NEWSLETTER The Fruiterers’ Company · some popular favourites, such as Jerusalem and Land of Hope...

NE W S L E T T E RThe Fruiterers’ Company

The Banquet; a delightful mélange

w w w . f r u i t e r e r s . o r g . u k

Number 85 April 2016

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apples and pears were featured. The music, by the LondonBanqueting Ensemble, was excellent and the programme containedsome popular favourites, such as Jerusalem and Land of Hope andGlory. Certain Past Masters, who for discretion will not be named,were so enthused that they led a sing along from the Top Table. Isthis a first for a banquet?

We were honoured to have such a distinguished group ofcompany guests. The Lord Mayor, Alderman the Lord Mountevansand the Lady Mayoress with the Sheriffs and their consorts led ourguests. Our principal speaker was the Baroness Scotland, a formerAttorney General and the Commonwealth Secretary-GeneralDesignate. She takes up this role in April. From the Church, we hadthe Archbishop of Southwark, The Most Revd. Peter Smith, and theBishop of Arundel and Brighton, The Rt. Revd. Richard Moth. Thearmed forces were represented by our own three musketeers andtheir guests: Vice Admiral Jonathan Woodcock, the Second Sea Lord,

Can there be greater joy in our Livery lives than to be seated inthe Egyptian Hall of the Mansion House, surrounded by good

friends and listening to the Post Horn Gallop? This year it wasparticularly magnificent as the two horn players descended into thehall and engaged in a “competition” across the hall. The eveningwas, of course, the delightful melange of great style and pomp withthe family atmosphere of the company in celebration that is sotypical of the Fruiterers.

The banquet is a particularly important evening each year for therecently installed Master. It is his first Company function and thegreatest one of his year. The Master fashions the banquet in his ownmanner, choosing the menu, the music and the Company’s guests.All were a triumph. The cuisine at the Mansion House seems to geteven better each year. The Master, a Fruiterer to his very soul, wasnot content that the dessert should contain only one fruit, so both

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Musketeers with the Master

Thu 5 May Golf Day Kingswood GC

Thu 19 May Audit Court Dinner Fishmongers’ Hall

Thu 2 June Royal Bath & West Show Shepton Mallet

Tue 21 Jun 5.45-7.30 p.m. Central Criminal Court Old Bailey

Fri 24 Jun Election of Sheriffs Guildhall

Thu 30 June Tree Planting Garden Caerhays Castle, of the year Cornwall

Fri 8 – Cherry & Soft Fruit Show DetlingSun 10 Jul

Sat 16 Jul Summer Court Dinner Painted Hall,Greenwich

Thu 29 Sep Election of Lord Mayor Guildhall

Mon 10 Oct Informal Carvery Lunch Ironmongers Hall

Our Master with principal guests and officers of the Company

Fruiterers April 2016.e$S_Layout 1 27/04/2016 14:21

and Major General Patrick Sanders,General Officer Commanding 3rd (UK)Division. Sadly, our Air Force guest, AirVice Marshall Gavin Parker, Air OfficerCommanding No. 2 Group RAF, wasprevented from attending by illness. Fromthe diplomatic world we were joined by MsJanet Charles, the Acting High Comm -issioner for Dominica, (the home countryof Baroness Scotland). Baroness Hale, theDeputy President of the Supreme Court,and His Honour Judge Marks QC, theCommon Serjeant, represented thejudiciary. It was also very good to have withus the Masters of a number fellow LiveryCompanies, the Butchers, the Coopers,the Gardeners and the Farmers.

The Master presented the Lewis Awardto Nicholas Marston, praising his work inthe development of strawberry varieties andtheir marketing. The Master’s speechfocused on the traditions of the City andour company’s place within them. In neatcounterpoint, the Lord Mayor responded bymentioning the Presentation of Fruit, itsimportance and the valuable charitablework of the associated fruit giftingprogramme. Baroness Scotland, a long-standing friend of both the Master and RitaBellamy-James, spoke charmingly of howshe had acted as cupid in encouraging thestart of their relationship many years ago.If her initiatives as Secretary-General of theCommonwealth are as sound and longlasting, she will do very well indeed!

This banquet is the first to have beenorganised by our new Clerk, LieutenantColonel Philip Brown, and what a splendidjob he did. All ran exceedingly smoothlyand his efforts were greatly appreciated, asevidenced by the enthusiastic rousingcheers when he rose to give the Company’stoast at the end of the evening.

We all departed cheerfully after a firstrate evening, with further cheer to come, aswe were clutching miniatures of fruitliqueurs, generously presented by LiverymanWill Parry of the Wessex Wild PlumCompany. One wonders how many arrivedhome full – the temptation to drink themon the journey was intense!

Piece written by Past Master Steve Bodger

One of the comforting traditions of ourCompany is the handover each year

of responsibilities on St Paul’s Day.Continuity is assured as one very capableMaster passes on the baton to hissuccessor at the Innholders’ Hall, followinga stimulating service at the Fruiterers’mother church of St Mary Abchurch. Thesermon was delivered by an old friend ofthe Master the Very Rev Dr ChristopherLewis, formerly Dean of Christ ChurchOxford. Both had served in the SeniorService and obviously share a similar senseof humour.

Rupert Best, the outgoing head, hassteered a very interesting course in a yearcharacterised by some highly appositeevents and visits. A verbal accolade to his

successful navigation through 2015 into2016, was given at luncheon, by PastMaster Laurence Olins. The positivetributes were factual, well-earned andmostly injected with a sprinkling of goodhumour which has been a hallmark of ourcider apple grower and ex submarinecomm ander. He brought his experience oflife below the waves and as a steward at theRoyal Bath & West to managing theFruiterers in a competent and professionalmanner. We are fortunate to have anequally able pair of hands to take the helmfor the forthcoming twelve months.

Stephen Bellamy-James is a highlysuccessful member of the judiciary with adistinguished career in legal circles. Welook forward to enjoying his calendar of

events which includes the visit to Stratford-upon-Avon for a celebration of the ‘OldBard’s’ 400th anniversary and a treeplanting.

On the same day that Stephen adoptedthe mantle of Master, Dennis Surgeonmoved to Upper Warden and wewelcomed John Warner as Renter Warden.

As always the Beadle, staff and caterersat Innholders supplied an impeccable mealand warm, friendly service and this wasacknowledged in the speeches.

Liverymen journey home from the Cityafter St Paul’s Day with a sense ofappreciation from the mission achieved, ofheightened anticipation for the year aheadand sentiments of family bonding from thecomradeship renewed.

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Master, Master Elect and Wardens outside the

Innholders’ Hall

Fruiterers gather at St Mary Abchurch Rupert receives his Past Master’s

Jewel from Stephen

Loving Cups shared between the

Lord Mayor and Rita Bellamy-James,

our Master & Lady Mayoress

The Lord Mayor addresses the diners Baroness Scotland replies on behalf

of the guests

QC receives baton from Naval Commander


HONORARY ARCHIVIST

3

Source: Surrey Advertiser, Surrey, EnglandSaturday 03 February 1945

Among the Fruiterers’ Valuables is “Item 28” which can be seen each year at the

Annual Banquet.The three tier Epergne which was

presented to the Company by the Poupartfamily in memory of Liveryman John Poupart.

