Annual City Food Lecture

Since 2001 an annual lecture has been held at the Guildhall, London in order to discuss modern food issues and the City as a centre for food trade. The idea for these lectures originated from a number of food livery companies who wanted a platform to explore the issues relevant in today’s industry.

Seven Livery Companies which have close associations with the sector, namely the Bakers, Butchers, Cooks, Farmers, Fishmongers, Fruiterers, and Poulters promote the event. The format usually includes a welcome address by the Lord Mayor, a key lecture, and a panel session comprising a range of leading specialists from the food industry.

The 2008 lecture, was sponsored by the seven Livery Companies themselves, in conjunction with the City of London, and supported by The Real Good Food Company, Nestle, and Lockwood Press.   The lecture: 'Are the Malthusian chickens coming home to roost?'  was delivered by the Rt. Hon the Lord Haskins of Skidby on 29th January in Guildhall.   The text can be viewed here.

The City Food Lecture series also includes:
2001: Peter Blackburn, Chairman of Northern Foods, ‘The UK Food Chain: Making Life Better’.
2002: Niall FitzGerald, Chairman of Unilever, ‘Facing the Future: The UK Food Industry in a Changing World’. Full text available from http://www.unilever.com/
2003: Sir John Krebs, Chairman of the Food Standards Agency, ‘Protecting Consumers in the Future World Market’. Full text available from www.foodstandards.gov.uk
2004: Sir Francis Mackay, Chairman of Compass Group plc. ‘Changing the Menu’. Full text available from http://www.compass-group.com/
2005: John Sunderland, Chairman of Cadbury Schweppes plc. 'The Role of Food in Public Health’. Full text is available here

2007: Lord Peter Melchett, the Soil Association, 'Food and Values - the Organic Future'. A webcast of the event can be viewed here