Shepherd Neame has announced a new and extended financing structure to support the business for the long term and to take advantage of any opportunities that may arise over the next few years.
The new structure gives the company £107.5m of committed long-term facilities and provides a lower rate of interest than the debt being replaced.
Key features of the structure include a private placement raising £35m and a new five-year revolving credit facility of £50m with Lloyds Bank and Santander.
The money provides certainty of funding as the business looks for growth. Major infrastructure and housing development is forecast to take place in the company’s heartland between now and 2030, and Kent’s population is anticipated to grow by 20% in that time.
The company has also recently agreed to build a new pub hotel in Castle Hill, in the Ebbsfleet Garden City development zone, and anticipates further opportunities will arise in the medium term.