Although the Fruiterers’ court minutes donot exist for this period, newspaper reportsfrom this era indicate that having been

installed as Renter Warden on StPaul’s Day 1945 he sadly dieda day later on 26th January.

In 1968 the late Past Master,Alec Poupart and the then Clerk,David Hohnen, established thecustom of providing a pineapple forthe top tier at the Annual Banquetwhich is the Master’s Privilege to takehome with him.

John Poupart was the founderof T J Poupart Ltd, which

became one on the most respectedbusinesses in Covent Garden withbranches nationwide.

In recent years, Poupart Ltd hasbeen under the direction of theOlins Family.

The Worshipful Company ofFruiterers are most grateful to Past

Master Laurence Olins for hisgenerosity in providing thefinance for the recentrestoration of the Epergne.

The three tiered Epergne

at the Banquet


4

(The views expressed by Dr Gerard Lyons in this piece are not

necessarily those of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers or the

Editorial Staff)

Brexit versus Remain. The case to leave the European Union isoverwhelming. On June 23rd the country has the opportunity

to choose between a global Britain through Brexit versus remainingin an inward looking, insular looking EU. It is a once in a lifetimechoice.

The current consensus that we should remain is wrong on thebenefits of staying. It is the same consensus that thought the UKwould suffer a deep recession if we left Europe's currencymechanism in 1992. Instead Black Wednesday triggered a boom.If that was not enough, the consensus later thought we shouldreplace the pound and join the euro. At that time dire predictionswere made if we did not join, one of which was that London wouldlose out as Europe's financial centre. We didn't join the euro and itproved to be Britain's biggest policy success of recent times.

Have you ever tried to walk the wrong way on an escalator? Theanswer is probably no, as it is not something that a sensible personwould do. Yet, that is what we effectively do each year that weremain in the European Union. We try to head in what we think isthe right direction, but the EU heads the wrong way.

The European Union is a political project. The escalator isheading towards a United States of Europe. This makes many inthe UK want to leave the EU because they want to returnsovereignty from Brussels to Westminster.

The economic escalator is also heading the wrong way.Globalisation, technology and innovation have removed economicborders. To succeed, countries need to adapt, be flexible andcontrol their own destiny. We can only be like that with Brexit.Unfortunately the response of the EU has been to become morecentralising, regulating and controlling.

The EU's economic model is no longer fit for purpose in the 21stcentury. It fails to address the big economic problems it faces suchas high youth unemployment, depression in Greece and massmigration. The EU, with seven per cent of the world's population,also spends a massive half of global welfare spending. As we sawduring the Prime Minister's recent uphill negotiation, the EU isreluctant to embrace reform.

It could get even worse. The EU is expected to be the slowgrowth region of the world economy in coming decades.Remaining in the EU carries considerable uncertainty because wedon't know what will happen to the euro. To paper over theeconomic cracks the euro zone will have to centralise further.Although the UK does not have to join the euro, if we remain in theEU we will find it hard to avoid any fallout from it.

There are some groups that are disturbed about leaving the EU

because they currently receiveEU funding and are worriedthat they will lose this. Theseinclude some farmers, stud -ents, universities that receivescience grants, and others. They don't seem to realise we give theEU the money in the first place!

The UK is the third biggest financial contributor to the EU. Lastyear we gave £17.8 billion and after the rebate (that Mrs Thatcherwon) and spending in the UK is taken into account the net amountwe gave was £8.5 billion. The amount varies from year to year, andcan sometimes be higher.

If we left not only would we save this £8.5 billion, but the realityis we would better decide how to spend the £17.8 billion.

In the first two years nothing changes, as funding continues asit does now. After then, we can decide where to spend the moneyourselves. Most likely the areas that currently receive the fundingfrom the EU – which remember is UK taxpayers’ money in the first place – would continue to receive it in future, direct fromWestminster.

We need to identify areas where EU funding may be withdrawn,such as scientific research, farming, students and the arts, andensure this is covered fully with some of our large savings from ourEU contribution. The rest could be spent on the public services.

Remaining in, or leaving the EU, is not about a trade deal. That,however, has taken a key role in Project Fear.

Many people don't appreciate that we do not need a trade dealto trade with countries! We do not have a trade deal now withChina, the USA, or indeed with vast chunks of the world. Likewisethey sell into the EU and so would we - outside of the EU.

If we were to leave we do not have to rush to a deal with the EU.We could treat them like the rest of the world. People wouldsuddenly face cheaper prices for food and agriculture, as we wouldbe paying world prices. Some firms exporting to the EU might haveto face a small external tariff, but this may be more a business costthan a hindrance to future trade. The firms that sell into the EUwould still have to adopt EU regulations for their products, just asUK companies exporting to the US have to accept US regulationstoo. But the 85% of UK firms that sell domestically would only needin future to implement our rules and regulations, not those of theEU.

Rather than being trapped on the escalator, Brexit would allowthe UK to take the lift to a higher level and look beyond the EU toa global landscape

Piece provided by Liveryman Dr Gerard Lyons. His e-book, ‘The UK Referendum: An Easy Guide to

Leaving the EU’, is available via Amazon.

City Perspective


View from OverseasSouth Africa Looks To Diversify Exports - but the grower base needs to change to enable the process

South Africa has been exporting its freshfruit to the European markets since the

late 19th century, with the UK often beingthe grower’s principal target. But as withmany of the other leading fruit prod ucersand exporters around the world, theopportunities in the emerging markets ofAsia, the Middle East and the Former SovietUnion (FSU) are looking increasingly att -ractive. And for South Africa, it has theadded bonus of having a number of quicklydeveloping African markets on its (relative)doorstep. As an example, the Continent’stotal import of apples has grown to almost600,000 tonnes per annum. South Africahas already gained a more than respectableshare in many of the key African countries,whereas other international exporters suchas the US, Chile and EU member states,have still to work out their game plan.

Nothing is impossible, however, and withtime, effort and resource, the opportunitiesare potentially huge and the sky is the limit,in some cases. At the same time, any senseof throwing the baby out with the bath wateris unlikely to pay dividends. The realchallenge for South Africa will be to balanceits portfolio of markets to include the best ofboth worlds – retaining a strong customerbase in the UK, EU and other maturemarkets, as well as at the same time,building business rapidly in more emergentmarkets. For some products, the UK and EUare still of key strategic importance and willbe for some time to come.

Looking at how South Africa has fared interms of exports over the last seven yearsprovides an indication of what has beenachieved to date, vis-à-vis the diversificationprocess and the scale of the challenge thatstill faces the fruit industry, see Table 1.

The analysis below also shows thatmarkets in the EU are still of fundamentalimportance to the SA fruit export sector andwill be for the foreseeable future. With

globally based re -tailers look ing tomove into emergingmarkets themselves,a strat egy of “followthe customer asmuch as thecountry” might wellbe a sensible one tofollow as US, French,German, Dutch andsome UK retailerslook to strengthentheir position inthese markets andtake their bestsuppliers with them.

How might thisbe achieved? Insome of our recentwork at Promar International, we havedeveloped a 4 stage model of how we seehorticultural producers developing over thenext 5-10 years. This is illustrated above.

