The Master's Gift 2026

At the Court luncheon in July, the outgoing Master, Fergus McMullen, presented the Company with the gift of a beautiful silver stag. An almost identical match to the stag presented by Peter Furness-Smith, Master 2016-17 and a former Managing Director of McMullen & Sons, they make a fine pair standing at either end of the mantelpiece in the Court Room.

The statuettes are made of sterling silver, cast in a mould before being hand chased – a decorative technique on the front of the piece using a hammer and different shaped chasing punches to create textures and shapes.

The Company’s plate collection contains several different animals and mythical figures representing different breweries. The stag is the main feature on McMullen’s logo, and is the historic symbol of Hertfordshire. The name of Hertford, the location of McMullens brewery, is derived from the Anglo Saxon heort ford i.e. deer crossing.

The company is very grateful to the Immediate Past Master and McMullens Brewery for this generous gift, which will be proudly displayed at Company events and will remain in the Company’s collection as a reminder of the fantastic support that Fergus McMullen gave the Company during his year as Master.