By Louise Thompson, Senior Warden
“Landlord, bring out your finest ale, we want no tipple thin or stale!” 🍺Such was the demand of Ale Conner and Cooper Liam Randall as he led Fuellers and guests on a fascinating walk around some of the City’s oldest pubs last night.
The Master Ashutosh Shastri was joined by Senior Warden Louise Thompson and Fuellers Max Bölhoff, John Glen, Ashley Thomas and David Sanderson as well as representatives from the other Livery companies and institutions including Florencio Cuervo from the Carmen, Shirley Creed IPM of the Chartered Secretaries, Dilip Patel from the Plaisterers, Aditya Deshpande President of the Energy Club at LBS and Konstantin Anwesend.
Our evening began at The Jamaica Wine House, built on the site of London’s first coffee house, where Samuel Pepys once called in to see what all the fuss was about and the West India trade conducted its business.
Having confirmed that the ale was “fine and good”, we made our way through the alleyways to The George and Vulture, famous as Mr Pickwick’s London lodgings. It was also here, in 1827, that a group of rebellious liverymen met to wrest the election of their Wardens from their own Court!
Our final stop was Cloth Cornhill, the newly opened and refurbished former Simpson’s, established in 1757. Once the City’s oldest chop house, it closed its doors in 2022 before a determined campaign by locals, regulars and City officials helped bring this historic establishment back to life.
Along the way, Liam brought these historic establishments to life, sharing fascinating stories about the City’s past and explaining the ancient role of the Ale Conner. Elected at Common Hall, the four Ale Conners have been testing the City’s ale since at least the fourteenth century - a tradition that certainly gives a new meaning to quality control!A wonderful evening combining the history of the City, the traditions of the Livery and, of course, the fellowship of the Fuellers. 🍻
For more information visit www.aleconner.beer