The Fruiterers held their annual banquet at the Mansion House during the evening of February 12.

A number of very distinguished guests graced the company, including The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor, Alderman Ian Luder.

Alan French, the Master of the Fruiterers, greeted the guests with his Wardens and their partners.

During his speech proposing a toast to The Lord Mayor, the City of London Corporation and the Sheriffs, Master French made reference to the fact that 2009 marked the 200th anniversary of the Bramley apple. By special invitation, the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Colonel Merryweather (a descendant of the nurseryman who had identified the virtues of the variety), and his wife were in attendance. He continued by outlining the plans for a scheme to plant Bramley apple trees in the grounds of schools in the boroughs surrounding the City.

In pursuit of their declared goal, the Fruiterers will be supporting the Food Dudes scheme, encouraging the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables among young people. This will take the form of a three-year sponsorship of a co-ordinator. The Master thanked the Lord Mayor for welcoming the Fruiterers into his ‘official City residence’ and the magnificence of the Egyptian Room.

In his response, The Lord Mayor thanked the Fruiterers for their hospitality and spoke of the current financial crisis and the measures that have been taken. He made light of the situation by saying that “nothing on the left hand side is right and nothing on the right hand side is left”. He felt that “recession does not need to become depression if we keep our cool”. Regulation was considered necessary, “but the framework must permit business to function”.

The guests were proposed by Past Master Sibley, with the response coming from Christopher Rodrigues CBE, chairman of Visit Britain. He, like the Master, has been a very keen oarsman and advised him to “stay the course” - the rower’s mantra - during a very hectic year. He revealed that British tourism was responsible for eight per cent of GDP, employed 2.7 million people directly and indirectly, and brings regeneration. He advised that people no longer go to destinations they visit because they want experiences. Believing that the 2012 Olympics will deplete tourism in other parts of the country, the event will afford the opportunity to showcase the virtues of Britain. On behalf of the guests, he thanked the Master and wished the Fruiterers well.

As is customary, the proceedings came to a conclusion with the Clerk proposing a toast to the Company.

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Dianne Quested received the Fruiterers’ triennial Matthew Mack Award at the banquet. The award is given for distinguished achievements for training within the fruit industry. Making the presentation the Master, Alan French, spoke of the dedication and service she has shown in forming the Mid-Kent Training Group, a body that has become the largest provider of training for land-based industries in the South East.

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Pancake pranks: The Fruiterers entered a team in the fifth annual Livery Pancake Day races on Shrove Tuesday.

Held in the quadrangle of the City’s Guildhall, teams of four from a number of Livery Companies compete in a series of races for honour and charity.

The event, originally conceived by the Poulters Company, provides a lot of fun for competitors and spectators alike.

THE MASTER’S COMMENTS by Alan French

BRAMLEY LESSON FOR CITY YOUNGSTERS

The bicentenary of the Bramley Apple has given the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers the perfect opportunity to spread information about fruit growing, the life of fruit trees and orchards. This knowledge will be shared among the more disadvantaged children and adults living in the inner city boroughs adjoining the financial centre of London’s Square Mile.

We have worked closely for many months with Pippa Palmar of the Mid Kent Downs Orchards Project. Pippa has converted an excellent information pack for a schools project that was originally about traditional cherry orchards in Kent to cover Bramley apples and orchards. We have also prepared educational DVDs and whiteboard presentations and given these, together with a Bramley apple tree, to eight different primary schools situated in Southwark, Battersea, Wandsworth and Hackney and nine City Farms. We have also presented these to 10 charitable community and housing associations.

The Bramley trees and associated packs are designed to help children understand where and how fruit is grown. The packs are also a valuable teaching aid, illustrating the annual cycle of trees, the pollination process and finally fruit picking. It is anticipated that the fruit picked from these trees will also provide a harvest for cookery classes.

The teaching pack incorporates the National Curriculum key objectives and also provides ideas for tasting, juicing and the cooking of apples.

City Farm managers and teachers have been most complimentary about the programme, which has been targeted to increase fruit consumption and to improve the understanding of top-fruit growing among inner-city children.