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A Mile Under the Arches
The Bermondsey Beer Mile with the Innholders and the Coopers — 878 Victorian railway arches, two vanished giants of Southwark brewing, and the cheesemonger who began it all in 2009. Read the entry → -
A Beer the Colour of Red Wine
A St Abdon’s Day tasting of four British beers — Utopian’s lager, Harvey’s Sussex Best, and two from Burning Sky that introduced most of the room to sour beer for the first time. Read the entry → -
Second Sitting: Licensing and the Liveries
All four Ale-Conners join the hospitality liveries at Guildhall as the City’s new Licensing Policy consultation opens — plus Safety Thirst, the Corporation’s licensing map, and a joint working session with the City’s data team. Read the entry → -
Belonging, Before Breakfast
The launch of the City Belonging Champions programme: workplace ambassadors for the Square Mile’s opportunities, networks and civic life — and a strictly unofficial verdict on Deutsche Bank’s coffee. Read the entry → -
Planning a Year Worth Toasting
Laying the groundwork for 2026–27: all four Ale-Conners round a table at Guildhall for the first time in many years, then a spot of field ale-conning behind the bar at the Lamb Tavern. Read the entry → -
A Day at the Cask Races
My first Coopers’ Cask Race as Event Director: thirty-two teams, sixty cadets, the Distillers crowned, a cask baptised in bicentennial whisky, and nearly £5,000 raised for charity. Read the entry → -
First Pour: the City Beer Festival
Eight days after Common Hall, the office’s first engagement: the City Beer Festival in Guildhall Yard, welcoming the Lady Mayor and pulling the first official pint of the term at the Timothy Taylor’s stall. Read the entry → -
Elected Ale Conner: Common Hall, 24 June 2026
Today, at Common Hall, I was elected one of four Ale Conners for the City of London. It is a considerable honour, and one I did not take on lightly. Read the entry →
New entries as the year in office unfolds.