What will see the South African fruit sectordevelop will be how quickly the industry canmove away from producers who are inStages 1 and 2. In SA, we see relatively fewstill in Stage 1, but a good number still inStage 2 – where the emphasis is on “doingthe job” and where a sense of “workingharder” is seen as the way to doing better inthe future.

For a more modern, go ahead andprogressive industry to evolve, and takeadvantage of the new market opportunities,be they in developed or emerging regions ofthe world, we feel that more producers needto be in Stages 3 and 4. The emphasis hereis on the more professional management offarms and the development of other skillssetting apart from just being a “good”farmer. These will focus on areas such as thedevelopment of leadership skills, and a moreinnovative approach to growing and

packing, as a way to create value for theirbusiness. There also needs to be a widerview of engaging with the immediate supplychain and beyond.

It will eventually see a broader mix ofownership models in the South Africa, theuse of more and a wider set of professionaladvice in the fruit production and exportsector. This will enable it to develop furthersome of the new markets that are alluded toin the analysis above. The key question ofcourse is how is this achieved beyond merely“letting it happen” over a period of time ?

Some individuals will grasp the nettlethemselves, indeed a number of leadingoperations already have – but it will be up tothe industry organisations, such as SATI,HORTGRO, SAAGA and the CGA to leadthe way and as well as keeping the standardof technical skills at a high level, introduceother skill and mind sets to the SouthAfrican fruit industry. This will be in areassuch as leadership, vision setting, a widerappreciation of the supply chain, marketing,environmental skills and the development ofhighly professional farm managers whodisplay high levels of social and emotionalintelligence. This is no mean task and willtake time to achieve, but with more prod -ucers in Stages 3 and 4 over the comingyears, then the sky really might be the limitfor the SA fruit sector.

Piece provided by Liveryman John Giles

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How we see the world – producer development model

Table 1. South African Exports – Fresh Fruits and recipient markets

Fruit 2008 2014 Share Share Share OtherEurope Africa named Markets2014 2014 2014

Apples 358,000 tonnes 381,000 tonnes 20% 37% 43%Grapes 260,000 tonnes 298,000 tonnes 70% 0% 30%Oranges 970,000 tonnes 1,100,000 tonnes 30% 23% 47.5%Soft Citrus 110,000 tonnes 150,000 tonnes 53% 21% 26%


FROM ORCHARD TO MARKETTOP FRUIT NEWS

December 2015 was the wettest andwarmest twelfth month since

accurate records were first kept, justover 100 years ago. Precipitationwas not a concern for theapple growers but higherthan average temper -atures meant that thetrees would not havethe necessary periodof dormancy. Thefear was that theywould be advanced indevelopment with in -creased susceptibility to frostsat the critical blossom stage. With a lesserpopulation of pollinators early in the yearmany were expressing concern. Fortun -ately in January and February temp er -atures returned to more seasonal normsand the trees slowed in development.

Sales of last year’s production are ontrack to finish within the time scales thatwere planned. Cox have held up well incondition and stocks will have cleared bythe time this Newsletter is published. To the19th of March 83% of apples and 84% ofpears had been sold. Gala will remainavailable until the middle of May with somegrowers testing new storage techniques toextend the season to a later date. EnglishBraeburn will remain available on themarket until May. Most growers are veryconfident in the quality of their fruit.Overall, the scenario is a very favourableone. The new, late varieties will bemarketed through (in small quantities) untilJuly. This category includes Kanzi, Jazz andCameo. Interestingly, the domestic appleseason has been stretched to ten monthsand with an early and late Gala variety thegaps could be filled.

It is difficult to state precisely how manycommercial, domestic top fruit growersthere are in the UK but it will be in thehundreds and not thousands which wasthe case before the modern renaissancebegan. There have been many factorsbehind this decline – mainlyeconomic. To produce theapples and pears that theconsumer demands and tocompete with imported fruit,Class 1 tonnages have had toincrease and qualitystandards improved. These

necessary criteriawere not achievable by

many and growers closeddown or consolidated. Whatis left is the best of the rest.The process has incorporatedchanges in portfolios, unit

layouts, orchard manage ment,cost controls and enormous

investments and there are stilladvances to be made. Features such assolar panels (to provide energy), rainwaterutilization using UV treat -ment, recycling of waterused in flotation chambersand automation in theevaluation, grading andpacking of fruit. The target isto automate the wholeprocess reducing the needfor expensive labour andtaking subjective assess -ments out of the equation.Horticulture is pursuing aroute that other industrieshave implemented. All of thetechnological applicationsrequired to achieve the goalare expensive and have to bepaid for out of the profits

obtained from the sale of the fruit.Unfortunately, for many, the returns areinadequate to cover the costs of thenecessary investments.

Other concerns are being expressedwith regard to the new arrangements forwages and removal of plant protectionproducts. The industry has been veryresponsible in reducing reliance onchemicals but some will always be neededto protect against pests and diseases.There has to be a balance drawn betweenutilisation, cost and environment.

Many in the industry are incensed thattax payers’ money is being used to buyimported fruit and vegetables in the ‘publicprocurement’ process, when home grown

is available. The view from this quarter isthat domestic supplies should fulfil thedemand from schools, armed forces,prisons etc. Taste and quality linked tolocation should be the criterion not price.

The Bramley Campaign is “going well”according to EAP, CEO, Adrian Barlow.Social media has played a vital role. Over1200 chefs were contacted asking them fortheir favourite Bramley recipes. There wasa consumer campaign during Bramley

Week which resulted in a huge responseand a tidal wave of comments and

exchanges on social media.Details provided by Adrian

Barlow, CEO English Apples and Pears, during

a telephone interview

Jazz growing in popularity and late

Kanzi - for

which there

are great hopes

6

Opal – more widely available


The 15th ‘City Food Lecture’, at Guildhallin February, took on the rather

ambitious challenge of predicting “What,when and how will we be eating” in 2025.

The annual event, organised superbly bythe seven livery companies representing thefood industry, once again attracted averitable who’s who of the food supplychain, as well as top-level representativesfrom the buying, political and financialsectors.

On the podium as this year’s lecturer wasChristophe Jouan, Chief Exec -utive of The Future Foundation.Braving a heavy cold to speak tothe packed venue, he looked atwhat he feels will be the‘constants’ as the food industrycaters for an evolving consumerbase and pinpointed what themain changes will be in the nextnine years.

Jouan said from the outset that he wasn’tabout to provide the audience with anexclusive window on specifics such as “salesof cabbage versus carrots in 10 years”, buthe did outline some of the trends hebelieves will shape this industry’s nearfuture.

He predicted a rise in the numbers of‘flexitarians’ a significant group of con sum -ers who want to exercise more control overtheir diet and who sit in the middle of thescale between vegan/vegetarian and vorac -ious carnivore. This group is consciouslymoderating the volume of meat theyconsume and exploring alternative sourcesof protein, while adding healthier options –fresh produce among them – into theirdiets, he claimed.

While indulgence will remain importantto consumers and marketers alike, Jouanalso foresees a quickening of an emergingtrend in ‘offsetting’, which involves consum -

ers actively mon -itoring their foodand drink intake toensure that theirmoments ofindulgence are

balanced with periods of relative abstinence– to safeguard their health and wellbeing.This presents mani fold opportunities tofood marketing organis ations too, a factthat has already not been lost on insightfulpanel member Judith Batchelar, director ofSainsbury’s brand, who gave severalexamples of the chain’s moves to cover theneeds of its shoppers.

