• The Worshipful Company of Bakers

    The Company is the City’s second eldest recorded trade guild, being first mentioned in the ‘Pipe-Rolls’ of Henry II in 1155. Often blamed for the Great Fire of London in which it lost its Hall, the Company has been in residence at Harp Lane for nearly five hundred years. Its modern raison d’etre in its links and support of the baking industry, particulary at the grass roots level of bakery education.

  • The Worshipful Company of Butchers

    The Butchers’ Company can trace its history as far back as 975 AD when, in the Ward of Farringdon Without, a Butchers’ Hall existed. Today the Company is a vibrant organisation supporting an active trade by way of training, education and charitable work. Almost all its members are involved in the meat industry and thus share a common value in good fellowship.

  • The Worshipful Company of Cooks

    Chartered in 1482, the Cooks’ Company now promotes and sponsors competitions in the catering industry and the Armed Services. It also funds major charitable projects in connection with the catering trade at Bournemouth University and Hackney Community College.

  • The Worshipful Company of Farmers

    Most of the livery of people involved with agriculture. The Company stimulates the development of agriculture practice, education through apprenticeships and residential courses in management and leadership, as well as supporting one of the City Farms.

  • The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers

    One of the twelve great livery companies, the Fishmongers’ Company has had an unbroken existence of more than 700 years. Through its activities today the Company an be seen to be an example of a Guild that through the ages has retained an intimate connection with the trade that gave it birth.

  • The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers

    Over the 700 years of its history the Company has assumed different roles. Today the Company promotes excellence across all sectors of the fruit industry, as well as supporting education and research. It is active in raising funds and giving to charity. Half of its members are involved in the fresh produce industry.

  • The Worshipful Company of Poulters

    The Poulters’ Company, in common with other livery companies, was founded in the Middle Ages to control the provision of services and manufacture and the selling of goods and food. The Company’s charitable role is increasing and it is active in promoting research and education in the trade through its charitable trusts with a strong nucleus of members from the various branches of the poultry industry.

Organisers

No matter whether you read about it in the press or journals, hear about it on the radio or see it on your television screens, there is no escaping the constant message that our precious planet is in imminent danger from the effects of climate change and all its potential consequences. We, the consumer, are being urged to reduce waste, buy our food both seasonally and locally, cut down on air-freighted food, lower the level of processing and packaging , reduce our meat consumption and in one case even eat our dog to protect our planet! Apparently we are also depleting at an alarming rate our natural resources of water, fossil fuels, minerals, rainforests and the soil itself. Add to this the need to feed 9 billion in 40 years time – which is enough to demand the resources of two planets, not one. Given all of this it therefore becomes abundantly clear that some light, rather than heat needs to be shed on these seemingly intractable issues.

Who is better than to shine that light than our guest speaker Sir David King, Director, of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, at Oxford University. As the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor from 2000 to the end of 2007, Sir David was immersed in a very wide range of issues including climate change, genetically modified foods, energy provision and wealth creation to name but a few. He is an international strategic thinker of the highest calibre and we are very privileged indeed to have him as our guest speaker for the 2010 City Food Lecture.

Following Sir David’s key note address, he will be joined by a distinguished panel of food experts which includes Patrick Holden, Director of the Soil Association, Paul Conway, senior Vice President of international food processors Cargill Inc, and Mark Price, Managing Director of Waitrose. Our panel once again will be chaired by Sir Stuart Hampson.

On behalf of the 2010 City Food Lecture Organising Committee, I wish to place on record our immense gratitude to Sir David King, Sir Stuart Hampson and the panel of experts for their generosity in agreeing to take part in our annual event at Guildhall. Given the topicality of the subject matter and the quality of those involved, the 2010 City Food Lecture should indeed maintain the exceptional high standard of debate set in previous years.

Laurence Olins JP

Chairman of the CFL Organising Committee