Membership and Admissions

The Cooks’ Company now has four categories for the admission of members:

• Freeman
• Liveryman
• Honorary Freeman
• Retired Member

Freeman
A new member is first admitted to the Freedom of the Company. This is now open to both men and women. Until 2003 the daughters of Liverymen were the only women who could be admitted to the Company. They were then known as Freemaidens and were not able to progress to the Livery.

Liveryman
Freemen who have served actively for a minimum of three years and who have been admitted as Freemen of the City of London can then be promoted to Liverymen up until the Company’s maximum complement of 75.

Honorary Freeman
A category restricted to individuals specially chosen by the Court for their services to the catering trade, in recognition of holding senior position in Armed Forces or for exceptional service to the Company.

Retired Member
In order to maintain an active membership, freemen, liverymen or honorary freemen who, due to personal circumstances, are unable to attend the Company’s activities may elect to become retired members.

The only Cook to serve as Lord Mayor was Alderman Samuel Birch (1814-15). His family business ‘Birch & Birch’ was, for more than a century, famous for its turtle soup. A connoisseur of the day noted, ‘Tea is no tea if not Twinings, Turtle merely the scrapings of a broth pot if not Birches.’