While data-rich mobile technology (it isthought that 32% of consumers will usehealthy-eating apps by 2025) and a generalattempt by both younger and olderconsumers to live more healthily will ensurethat food and the impact of food is betterunderstood by consumers, they will never -theless continue to view their food as bothfuel and fun. The companies that can tapinto the mind-set and purchasing habits oftheir better-educated, food-savvy con sumerand provide the innovative food solutionsthat they ask for will succeed, he said.

He believes that convenience or immed -iacy will remain driving factors in consumerminds, but that the provision of convenientfood will move further away from optionstraditionally seen as unhealthy, as it catersfor what Jouan described as a “society ofsobriety”.

Although he said that description is alittle simplistic, he concluded eatingdecisions will become smarter and theindustry needs to adapt accordingly. “Foodwill increasingly be associated with the

benefits that it brings. The way peopleaccess food is set to be more tailored to themoment. The big question for the peoplewho sell to consumers is where to targetthem most effectively and for the supplychain, there will be massive opportunity; thekey will be finding the right partners andinnovators.”

HRH The Princess Royal, Past Master ofthe Worshipful Company of Butchers, gavea closing address that was both humorousand thought provoking. She congratulatedthe organisers of the lecture for “helpingmove the debate forward” and said: “Theconsumer has much higher expectations,but we know that producing food is not sostraightforward. I sincerely hope that theseApps will also tell the people who use themthat the part of the world they expect theirproducts to come from has had a terribleproduction year, for example.

“Convenience and cost always seem tobe at the root of the discussion, but what isthe real price we should be paying forfood?”

Piece supplied by Liveryman Tommy Leighton

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HRH The Princess Royal with The Lord Mayor

Food’s FutureA glimpse into

City Food Lecture at Guildhall. The Fruiterers'

Master leads the procession of other

food livery MastersChristophe Jouan emphasises a point

A distinguished panel


There is no doubt that the demands on theMaster of any Livery Company have

expanded in the last decade. It was thereforewith some hesitancy that I approached myyear especially in the knowledge that I wouldbe without the expertise and knowledge of ourClerk of 20 years. However, I have an excellentMaster’s Committee and Master’s AdvisoryPanel to assist and advise and a willing andvery able Clerk, who like me is learning on thejob.

The Banquet went off well at the MansionHouse and the Post Horn Gallop amongst thediners was quite a spectacle. My personalthanks go Freeman Peter Thomas whoprovided quite wonderful fruit to adorn thetables and to new Liveryman William Parrywho kindly donated the delicious fruit liqueurswhich I am sure many of those presentenjoyed on a cold February evening.

The retirement of our former Clerk affordedthe opportunity to examine our procedures,practices and administration. This reformprocess began under my predecessor, IPMRupert Best, and continues. Our Sub Comm -ittees for Membership and Communicationsand Finance, along with the Awards Council,have been strengthened by the addition of newmembers who all bring great talent andexperience to the task in hand. TheMembership and Communications Committeehave instituted improvements to the Companywebsite but this is work in progress and futureimprovements should be expected.

The Company Handbook, which was notonly out of date but contained severalconflicting matters, has undergone a redraft -ing by Past Masters Hope-Mason, Hohnen andCooper. Our sincere thanks are due to themfor their efforts. In due course it will bepublished.

Short though it has been so far, my time asMaster has revealed the importance of aCompany Manual to which reference can bemade on matters affecting the Company’sgovernance, accountability, policies, proc -edures, and other terms of reference. Presentlythese are found in numerous places many ofwhich are not easily accessible. A single easilyupdated manual is required. The task toproduce one should not be under estimated;there are some liverymen willing to assist. Toease the burden on the few it may be thatcertain tasks will need delegating amongst themany and the information so gathered co-ordinated by a small group. Please contact meif you would be willing to assist.

The Apprentice Scheme has been invigor -ated by a combination of Past Master WillSibley and a group of enthusiastic andenergetic Apprentices. This new genesis willhelp them feel a greater part of the Livery andanchor them within it. Whether their informalcommittee will achieve formal recognitionwithin the Company remains to be debatedbut, if it is, it may need to include new

A meeting of the Livery Membership and

Communications Sub-committee

Belazu products at Guildhall

The Fruiterers’ Handbook has been updated

HRH Prince Harry stops to admire the

Fruiterers' fresh produce

8

On the social front I amdoing my very best tokeep the Fruiterers’profile high attendingdinners, lunches orother events with theLord Mayor

Elliot Porter & Jimmy Huddart

ready for action


Freeman and Liverymen under a certain agetoo. Apprenticeship is only one of the routesinto the Livery, patrimony and redemption arethe others. There is no difference of principleat the end of the election processes as towhich route is taken and there should be

none in relation to their group formationwithin the Company. New freemen andliverymen need to feel involved just as muchas apprentices.

One of the Company objectives has beento support the Lord Mayor. This year I initiatedsupport for The Lord Mayor’s Big CurryLunch which raises funds for the ArmyBenevolent Fund. It took place on 7 April atThe Guildhall. Under the Fruiterers’ auspiceswe had stalls selling fruit baskets, oils,vinegars, preserves and strawberry gin! It wasa tremendous success and much enjoyed byall those who participated as well as by thegeneral public who bought from us. HRH ThePrince Harry paid us a visit and the Lord andLady Mayoress were delighted with ourdisplay and amazing effort.

None of this could have been achieved

without the tremendous support and work ofthe entire brilliant team. This opportunitycannot be missed to thank them all.Proceedings were watched over by thebenign and kindly eye of Past Master TonyRedsell. My very special thanks go to PastMaster Peter Cooper who co-ordinated thewhole operation on my behalf withenthusiasm and dedication; he was a star andan amazing cashier! Freeman Peter Thomasdonated substantial and very good qualityfruit. His own hands packed 50 fruit baskets.To Jimmy Huddart, Honorary Fruit Porter, forhis untiring efforts throughout. Additional,invaluable support came from Chris and JanHutchinson and the new Spitalfields Tenants’Association while punnets of fabulous straw -berries were delivered courtesy LiverymanMichael Velasco. Peter Thomas also designed

a barrow of fruits and vegetables for curriesthat was truly a work of art. It certainlyattracted the interest of Prince Harry.Apprentice Elliot Porter threw himself intosales and with his smiling face and greatcharm persuaded many to part with yet moreof their money; really well done. My thanksalso to Liveryman Peter Wilkin who gotTiptree involved with their pop-up stall ofproduce; their strawberry gin went down atreat. Liveryman Charlie Hodges, whosecompany Belazu donated some of theirwonderful olive oil and balsamic vinegars as

well as other produce in handy hessian bags.Thank you to Liveryman Sue Handy whoprovided girls from her ballet school infantastic costumes and with wonderful hairstyles that captivated everyone; along withElliot they were largely instrumental in sellingevery one of our fruit baskets and every bagof Belazu products. Also a big thank you toWendy Brown, our Clerk’s wife, whosecharms and market skills will get her a job inany fruit market! Last but not least to Rita, mywife, who formed a human barrier of bodyand words that prevented or embarrassedpotential buyers from passing by withoutbuying! If I have missed anyone out mysincere apologies. It was a great day muchenjoyed by everyone and raised aconsiderable sum for charity, which is stillbeing counted.

