An update on a new Smithfield neighbour, enjoying champion sausage and a delicious trio of pork made the November Court Lunch at Butchers' Hall a fine occasion.
Smithfield and the areas around Butchers’ Hall have certainly seen a dramatic transformation over the past several years, and change continues at pace.
The new London Museum will open at Smithfield’s General Market in 2026 for its phase one roll-out, followed by the second phase which will open in the Poultry Market in 2028.
At the November Court Lunch at Butchers’ Hall it was a pleasure to welcome Sharon Ament who is the director of the London Museum and leading the creation of this huge new attraction that will tell the story of our capital and attract locals and visitors from across the globe.
A world-class museum on our doorstep
With a career spanning natural history, conservation, and cultural leadership, Sharon has worked with the Natural History Museum, ZSL, and The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. Unsurprisingly, she is passionate about how museums, galleries, and cultural spaces can inspire lifelong learning, critical thinking, and a sense of belonging.
After lunch she gave a passionate speech and said: “People in this room have been instrumental in helping our great endeavour to create the world’s most compelling museum, in Smithfield. Particularly I’d like to thank Paul Martinelli, Greg Lawrence, the Smithfield Market Tenants Association, Stuart Thompson and the Thompson Family and of course the Butchers’ Company itself.
“And to be able to say we are opening London Museum in Smithfield (albeit phase one) next year is both thrilling and blooming scary. There is such a lot to do, and we will get there and it will launch with a boom and it will blow people away.”
"People in this room have been instrumental in helping our great endeavour to create the world’s most compelling museum, in Smithfield."
The museum will have lots of interesting artefacts to show and stories to tell – and that extends to butchers too. Visitors will see safety cutting gloves, signs, trade tokens form the 17th century, toy theatre scenery sheets and glimpses into the tragic lives of butchers from the famous Gustave Doré – a sort of street documentary commentator of the 18th century, he wrote about and created very popular engravings of daily life in London and Paris.
There are lots of photographs in the collection that record Jewish Butchers, Cypriot Butchers in Camden, Halan Butchers in Stoke Newington and of course Smithfield itself. I’m sure lots of Liverymen will visit when it opens.
Champion sausage canapés and a brilliant trio of pork
As is to be expected, the Great Hall was packed and a first class lunch was enjoyed. And there was the bonus of starting it all with sausage canapés that were a welcome addition to the drinks reception. But these were not just any sausage, but the UK Supreme Sausage Champion that was crowned only the week prior during the UK Sausage Week Awards lunch held at Butchers’ Hall. All can agree that the Olde English Pork Sausage from Wicks Manor was a worthy winner and our thanks to Liveryman Fergus Howie of Wicks Manor for supplying them.
CK Meats (CPC Foods) generously donated the Trio of Pork that was served as the main course – and it was excellent, with a number of Liverymen commenting that it was one of the best lunches at the Hall in recent memory.
The raffle and 200 Club
Liveryman Mr Alderman Gregory Lawrence CC kindly donated a case of champagne for the raffle which was won by Past Master, Graham Baker’s granddaughter, Sophie Baker.
The November 200 Club winners were: Asst William Buchanan (1st prize), Liveryman David Harrison (2nd prize), and Liveryman Michelle White (3rd prize).
(All photos: Phil McCarthy Photography.)