The Grand Chapitre’s four-day programme opened with a memorable dinner in the medieval Crypt at Ely Place on Thursday, September 24th.

Guests arrived from several countries and quickly slipped into the easy warmth of a reunion. The setting brought theatrical splendour to the occasion. Adjoining Bleeding Heart Yard, the 780-year-old Crypt lies beneath the ancient church of St Etheldreda’s and carried a remarkable tradition of celebration.

Henry VIII had staged a three-day wedding feast there in 1509, when swans stuffed with larks and sparrows reportedly reached the royal table.

Bailli Délégué Philip Evins, who is a Member of the Conseil Magistral, presented Robert Wilson with a Bailliage of Great Britain plate of excellence and a new shiny plaque to replace the rather weathered one that is there currently.

More than a formal opening, the dinner felt like a joyful homecoming - an elegant beginning to the Grand Chapitre and a gourmet occasion worthy of its magical London setting.

A gilded banquet at Fishmongers’ Hall
On Friday, September 25th, members and guests gathered at Fishmongers’ Hall for the Welcome Dinner of the Grand Chapitre, marrying centuries of City tradition with assured modern cooking.

The riverside setting, beside London Bridge, was suitably magnificent: a home shaped by more than 750 years of the Fishmongers’ Company’s trading, charitable and civic life.

The evening opened in the Court Room, where Thames views competed for attention with an exceptional collection of paintings. Pietro Annigoni’s celebrated 1955 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II reputedly among her favourites and provided a regal focal point.

As members entered for dinner in the Banqueting Hall, more than one spontaneous “wow” captured the sense of occasion. Executive Chef and Maître Rôtisseur Stephen Pini upheld a family reputation for some of the City’s finest guild dining.

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Cured salmon, avocado and wasabi
cucumber and fromage blanc
Matetic EQ Quartz Chardonnay 2023
San Antonio, Chile

Cod with leeks, wild mushrooms and Champagne sauce
Klein Constantia Rietbos Chardonnay 2022
South Africa

Rack of lamb
Jerusalem artichoke, potato galette, baby spinach
carrots, lamb jus
Viña Real Rioja Alavesa Gran Reserva 2015 (magnums)
Spain

Bright passion-fruit tart
sharpened with lemon-curd sauce, finished with hazelnut praline
Finca Antigua Moscatel Naturalmente Dulce 2025
La Mancha, Spain

Welcomed by the Prime Warden and surrounded by history, guests experienced far more than dinner. This was hospitality with a strong sense of place: polished yet warm, steeped in heritage but alive to contemporary taste. Fishmongers’ Hall supplied the grandeur; Pini’s kitchen supplied the precision. Together they created an evening worthy of its remarkable address and one destined to linger in the memory.

Ceremony and tradition at St Clement Danes
On Saturday morning, September 26th, members, including International Vice-President Marie Jones, assembled at St Clement Danes church on The Strand for the Chaîne Induction Ceremony. The formal occasion at which new members are welcomed and presented with the ribbons and insignia that denote their professional or non-professional membership status.

The ceremony also offered an opportunity to honour longstanding members who received upgrades, including recognition for remarkable milestones such as 30 or 40 years of membership.

The church lent the occasion an added sense of grandeur. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the Baroque style and completed in 1682, St Clement Danes is one of London’s most historic churches. Although it suffered major damage during the Blitz, it was restored in 1958 and subsequently became the church of the Royal Air Force.

Against this distinguished backdrop, the ceremony brought together tradition, achievement and camaraderie. For everyone who attended, it was a memorable morning.

High notes and haute cuisine
In the evening, members gathered at InterContinental London Park Lane, where classic Mayfair elegance provided an assured setting for an evening devoted to gastronomy, friendship and ceremony.

The celebrations began in the Park Lane Suite, its windows overlooking the park. Glasses of Exton Park single-vineyard English sparkling wine accompanied hand-carved jamón ibérico, presented in a theatrical demonstration arranged by world-renowned master carver and Officier José Sol. It was an elegant opening: convivial, unhurried and rich in anticipation.

Executive Chef and Maître Rôtisseur Amador Parada composed the dinner as a sequence of robust flavours and carefully judged pairings.

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Pâté en croute
ham hock, duck breast, confit and liver
pork loin, plum chutney and chicory
Fleurie 'Château des Jacques' 2023
Louis Jadot , Beaujolais, France

Monkfish
celeriac compote, samphire, roasted fish jus and sea herbs
Giovanni Almondo Bricco delle Ciliegie Roero Arneis 2024
Piedmont, Italy

Venison loin
truffled potato gratin, sand carrot and Burgundy jus
Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2021
Antinori, Tuscany, Italy

Trio of Stilton, queso Manchego and Rosary goat’s cheese
Don Maximiano Estate Kai Carménère 2021
Aconcagua Valley, Chile

Opera cake
caramelised with vanilla ice cream
Zuccardi Malamado
Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

Yet the evening’s theatre was not confined to the plate. The Three Waiters, professional singers disguised among the service team, transformed dinner into a surprise operatic performance. Soon, members were heartily joining familiar classics, filling the room with warmth and laughter.

Amid the celebration, the Chaîne’s traditional raffle raised support for its nominated charity, The Clink. The gesture gave an evening of refinement a generous purpose. Combining precise cooking, expressive wines and spirited camaraderie, the Gala Dinner captured the Chaîne at its best: honouring culinary craft while creating memories around the table.

Recap on the four days
The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs of Grande Bretagne celebrated its Grand Chapitre 2026, with fine food, distinguished wines and operatic flair.

During the four days of the programme, history, gastronomy, tradition and friendship were wonderfully intertwined. From the atmospheric medieval Crypt at Ely Place and the magnificent Fishmongers’ Hall, to the solemnity of the Induction Ceremony at St Clement Danes and the glittering finale at the InterContinental London Park Lane, each occasion brought its own distinctive character.

Throughout the Grand Chapitre, members and guests from Britain and overseas were united by the shared pleasures at the heart of the Chaîne: exceptional food and wine, warm hospitality, the recognition of achievement. Above all, the opportunity to renew old friendships and create new ones.

Darryl Thomson
Chancelier