United Guilds Service
You are invited to attend the United Guilds Service at St Paul’s Cathedral at 11.15am on Friday 28 March 2025. Those attending the service are requested to be seated by 10.55am. (This is the annual service where all Livery Companies and Guilds are invited to attend)
The service will be followed by a lunch at Farmers & Fletchers’ Hall hosted by The Master, to which several other Livery Companies are invited. The lunch is available to book in the members area of our website and the cost is £90 inc VAT.
The special lunch package price includes a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, a three-course lunch with coffee & petits fours, half a bottle wine per person with the meal and a glass of port.
The Master is very keen that the Company’s row shall be full for the service and we ask, therefore, that you only accept in the firm knowledge that you will be attending the service. Tickets for the service are being offered on a strict first come, first served basis.
If you just wish to attend the service without staying for the lunch, please let us know as soon as possible by registering here.
Agricultural Business Management Course
The Education Committee is delighted to confirm the application process for the 74th edition of the Agricultural Business Management course has been launched.
2025’s Agricultural Business Management course will once again be under the tutelage of our co-course directors Keith Barriball and Karen Brosnan.
For this year the interviews, by invitation, will take place at Farmers & Fletchers’ Hall on 8-9 July.
The course will comprise of pre-residential online content delivery at the beginning of October, followed by two-week residential programme at the Stonehouse Court Hotel, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, for 9-22 November inclusive, and then post-programme group Zooms in December and again in February 2026. In addition, there is an opportunity for one-to-one online coaching.
Applications will close at 23:59 on 30 April 2025.
For more information on the 74th Agricultural Business Management course, fees and access to the online application portal, please click here.
Inter-Livery Shoot
Don’t let your gun gather dust once the season is over! Come and join fellow Liverymen and women to battle it out at this year’s Inter-Livery Shooting Competition.
This year we shoot on day one, Wednesday 14 May 2025.
TEAM DAY ALLOCATION 2025 | The West London Shooting School
We normally submit two teams, but in the spirit of inclusivity and fellowship, it would be great to submit three teams this year! Although we have a nice lunch at the shooting ground, we normally venture into London afterwards, for extended fellowship and light refreshments/ meal.
Please let Peter Craven know if you can attend the day and/or supper, to enable him to make the necessary arrangements.
pdcraven@me.com
07767 703535
Agricultural Lecture and Dinner
We are returning to Plaisterers’ Hall on the evening of 29 April. The lecture, entitled: The net zero agenda and its impact on UK farming, is followed by a three course, black-tie dinner.
Our guest speakers are Carl Atkin-House and Emily Norton
Carl Atkin-House was a partner at Bidwells and founder of Terravost, with hands-on experience of farming across Europe. He is currently head of natural capital strategy for climate asset management, investing in nature and natural capital across the globe including regenerative agriculture.
Emily Norton has expertise in natural capital and is a non-executive director at the Soil Association, the Environmental Markets Board and the Duchy of Cornwall. She sits on the national policy board of the CLA. Emily lives on a farm in Norfolk and writes a regular column for the Farmers Weekly.
Members tickets for the Lecture & Dinner are £130 and guest tickets are £150.
Details:
6.00 pm Champagne reception
6.45 pm The Master, Mr Richard Crane, introduces the Lecture
7.25 pm – 7.55 pm Q&A session
8.00 pm Presentation of the John Nix Award
8.15 pm Dinner is served
10.00 pm Cash bar opens
11.00 pm Carriages
Please book for yourself and your invited guests on the Members Portal.
Bin End Dinner
Help the Clerk to clear the ‘bin ends’
Join us and bring your friends for a really fun evening!
The bin ends have been accumulating so now I need your help to drink them…
Venue
Farmers & Fletchers’ Hall
Dress: Jacket & Tie
Tuesday 1 April 2025
6.30 for 7.00pm. Carriages 10.30pm
The word is out and places are going fast so please book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
This will be a traditional Livery Dinner with one difference, the wines will come from the Clerk’s Cellar. Guests will be helping me by clearing ‘bin ends’ from recent events.
White, red and dessert wines will be drawn by tombola tickets by your designated ‘ambassador’.