On the social front I am doing my verybest to keep the Fruiterers’ profile highattending dinners, lunches or other eventswith the Lord Mayor, the Coopers, Poulters,Gardeners, Wax Chandlers, Tylers andBricklayers, Woolmen, and Launderers. It isall making for a very rich cocktail and anexpanding waistline!

Any issues which concern the Companyand which you wish to raise with me pleasedo not hesitate to send an email:[email protected]

Peter Thomas with Sue Handy's ballerinas

and an amazing display of produce

The Tiptree team

Who could resist such tempting offers?

9


10

Soft and Stone Fruit

According to our correspondent, who is ideally situated to judge, the berry and currant businesses continue to go from strength

to strength. Research data reinforces this assertion and clearlydemonstrates that in the UK there are both increases in demand andpenetration making the category the biggest selling in the fresh fruitportfolio, for the Country.

During the early part of the year, Strawberries from the usualsources of Spain and Morocco were in plentiful supply and early,which resulted in Egyptian shipments petering out quite quickly.Prices have been up on last year but the period has witnessedchallenges for some importers with botrytis affecting someconsignments following rain in the production areas. Domesticsupplies became available from glass in mid-March peaking aroundthe second week of April which corresponded with outdoorproduction in the south. One Scottish grower produced the earliestsupplies on record for north of the border.

The global increase in demand for Blueberriescontinues unabated and growers in potentialproduction zones throughout the world remainenthusiastic to plant. Here in the UK theconclusion of the Chilean season of supplywas problematical with quality problems andavailability. The overall yield had dropped byover 10% which influenced shipments.Consignments dried up by the second week inMarch but arrivals from Spain and Moroccocompensated for the shortfalls. At a recent annualmeeting of the ‘Experimental Biology Society’ apaper was read that summarised research on rats intothe effects of a blueberry rich diet on Posttraumatic Stress Disordersymptoms. The scientists are hopeful that the positive resultsobtained may be proven to apply to humans also. And elsewhere inthe world growers are always living under the adverse threat ofweather conditions. In New Jersey, (the fourth state in the US withregard to blueberry production tonnages), temperatures havedropped to unseasonal lows after a mild start to the year. Growersare fearful for their yields.

Raspberry growing with sequential planting and improvedvarieties has certainly been successful for UK growers who haveaccess to the desired stocks.

For the first four months of the year marketing ofBlackberries has been difficult. Mexico, the main

country of supply has been short with more of whatare available going to the US. Demand continuesto rise. One Dutch wholesaler recently expressed

the view that in 5 years there willas many blackberries producedas there are raspberries now. Hebelieves that the elevation indemand is attributable to thenewer varieties being sweeter

with improved flavours. Meanwhile, global marketers areseeking to establish new sites of production which will give

the continuity of supply and quality over the course of twelve monthswhen dove tailed to established supply countries. South Africa andKenya are two that have been cited.

Here in the UK every multiple retailer is chasing after nicheberry/currant types and varieties for which they have exclusivity. Thatkeeps the growers and marketing organisations on their toes!

Piece produced following a telephone interview with Dave Ashton, Procurement Director, Berry World Ltd.

BERRIES and CURRANTS

Two pack

sizes of

blueberries

to cater for

all budgets

Peach RelishA fruity relish for sunnier days ahead. Serve it with roast orbarbecued meats and chicken.

4-5 ripe peaches (or nectarines), stoned and finely choppedA small knob of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped1 garlic clove, finely chopped3 tbsp cider vinegar2 tbsp caster sugarA few basil leaves, shredded

1. Put all the ingredients except the basil in a medium sizedpan and simmer together, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes,stirring now and then, until everything has softened.Transfer to a small bowl to cool. 2. Stir the basil into the cold relish.

By Sarah Whitworth

Spanish strawberry supplies will decline as English come on line

Raspberries have increased in popularity and are available

over twelve months


The battle for the hearts and minds, andlet’s not forget the wallet contents, of

the UK food shoppers continues apace.Latest Kantar figures indicate that Lidl andAldi are still gaining share from theestablished retailers but now another namehas declared its intention to challenge thetwo discounters – Iceland. Usually knownfor its frozen offers the Company has openlystated it will expand several of its rangeswhich will include fresh produce. LIDL iscurrently the fastest-growing super market ina price war that continues to cut the priceof food. Sales have risen by almost 17.7%in a year while rival Aldi moved ahead by14.4%. An alternative study placed thecompetitors’ growth performances at 16.7%and 16% resp ectively. Between them theyare opening stores at more than two aweek and with their increasingpremium ranges the big four arebeing forced to slash prices. Atthe same time as the statisticswere announc ed the BritishRetail Consortium revealedthat high street food priceshad dropped by 0.4% over thetwelve months. Some goodnews for some other retailersalso emerged. A Nielsen studyshowed that food sales overEaster and Mother’s Day were up 4.2% inMarks & Spencer. Waitrose also recorded agood performance with food sales rising2.9% while the Co-op has seen takingsincrease by 2.1%.

The Newsletter’s correspondent, (anindep endent, retail greengrocer), reportsthat the last four months have beenrelatively straightforward with very fewproblems encountered in procurement ofsupplies through the traditional channels.Quality of produce has been good withprices remaining relatively stable but for oneor two notable exceptions. Cauliflowers were

short for a while and became expen sive ashave spring greens. Interestingly the latterhave been used as a loss leader by onesupermarket who have been selling theleaves at 29p. The same company hasdecided to sell broccoli leaves – a newinnovation – in an endeavour to reduce

waste at the product ion level. It wouldappear that veget ables arebeing used increasingly as atrading point in the price war.One factor that may be aworry for traders securingsupplies from a certainwest London whole salemarket is the purportedrent rise that the tenants ofthat market are facing. Itcould be that eventually

there will a reduction incompetition amongst whole salers whichmay be to the dis ad vantage of customers.

We have seen read and heard much inrecent times about the cosmetic standardsdemanded by retailers that have been to thedetriment of contracted growers andsuppliers. This situation is not just peculiarto the UK but is a hot topic in the USaccording to a recent Guardian report.Americans are fussy on what food looks likewhich according to one source could becultural. Because there is so much availablefood US consumers can be picky from aprice and volume perspective. Most opt forcosmetic perfection. Experiments to try andsell wonky fruits through traditional retailoutlets have met with limited success. Butthere are companies outside the groceryindustry that have jumped on the issue,sensing an opport un ity to combine socialgood with business. One chain, ‘GiantEagle’, dubbed its campaign “Produce withPersonality” selling misshapen fruit andpotatoes at five of its Pittsburgh Stores atlower prices. This is just one of several ‘start

up’ initiatives. Back in the UK Asda (ownedby American giant Walmart) rolled out its“wonky vegetable box” in February. Itcontains enough seasonal produce to feeda family of four for a week. It must havebeen a success as the project has beenextended from 128 to 550 stores a month.At an observed retail price of £3.50 one canappreciate the popularity. Tesco are alsoselling slightly deformed vegetables ofotherwise Class I quality.

