The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers is one of the Livery Companies

Livery Company

The Livery Companies are 108 trade associations in the City of London, almost all of which are known as the "Worshipful Company of" the relevant trade, craft or profession. The medieval Companies originally developed as guilds and were responsible for the regulation of their trades, controlling,...

 of the City of London

City of London

The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...

 originally and presently concerned with the fruit trade, and a notable charitable institution.

History

The Company was founded in 1463 and received a Royal Charter

Royal Charter

A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...

 in 1605. The Company was a classical medieval guild governing trade and maintaining quality and inspection of fruit imported into the City. It was also responsible for training apprentices, caring for members and doing charitable works. The connection of the Company to the fruit trade had diminished by the late nineteenth century although it remained a City institution. In the latter twentieth century its connections to the trade were revitalised, diverting it from the course of becoming a purely charitable institution, as many other Livery Companies have done. It is known for its special recognition of individuals in the fruit industry and for its support of research and development concerned with the industry. Currently, over half the Livery is made up of industry representation.

The Awards Council

There are many awards that the company actively promotes and maintains and these are under the responsibility of the Awards Council, founded in 1931 as a sub-committee to report directly to the Company's Court of Assistants on matters relating to fruit culture.

• The triennial awards:
  • Ridley Medal: outstanding achievements in fruit culture
  • Lewis Award: outstanding achievements in the marketing of fruit
  • Matthew Mack Award: outstanding achievements in training within the industry
• The annual awards:
  • Fruit Culture Award: awarded annually at the National Fruit Show
  • Fruiterers' Management Award: awarded annually at the Company's Dinner in November.

The Awards Council also makes an annual Presentation of Fruit to the Lord Mayor of London

Lord Mayor of London

The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...

, organises the annual City Food Lecture in Guildhall

Guildhall, London

The Guildhall is a building in the City of London, off Gresham and Basinghall streets, in the wards of Bassishaw and Cheap. It has been used as a town hall for several hundred years, and is still the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London and its Corporation...

 (established in 2000) and awards Fruit Show Prizes at the Cherry and Soft Fruit Show and National Fruit Show, and, among other activities, supports scholarships and research.

Order of precedence

The Company ranks forty-fifth in the order of precedence

Order of precedence

An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of items. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments...

of Livery Companies. Its motto is Deus Dat Incrementum, Latin for God Gives the Increase

External links

• The Fruiterers' Company