The event will comprise of a Champagne Reception followed by a four course dinner with wines, port, sung grace, loving cup, sung National Anthem.
When coffee is served, Welsh Harp player, Iona Thomas, will play a selection of songs to bring the evening to a relaxing close unless you are staying a while for a stirrup cup.
The Dinner is all about fellowship and fun so please invite guests.
Dress: Jacket & Tie. Cost: £105.00 per person (87.50+VAT)
Booking is now open in the Members Portal of the website.
Preparing to farm for 2040, with success
The City Food & Drink Lecture is an annual, invitation-only high profile fixture in the City of London and international food and drink industry calendars. The Lecture is delivered every year by a leading figure in the British food business who is invited to speak about the issues they regard as most important in shaping the way food is produced, distributed, marketed, sold and consumed.
Held in the Great Hall at the prestigious Guildhall the hybrid event is attended live by 550 and a further 300 virtual audience from around the world. The City Food & Drink Lecture is organised by the eight City livery companies whose roots are in the food industry – namely the Worshipful Companies of Bakers, Butchers, Cooks, Distillers, Farmers, Fishmongers, Fruiterers and Poulters.
Date: Tuesday, 11 March 2025
Location: Guildhall, City of London
Timings:
17:30 Doors Open
18:35 Welcome, Lecture, and Panel Session
20:30 Buffet Supper
21:45 Event Concludes
Keynote Speaker: John Shropshire OBE
Chairman of G’s Fresh
Interactive Q&A Panel:
Jack A Bobo – Director of Food Systems Institute,
University of Nottingham
Sarah Bradbury – CEO of Institute of Grocery Distribution
Henry Dimbleby – Co-founder of the Leon restaurant chain.
Panel Chair: Charlotte Smith
March Court & Livery Lunch
The March Court & Livery Luncheon will be held at our own Farmers and Fletchers’ Hall in West Smithfield.
Please note that the Lunch will be held on WEDNESDAY March 5 due to the Inter-Livery pancake race taking place on the Tuesday of that week.
Booking is open in ‘Events’ in the password protected ‘Members Area’ of the website.
Common Hall for the election of the Lord Mayor
Liverymen who were Clothed prior to May 2023 are eligible to attend and vote at Common Hall, to be held at 11.00am on Monday 30 September 2024 at The Guildhall.
Please contact the Clerk for a signed Admission card.
Several Halls are offering lunch after the Election. The Master will be dining at Innholders’ Hall. If you wish to join him, the cost will be £85pp for a two course buffet lunch with half bottle of wine, coffee and petits fours. Please contact the Clerk if you would like to reserve a place for the lunch.
Visit to Dyson Strawberries and RAF Waddington
For our annual visit to RAF Waddington, we have combined it with a special visit to the new Dyson’s Strawberry site on the Tuesday afternoon with the visit to Waddington the following morning. For those wishing to stay overnight, we have an allocation of rooms at Hemswell Court on a bed and breakfast basis and a three-course dinner with wines.
Note: For this visit to Dyson’s and Waddington, we are limited to 40 people on a first come first served basis. However we have a larger allocation for anyone wishing to join the group for the dinner only; an option is available to book for that in the booking form.
Tuesday 12 November at 2–5 pm.
DYSON STRAWBERRIES
An opportunity to visit Dyson Farming’s renewable energy and strawberry production site at Carrington, Lincolnshire.
As part of the Company’s strategy to diversify its business it has recently invested in 10.5-ha of glass housing, which is fully integrated with a 3MW AD plant. The unit is currently supplying 1200t of premium quality strawberries outside the UK main season.
The core customers are M & S and Sainsbury’s who have both committed to co-branded sales. This is a great opportunity to see first-hand how investment in innovation and technology can secure new market opportunities. The development is part of the Dyson Farming’s journey to develop its brand and get closer to the consumer.
Hemswell Court
6.30pm for 7.00pm A reception and three course Dinner at Hemswell Court and overnight stay with breakfast is available.
Wednesday 13th November at 10.00am
RAF WADDINGTON
Arrive at RAF Waddington for a briefing and the annual presentation of our award. Detailed programme to follow and lunch will be provided in the Officers’ Mess. We are planning to leave after lunch.