VIEW FROM THEHIGH STREET

Consumers have such a wide range

of fruit to choose from

Asda’s ‘Wonky Veg Box’

United GuildsService

The 74th United Guilds Service washeld at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday

11th March. Originally held in 1943 onLady Day, it was conceived to help liftthe spirits of the City following the Blitz.Since then it has become an annualevent and remains one of the fewoccasions on which the Livery Companiesand Guilds of the City can gathertogether as a whole. As usual, theWorshipful Company of Fruiterers werestrongly represented being led by theMaster.

Master, Wardens and Wives on the steps

of St Paul's following the Service

A strong contingent of Past Masters was in

attendance

US customers expect cosmetic

perfection in

volume,

even

with

organics

11


12

Aone day conference looking to address future turbulence in the fresh produce

supply chain and beyond; For example – global issues introduced

by Rt Hon Michael Jack CBE, TheChanging Climate with Prof Bill Davies witha dis cussion on the imp lications led byleading growers and an app lied scientist;manag ing risks caused by the introd uct ion

of the National Living Wage, Apprentice -ship Levy and Auto-enrollment pensions,Tomorrow’s market place – a debate led byLiverymen John Giles and Professor DavidHughes with leading industry figures,creating sustainable supply chains withinsight into investing in the fresh produceindustry with Dr Clive Black of ShoreCapital.

When: 16th March 2017Where: one Great George Street, Whitehall

The organising committee are workingto finalise the programme and securesponsors, more information will be on thelivery website shortly. For further informationplease contact Graham Collier [email protected] Chairman of theAwards Council or Liveryman Sarah [email protected]

At the instigation of the Awards Council the Upper and Renter Wardens, acc om -

p anied by Liveryman Sarah Calcutt venturedforth to a new careers event, delivered byLiveryman Tommy Leighton and his teamfrom Produce Business UK. Delivered at theOval, the Livery was in good company, beingone of 27 produce related businesses lookingto engage with the next generation who maylead our sector. They weren’t disappointed,the room thronged with bright sparky minds,interested in what the produce industry has

to offer them; it was interesting to learn thatnot all were studying anything directly relatedto our sector but were looking at the transferof business, finance, marketing and culinaryskills. Past Master Sibley was also on handin the role of a ‘produce dragon’ listening topitches from candidates demonstrating whatthey could bring to our industry, animpressive bunch they were too! LiverymanProfessor David Hughes was also inattendance and kindly provided words ofwisdom for the aspirants to absorb.

Tommy Leighton finished his report withthis statement, which all those whosupported the day can only agree with.

‘I love this industry and it is always apleasure to be part of days when we gettogether under one banner – whether wethink about it like that or not! Lots of youngpeople had their perceptions of the produceindustry changed for ever last Thursday - thatcan only be good news for the future andwe're already looking forward to the FCF next year’.

Liveryman Nicholas Marston received the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers’

triennial Lewis Award for "DistinguishedServices to the Marketing of Fresh Fruit" atthe Company’s Annual Banquet held in TheMansion House on 8 February 2016.

Presenting the Award the Company’sMaster said “Nicholas Marston has beenoutstandingly successful as MD of BerryGardens Ltd, the marketing business of the

grower co-operative BerryGardens Growers; since1995 he has grown andguided the business

from a turnover of £18 million to a currentturnover exceeding £250 million."

Before joining Berry Gardens, Nicholas'career in the food and fresh produceindustry had included periods with TrustHouse Forte, Saphir Produce, and thenKane's Foods Ltd, suppliers of salads to the

supermarket sector, where heturned a loss-making businessinto a profitable one.

In 1998 Nicholas neg -otiated an agreement with

Driscoll Strawberry Assoc -iates of USA for theBerry Gardens co-oper ative to growtheir proprietaryvarieties in the UK;this has proved

to be very importantfor the UK industry.

Sub sequently the

agree ment was extended to include theimport into UK of Driscoll varieties grown inUSA and elsewhere; this sector has grownto become a third of Berry Gardenscompany turnover.

Nicholas was also instrumental in theformation of British Summer Fruits, theindustry body that represents 97% of allberries supplied to UK supermarkets. Since1966 UK consumption of strawberries hasdoubled from 700g per person to nearly1.5kg.

The Master concluded by saying“Through his wisdom and guidance of theindustry body and the UK's largest supplier,Nicholas has been pivotally involved inincreasing Britain's consumption of freshberries. He is a most worthy recipient of theLewis Award for Services to the Marketingof Fresh Fruit"

Piece provided by Dr Mike Solomon

Fruiterers Conference 2017

The Fresh Careers Fair March 10th

Worshipful Company of Fruiterers’ LewisAward presented to Nicholas Marston

Nicholas Marston

receives the Lewis

Award from the Master

Past Master Will Sibley in the role of

‘Produce dragon’

Professor David Hughes

provided words of wisdom

The Upper Warden, Sarah Calcutt and the

Renter Warden at the Fruiterers’ stand


Part of the Master’s annual allocation offunds from the Company’s Charitable

Trust is devoted to City Institutions. The listis published each December in ourNewsletter.

One of the regular beneficiaries is St MaryAbchurch, our “adopted” church.

This year the amount paid was increasedbut sent to ‘The Friends of the CityChurches’. They, in turn, have decided togive all of our donation to St Mary Abchurchfor a specific project.

In the Church there are a number ofledger stones, some of which needrepairing. A ledger stone is an inscribedstone slab, usually laid in the floor of thechurch to commemorate or mark the placeof burial of an important deceased person.

Many English parish churches containledger stones. Over 250,000 are thought toexist to this day, mostly attributable to thelate-seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Why not have a look when you are next inthe City? The Church is open on weekdays.

Piece provided by Past Master David Hohnen

Astrong Fruiterers’ Team turned out onShrove Tuesday to compete in the

annual ‘Pancake Day Races’ organised bythe Worshipful Company of Poulters. It wascomprised of the Master, Gerry Edwards,Harry Abdy-Collins and Pippa Whitehead.The course, as usual, was laid out on thequadrangle of the Guildhall. Despite ener -getic, credible and determined endeavoursby every competing Fruiterer we came awaywithout laurel leaves. But, as usual, runnersand spectators all enjoyed a fun morning.

A Helping Hand for St Mary’s

13

The Fruiterers’ Team at Pancake Day Races

St Mary Abchurch

Justice Antonin Scalia

Justice Antonin Scalia died on13th February 2016 at Shafter in

Texas. He was an Associate Justiceat the Supreme Court of the UnitedStates from 1986 until his death.Originally appointed by President RonaldReagan he was a highly respected andinfluential individual in the US Judiciary.

When Past Master Donald Cryanled a party of Fruiterers toWashington in 1999 on a treeplanting visit, the party had thegood fortune of meeting with Justice Scalia.

Justice Scalia with Master Cryan

and Pamela Cryan in Washington

Pippa Whitehead in full flight

Harry, ready

for the 'off'

Pancake DayRaces


14

Ron Parker

Honorary Freeman Ron Parker passedaway on February 22nd after a long

illness. He was one of the most influentialcharacters in the UK fresh produceindustry, particularly in the days when themultiple retail sector began to make itsmark in the 1970s and 1980s.

