Shepherd Neame in the Lord Mayor's Show

On Saturday the grand spectacle of the Lord Mayor’s Show was blessed not only by unseasonably warm and sunny weather, but also by the presence of a float from the Master Brewer’s brewery.

With a dray pulled by two shire horses, fantastic vintage brewery vehicles decorated with hops, members of the Shepherd Neame team, and the Master, Clerk and Beadle in their formal Brewers’ Company regalia, the float made an impressive addition to the parade. The cacophonous, colourful, joyous event which took place in the City of London on Saturday morning, marked the installation of the 694th Lord Mayor of London, Nick Lyons, but was also an opportunity to celebrate the wider life of the City, with a host of Livery Companies, trades, charities and military units represented.

It has been a long time since the Brewers’ Company itself had an entry in the parade, with its float proclaiming “Beer – the best long drink in the world” in 1962, and before that, its celebration of “Town meets country – in the hop garden” driving the streets of London in 1947 amidst bombsites from the Blitz.