Under the Company’s charters a Court of Assistants comprising the Master, three Wardens and twenty Assistants control the Company. Members of the Court elect the Master and Wardens each year and it is the Master who presides over the Court. He is both the Company’s chief officer and its figurehead.

All vacancies on the Court are filled by the appointment of a Liveryman, who must have served as a Steward for a minimum period of one year, to the office of Assistant.

The Court grants the livery to a number of candidates each year who in general are connected with the trade, but first they must be granted Freedom of the City of London.

Liverymen are entitled to attend all functions of the Company apart from those reserved for the Court. They are also entitled to vote at Common Hall in the elections for Lord Mayor at Michaelmas and the Sheriffs on Midsummer Day.

The Learned Clerk is the Company’s permanent Executive Officer and the Beadle assists him.

PROFILES

Master, Simon Leschallas
Simon Leschallas spent his first four years of his working life at Blue Circle Cement Group, before seeing the light and joining Mentzendorff and Company in 1978. He became a Director in 1985 and now has the enviable title of Director of Bollinger Champagne. Although very much a wine man, one of his responsibilities is to manage the spirit brands within the Mentzendorff range. Sport is a very high priority in his life, whether on the golf course, shooting or the occasional game of cricket for the village.

The Upper Warden, David Sills
After graduating in Law from University College, London in 1965, taking Solicitors’ finals and completing two year’s articles with Monier-Williams & Keeling in Vintners’ Place, David went on to the Great Adventure Part 6 for two years as an instructor with the Royal Saudi Air Force in Dhahran. In 1970 he returned to Vintners’ Place as a partner. Since then he has for over 35 years dealt with the legal problems of the wine trade – particularly in relation to protection of appellations d’origine for both wines and spirits, including Cognac, Calvados and Brandy de Jerez. Less well-known is the wide number of UK wine importers and traders he looks after as commercial and personal clients as well as being Secretary of the Champagne Agents Association.

The Middle Warden, Terry Barr
I am proudly a Suffolk boy born and bred.  Prep school was Salter’s Hall in Sudbury then Colchester Royal Grammar School. Dispensed with University as deemed irrelevant.  Spent most of my time playing many sports and eventually, at the age of 27, managed to join an industry which seemed to encourage that sort of thing. Joined Seagram’s just when they really started getting into Champagne and looked after Perrier Jouet and then G H Mumm.   Never really looked back after that going on to work directly or indirectly for Lanson, Charles Heidsieck, Henriot and a number of own label and non proprietary brands. In 2000 joined Morrison Bowmore Distillers and spent 7 happy years learning about and selling Scotch Whisky.  Currently running my own small wine business with needless to say a small Champagne agency.

The Renter Warden, Brian Morrison

• Became a liveryman in 1975 and was elected Renter Warden in November 2009
• Is the third generation of his family to be involved in the Scotch Whisky Industry as Brokers, Blenders and Distillers under the auspices of Morrison Bowmore Distillers.
• Spent some forty years with the family business, retiring in 2004.
• Is a former Council Member and Treasurer of the Scotch Whisky Association, a member of the Management Committee and a Master of the Keepers of the Quaich.
• Is presently Chairman of the Scotch Whisky Liqueur Centre based near Perth
• Lives at Troon in the west of Scotland and golfs from time to time to a single figure handicap.

Immediate Past Master, Charles Maxwell
Charles joined the family business of Matthew Clark in 1976. He worked in all facets of the business until his appointment as director of Finsbury Distillery in 1980 and managing director in 1986. He became a board member of Matthew Clark Holdings in 1989. He left Matthew Clark in 1992, setting up businesses in distilling and wines. By 1997 he was distilling and bottling spirits through Thames Distillers, who became the world’s first organic gin distiller.

The Learned Clerk, Edward Macey-Dare
Profile coming soon

In addition to the Master and Wardens, the following are members of the Court:

Our charters allow a maximum of 20 Assistants.  Hence we also have many Honorary Assistants, a title granted on formal retirement of a Past Master from the Court, and also on occasion granted to other liverymen in recognition of their valuable contribution to the Company. Honorary Assistants attend Court events and are permitted to speak, but not vote, at Court meetings.