He was responsible for Tesco’s fruitoperation as volume and choice grewacross an increasing number of stores.At the same time, Ron was a member ofthe board of the Produce Packaging andMarketing Association, the trade organ is -ation which brought closer contactbetween supermarkets and both large UKgrowers, their co-operatives andassociations. He was also admitted to theWorshipful Company of Fruiterers as anHonorary Freeman at Audit Court on22nd May, 1997.

On retirement it could be argued thathis industry role became even stronger,as he took on the chairmanship for manyyears of the voluntarily funded Fresh Fruitand Vegetable Information Bureau(FFVIB), which was a consumer inform -ation point for the media and public whowanted to discover more about theirfresh produce. The FFVIB was alsoresponsible for launching and buildingawareness for the Five-a-Day campaign,which is recognised nationwide.

Ron was described by one who knewhim well as an individual who had a greatinterest in the workings of the industry asa whole. He was a practical observer butwas always respectful of the combinationof skill, time and effort shown by theproducers he met. Never forgetting hisearlier career when he worked for a chainof specialist produce retailers, before theadvent of the supermarkets, and always

judging the claims of quality through theeyes of the final customer – theconsumer.

Ron leaves his wife Shelagh, their twochildren and grandchildren.

His funeral took place at WesternCemetery, Cheshunt on Friday 26thFebruary.

Gardenof the

YearCaerhays Castle Estate in southern

Cornwall is the coastal home ofthe Williams family and its 140 acregarden won the 2016 ‘Historic HousesAssociation/ Christies Garden of theYear’ award.

The gardens originated from thework of plant hunters in China at thestart of the 20th Century. They are thehome of a Plant Heritage NationalCollection of Magnolias whichcomprises of over 600 species andhybrids.

Our Clerk has made arrangementsthrough the owners thoughtfulauspices for a Fruiterers’ visit onThursday 30th June, during whichthere will be the accustomed treeplanting. The Clerk has releaseddetails so if you wish to attendreservations are advisable.

OObbiittuuaarriieess


15

XXXXFor any Liveryman who has not attended a City of London Briefingand is in two minds whether to apply ask a fellow Fruiterer who hasattended. You will always receive a very positive res ponse becausethe evening provides an inter esting and valu able insight into theworkings of the City. They are aimed particularly at new Freemenand Liverymen, but wives, husbands and partners are also welcome.Liverymen and Freemen of longer standing who have not previouslybeen to a Briefing are also encouraged to attend. The dates of the2016 briefings are given here. It is necessary to attend one of thesebriefings, held at the Livery Hall, 71 Basinghall Street, Guildhall,before being clothed in the Livery.

City of London Briefings

They are:-Wednesday 5 October / Wednesday 2 NovemberApplication should be made at www.liverycommitteecourses.org.uk

TTerraceFruits.com TerraceFruits.com provide beautiful plants for beautiful gardens. Our range of hand picked fruit plants are specially selected

for growing on and around the Terrace and Patio.

Figs

Grapevines

Medlars

Nectarines

Peaches

Plums & Gages

Quince

Mulberry

At TerraceFruits.com we provide expert help and guidance in selecting the best fruit plants for your terrace and garden.

Almond

Apricot

Cherry

Citrus

Fruiterers’ Cufflinks

The essential dress accompaniment for all occasions. Made to a high quality standard displaying the Company’s

Coat of Arms. Boxed Set £65 from the Clerk.

Livery Briefing is produced monthly and contains details of interestfor City Liverymen. To view please note the following websiteaddress: http//:www.liverycompaniesinfo/library/livery-briefing

LIVERY BRIEFING

At each of the three Livery Committee meetings held each year, the chairman submits a written report. These reports are now published at http://www.liverycompanies.info/livery-committee/reports/

Cornhill Aldermanic ElectionOn 8 September, Alderman Sir David Howard resigned from the Court of Aldermen on approaching his 70th birthday later this year. Sir David, who served as Lord Mayor in 2000/2001 represented the Ward of Cornhill on the Court of Common Council for a total of 43 years, spending the last 29 years as its Alderman. His term of

he retires from public service. A Wardmote will be held on 12 October, with a poll to determine his successor on 13 October in the event of a contested election.

ApprenticesThe Prime Minister has outlined plans to increase the number of quality apprenticeships and give businesses a say on how they are run. More information can be found at this link. The Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS) invited responses to these proposals, and the Livery Companies Skills Council (LCSC) has submitted

concerns that Livery Companies may have about their long and historic apprenticeship schemes (as well as their contemporary ones). You may read the LCSC response to BIS here.

Livery Companies Apprenticeship Scheme (LCAS): Progress Report (abridged)The LCAS was set up to provide apprenticeships in skill areas related to the Livery, with government funding of £1.1m. In total, 58 apprentices were successfully placed across 18 different skills, of both one and three year durations. Those on a one year apprenticeship are now completing their training and will

Companies and LCAS.

The LCAS project has been a success story but also a learning curve for those involved. It has attempted to provide a set of standards for those engaged with the training of young people. Whilst the bureaucracy triggered by the pilot has not been welcome it has forced the creation

September 2015

of systems and processes that could in the future support a consistent and high quality apprenticeship offer across the Livery.

The LCAS together with the LCSC are now reviewing the way forward to see how to continue to encourage and assist with apprenticeships within the Livery, particularly in the light of the Government’s changing strategy for the funding of apprenticeships (see above).

For more details or to receive the full report (with list of participating liveries), please email the LCAS.

Livery Schools Link: ConsultationThe Livery Education Steering Group, under the Chairmanship of Peter Williams (past master Educator), is now ready to consult Livery Companies on a detailed proposal for a successor to Livery Schools Link to be established and known as The Livery Education Partnership. If approval is granted, then it is anticipated that the changes would take effect on 1 July 2016. There will be an open meeting for Livery Companies to discuss the proposal from 3.30pm to 4.30pm on 19 October, at St James Garlickhythe. All Masters and Clerks are invited to attend.

Court of Aldermen support for future SheriffsOn 9 July, the Town Clerk updated all Masters, Prime Wardens, and the Upper Bailiff, setting out the Court of Aldermen’s position regarding its support for future Sheriff candidates (see also News item of 11 June). In summary, the Court has requested the Livery to support two Aldermanic nominations for election in June 2016, and they are Alderman William Russell (Haberdasher) and Alderman Peter Estlin (International Banker). The Livery Committee considered this request at their June meeting, and in the interests of an orderly succession to the Mayoralty, gave it their support. This means that liverymen considering standing for election as a (non-aldermanic) Sheriff would be wise to consider delaying putting themselves forward until the following year or thereafter. The full letter may be downloaded here.

1

From the Chairman of the Livery Committee.

Dear Clerk,

Herewith the latest edition of the

distribution to your Livery, please. This edition includes a summary of those topics discussed at the meeting of the Livery Committee on 9 September 2015, together with an update on more general subjects of interest to liverymen.

The content draws heavily on the News pages on the Livery Committee website and links to a host of livery related information. If you wish to post any item on the site (please aim for between 50-150 words), please email me at [email protected]

Thank you.

