Court Luncheon May 2019

At the Court meeting on 2 May the accounts for 2018 were approved and signed, marking the end of another successful year for the Brewers' Company and the twelve charities and trusts that we administer. With the annual income of our charities confirmed, we are now in a position to distribute over £2M to our beneficiaries, a process which we will being in the coming weeks.

Following the Court meeting, we were delighted to be joined for lunch at Brewers' Hall by several of our Liverymen and their guests, as well as the Lord Mayor, the Lady Mayoress and Sheriff Liz Green and her husband Peter. The Master, Stephen Spencer-Jones of Heineken UK, was especially pleased to welcome many of his colleagues, as well as Charlene and Michel de Carvalho-Heineken. Charlene's great grandfather Gerard started the business in Amsterdam in 1864 and he has been followed by her grandfather Henry and her father Freddie, who famously said "I don't sell beer I sell a feeling".

At the lunch, the Master was pleased to welcome new Liverymen Nick Dolan and James Hughes from Woodfordes Brewery, who were admitted at the Court meeting that morning; as well as Mickey Davies of Brakspear and David Matthews who had been re-admitted. He also presented the Brewers' Company prize to an individual from a member company who scored highest on the Institute of Brewing and Distilling's General Certificate in Packaging 2018 to Paul Warren. Paul has worked at the Eagle Brewery for just over 20 years now, for Charles Wells, Young’s and latterly Marston’s. Studying for and sitting the IBD GCP exam was a long-standing ambition of his.

Finally, the Master presented a donation to the Lord Mayor's Appeal and promised more to come from this year's City Beerfest, which will be taking place in the Guildhall Yard on Thursday 18 July. Supported by several of our member companies and organised in collaboration with the City of London Corporation, this fantastic annual event has raised over £130,000 for charity since its inception in 2013. The Lord Mayor thanked the Master and spoke about the beneficiaries of his appeal which include the Samaritans, Place2B and OnSide Youth Zones.