Shepherd Neame acquires Bournemouth bar Urban Reef

Shepherd Neame, an independent brewery and pub operator based in Faversham, has expanded its estate with the acquisition of Urban Reef, a bar and restaurant based in Bournemouth. 

Located next to the beach on Boscombe Promenade, Urban Reef opened in 2009 and is a two-storey venue comprising a bar, café, deli and restaurant, and has panoramic views of Bournemouth Bay, from the Isle of Wight to the Purbecks. 

The acquisition will be Shepherd Neame’s first site in Bournemouth, and takes its total of pubs and hotels to 300, across Kent, London and the South East. 

Urban Reef has stocked a selection of Shepherd Neame beers for the past two years and offers locally sourced food, which Shepherd Neame will continue to supply. 

The site was sold by founder Mark Cribb, who also owns the Urban Guild, the Urban Beach hotel and Urban Garden bar and restaurant in Bournemouth. The sale was officially completed on 19 July for an undisclosed sum. 

Jonathon Swaine, Shepherd Neame’s newly appointed managing director, 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.”

Cribb added: “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.”

 Swaine added: “Urban Reef has a wonderful team, many of whom have worked there for many years, and we have been really impressed by their passion, expertise and commitment to fantastic customer service, which is something we really value, so we are pleased to welcome them into the Shepherd Neame family.”