Nigel PullmanLivery Committee

NEWS

Election of SheriffsAt Common Hall on 24 June, Dr Christine Rigden (Constructor) and Alderman Charles Bowman (Grocer) were elected as Sheriffs of the City for 2015/2016. The new Sheriffs will

at a ceremony at Guildhall on 28 September.

Livery Committee: Elections and New MembersAt the recent meeting, Nigel Pullman (Leatherseller) was re-elected as the Chairman for a further year, and Ian Seaton CC (Girdler) as his deputy. Following their appointment at Common Hall on Midsummer Day, three new members of the Livery Committee were welcomed to their

William Russell (Haberdasher, representing the Court of Aldermen), Mr Chris Twyman (Clerk to the Painter-Stainers’) and Mr Russell Vaizey (Clerk to the Dyers’) each representing the Clerks’ Association. They will serve for three years. A full list of all 20 members of the Committee may be found at: http://www.liverycompanies.info/livery-committee/membership.html

LIVERY BRIEFING November 2015

1

NEWS

New Lord Mayor and Lord Mayor’s Show

On Michaelmas Day, the Livery assembled at Common Hall, elected the Lord Mountevans (previously Jeffrey Evans), Alderman and

his Lord Mayor’s Show the following day when he paraded through the City streets in a spectacular procession, featuring many of the Livery

Companies, including his own - the Shipwrights. The Show began at 11am with a two minute silence, to mark the terrorist atrocity in Paris the

night before. Later, at nightfall, Tower Bridge was illuminated in the colours of the French tricolour, as London stood in solidarity with its sister

the Livery Committee website.

Admission of Sheriffs

Charles Bowman, Alderman and

Grocer, and Christine Rigden, Citizen and Constructor.

Ward of Cornhill Result of Aldermanic ElectionRobert Picton Seymour Howard was duly elected as Alderman for the ward. A list of all the current Aldermen may be found at The Livery

Committee website.Ward of Walbrook forthcoming Aldermanic Election

Clive BannisterJohn Garbutt (standing for re-election)

More information is available on the City of London website

Apprentices

The Future of Apprenticeships by the Department for Business, Innovation and

responsible for the relationship between the City Corporation and the Houses of Parliament) is aware of the concerns of some Livery companies

to the provisions of the Enterprise Bill regarding the use of the term “apprentice” and is considering tabling a suitable amendment to the

gov.uk

read here.

Unveiling the Crystal Sceptre: Henry V’s Gift to the City

sceptre is only removed from its home in the vaults of the Guildhall for coronations and for the ceremonial swearing in of each new Lord Mayor.

During this annual Silent Ceremony

centuries to when Henry presented it to the City. New Past Masters Association

into a Past Masters Association (PMA), to continue the friendships they have made during their year together. They call themselves the

MagnaMasters, and their spouses and partners have formed a twin group, the CartaConsorts. For more, please visit their new website. For more

on PMAs in general, follow this link.Gala Dinner for Treloar’s at Mansion House

Over 250 liverymen from a wide range of companies, and other friends of Treloar’s College, dined with the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs at

Treloar’s the energetic chairmanship of past master Chartered Surveyor Roger Southam, nearly £80,000 (gross) was raised from the night. Amongst the Treloar’s website.


Published by The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers: Clerk, Lt Col Philip Brown, 3, Parsonage Vale, Collingbourne Kingston, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 3SZ

Editor: Richard BrightenPrinted by DC Graphics, 7-8 Edison Road, Eastbourne . Tel: 01424 720072. Fax: 01424 434086

16

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe Editor wishes to thank the following for their valuable contributions to this Newsletter, Adrian Barlow, Jenny Bartlett,

Stephen Bellamy-James (The Master) Berry World Ltd., (Dave Ashton), Steve Bodger (Past Master), Lt Col Philip Brown (Clerk), David Bryant, Sarah Calcutt, Dr Graham Collier, Peter Cooper (Past Master), Judge Donald Cryan (Past Master), John Giles,

David Hohnen (Past Master), Tommy Leighton, Dr Gerard Lyons, Ian Rainford (Remembrancer), David Shapley, Sharp Photography, Dr Mike Solomon, John Warner (Renter Warden) and Sarah Whitworth.

Editor’s thanks. To Past Masters Will Sibley (for his sponsorship) and Eric Fraunfelter (for his donation)which have financed this Newsletter.

OObbiittuuaarriieess

Hugh Lowe passed away on the20th December 2015 after a

short illness. He was a giant in thehorticultural world, became a Fruitererin 1972 and had served as anHonorary Assistant.

Born in 1933 and raised in thevillage of Box he was the son ofFrances Marjorie Lowe, the daughterof a Kent fruit grower. He attendedDauntseys School where many of hisfellow pupils came from farmingfamilies. He left at the age of 15 tolearn the practices of agricultureunder the tutelage of his grandfatherBernard Champion at Barons Place,Mereworth. He later became anapprentice at Court Lodge Farm, WestPeckham which he bought.

His National Service was spent inthe Royal Artillery and subsequentlyjoined the Territorial Kent Yeomanry.He established many close friendshipsthere, particularly Hugh Kelsey, afellow Kent fruit grower. His daughter,Marion Regan, recalls a story told byHugh about those days in the army.Once he fell asleep during a lecture onthe procedure of how to discipline ajunior officer. This was a stimulus thatdeter mined him to always managepeople so that discip lin ary actionbecame unnecessary. His fairness andclarity in man management can be

traced back to that one incident. Heleft the services in his twenties due tothe ill health of his grandfather andtook over the running of the farm.

He married Alison Fife in 1958, thedaughter of a local farmer who sharedHugh’s interest in beagling, and theyhad two daughters Fiona and Marionboth of whom became fruit growers.

During the two decades of the 60sand 70s he built his business into awell-respected and innovative fruitgrowing business specialising instrawberries. But he also maintaineda keen interest in all aspects ofagriculture.

He became an innovator in softfruit marketing establishing Kentishgardens with Don Goodwin and othereminent Kent growers. This successfulenterprise now trades as BerryGardens. Hugh was the first secretaryand second chairman and promotedits expansion to national status.

In the eighties Marion joined herfather and it was incorporated asHugh Lowe Farms Ltd in 1990. Heretired in 1995, moved to Dorset andbegan 20 happy years living in CerneAbbas.

He married his second wife Angelaand enjoyed helping to bring upanother pair of step-daughters,Catriona and Cindy.

He attended Fiona’s son William’spassing out parade at Sandhurst in2015, one of his five grandchildren.

Although handing over the reins ofHugh Lowe Farms on his retirementhe remained chairman until his death.He also became the first chairman ofEast Malling Research when it wasprivatised. His long and varied careersaw him appointed to many positionsof respect both in County and researchactivities for which he had a passion.

Hugh was a great supporter of theFruiterers and was awarded theprestigious ‘Ridley Medal’ in 2011.

A memorial service was held on22nd January at St Mary’s Church,Cerne Abbas, Dorset.

Hugh Burman Lowe

Hugh Burman Lowe

Owen Kelly

Liveryman Owen Kelly aged 92who was admitted to the

Freedom in 1963 sadly passed awayin the autumn of 2015. Owen was achartered accountant who was wellknown to many wholesalers in theold Covent Garden Market.


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