Brewing Change: How Pay at Bar and Table Donations at Shepherd Neame Are Supporting Local Communities

Since partnering with Pennies in 2019, independent family brewer and pub company Shepherd Neame has made a lasting impact on its local community through micro-donations. This case study showcases how Pennies provided ongoing support from its initial implementation to the transition to FreedomPay and launching Pay@Table with Zonal.

Opportunity

Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewer, established in 1698, sought to make a significant, lasting impact on its local community through charitable giving. With a strong heritage and a large network of pubs, it needed a solution that would seamlessly integrate micro-donations into its customer experience. Its goal was not only to support local charities like Air Ambulance Charity Kent, Surrey and Sussex but also to ensure the process was smooth for customers and engaging for team members.
Shepherd Neame had several key objectives, including:

• Finding a trusted partner that could provide ongoing, wraparound support, from technical integration to marketing best practice.


• Scaling its impact regionally, demonstrating the potential of micro-donations when effectively implemented.

Implementation Success

Shepherd Neame first partnered with Pennies in 2019, integrating micro-donations into payment solutions across its pubs, offering customers the opportunity to donate 25p to charity when paying by card or digital wallet at the bar.
Pennies, as the trusted leader in micro-donations, provided end-to-end support—from technical project management to marketing guidance—ensuring a smooth implementation that aligned with Shepherd Neame’s objectives. Pennies has also worked closely with Shepherd Neame’s marketing team to tell compelling stories about its charitable impact to engage both customers and team members.

Unlocking New Possibilities

In early 2024, Shepherd Neame decided to transition to a new technology provider, FreedomPay, choosing them for their best-in-class security, flexible technology, and seamless checkout experience, while ensuring that Pennies micro-donations remained a key part of their payment solution. As it migrated its entire payments infrastructure, Pennies supported the move by integrating micro-donations into the Pay at Bar functionality, ensuring a simple transition and allowing Shepherd Neame to continue offering micro-donations as a crucial part of its business.
In December 2024, Shepherd Neame took a transformative step by launching the Pay@Table donation option through its partnership with Zonal and FreedomPay. This new feature complemented the existing Pay at Bar option, unlocking a potential 50% increase in donations by offering its customers more opportunities to give. With the integration live across all sites, Shepherd Neame demonstrated the powerful scalability of micro-donations by offering multiple donation options and maximising fundraising potential.

Impact

The partnership between Shepherd Neame, Zonal, FreedomPay, and Pennies has delivered impressive results, showcasing the transformative power of micro-donations in regional communities. Funds raised have supported several charities, including FareShare UK, Kent Wildlife Trust, RBLI, and Air Ambulance Charity Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

• Significant Fundraising: Shepherd Neame has raised over £50,000 through micro-donations, showing how small contributions can make a big impact.


• Regional Impact: With over 200,000 customer micro-donations, Pennies has made a huge difference to Shepherd Neame’s charity partners.


• Donation Growth: The recent introduction of the Pay@Table option has unlocked a potential 50% increase in donation opportunities.