Shepherd Neame acquires Bournemouth's Urban Reef

Published by

Sam Pither

Britain's oldest brewer, Faversham-based Shepherd Neame, has acquired the Urban Reef seaside bar and restaurant in Bournemouth.

The two-storey venue, situated on Boscombe Promenade next to the beach, opened in 2009 and consists of a bar, café, deli and restaurant.

The purchase, which is Shepherd Neame’s first Bournemouth site, brings the brewer’s total number of pubs and hotels to 300.

Jonathon Swaine, Shepherd Neame's newly appointed Managing Director, Pubs, said: "This acquisition follows the strong company performance revealed in our latest Trading Update at the end of June.

“We are now actively looking for opportunities to grow and develop our high quality estate and are delighted to have acquired Urban Reef, a unique offering in a unique beachfront location. Our coastal pubs and hotels have seen particularly encouraging sales during the past year, and we are confident that with its fantastic reputation and loyal customer base, the addition of Urban Reef to our portfolio will allow us to accelerate that growth."

Having already stocked a selection of Shepherd Neame beers for the past two years, the acquisition will see Urban Reef continue its current food and drink offer.

The venue is being sold by founder Mark Cribb, who also owns the Urban Guild, the Urban Beach hotel and Urban Garden bar and restaurant in Bournemouth. Shepherd Neame have committed to retaining all the site’s current team members.

Mark said: "I love Urban Reef - it is such a fantastic location, with such a wonderful community around it. The vibe, energy, passion and impact on the seafront with DJs, and salsa nights, and bands, and wonderful drinks, food and service still get me excited. I feel I've done my bit to get it to where it is, and now it is time for someone else.

“I was lucky enough to receive a lot of interest in this business, and I chose Shepherd Neame as they have been operating for over 300 years and remain family owned, and I wanted to hand over to someone who would take a considered, long-term approach.

“Our values are aligned, and having worked with them for the past couple of years as a supplier I have been impressed with their commitment and creativity during very turbulent Covid times. I'm confident they will be a wonderful custodian for the business."

Shepherd Neame have also recently launched a beach cleaning initiative for the summer holidays.

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.