Venue: The Wax Chandlers' Hall, 6 Gresham Street, London.  EC2V 7AD

Dress Code: Black Tie

The EAZ Annual Dinner 2015 will take place at the Wax Chandlers' Hall in Gresham Street in the heart of the City of London.  We have moved it to September this year to avoid a clash with the International Festival in Melbourne.

The Master of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, Dr. Andrew Mair will join us for dinner and tell us something more about the Company and its Hall.  Dr. Mair is the eighth member of his family to be  associated with the Company.

The Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers is one of the oldest Livery Companies in the City.  Its Royal Charter was granted in 1484.  It is the only Livery Company to have a charter from the reign of Richard III.  Although a relatively small company today, it ranks 20th in the order of precedence of Livery Companies reflecting the importance of the Company in 1515 when the order was established. 

Originally Wax Chandlers were responsible for  preparation, manufacture and sale of beeswax and beeswax products, an important role in the medieval period when beeswax candles were extensively used in churches and lit the homes of those who could afford them. The Company still maintains its links with the wax industry and beekeeping.

The present Livery Hall is the sixth to stand on this site since its acquisition in 1501.  The Hall was extensively refurbished in 2004. 

The menu and wine pairings have been especially created for us by Mark Grove of The Cook and Butler, who is an old friend of IWFS. 

We will commence with a champagne reception, followed by a four course meal, coffee and truffles. There will be a wine specially chosen by Mark to complement each course, including Viognier 2013 Limited Edition Gimenez Mendez Las Brujas Montevideo, Château Le Plantey 2011 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, Licor de Tannat 2007 Gimenez Mendez Las Brujas, Montevideo and a choice of late bottled port or brandy.

Cost to members is £125.00 per person and to non-members £135.00.  Reservations should be made with John Nicholas, EAZ Treasurer, in the usual way, not later than 1st September 2015 (see attached schedule).

Please note there are four steps up from the street to the front entrance.  The Livery Hall itself is on the first floor but it is accessible by lift.

The awayday visit to Hush Heath vineyard the following day has unfortunately had to be cancelled for lack of support.

Tour and Tasting followed by a buffet lunch - Cancelled due to lack of bookings

Hush Heath Vineyard, Five Oak Lane, Staplehurst, Kent TN12  0HT

Dress Code: Casual, shoes suitable for walking around the vineyard and orchards.  

Tucked away in rolling hills of the Weald of Kent lies a Sixteenth Century Manor House presiding over an estate which includes 37 acres of vines and 20 acres of orchards.  Bought in the 1980's by Richard Balfour-Lynn and his family, the house was badly in need of restoration, and is now the family home. With the aid of Steven Skelton, MW, Richard established a vineyard growing classic Champagne grapes - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.  The estate has long produced eating apples supplying some of the finest food halls in London.  Today the apples are made into apple juice and some very special ciders.

Richard's ambition was to create a vineyard producing Sparkling Rosé Wines of world-beating quality.  Has he succeeded?   Join us on 11th September for a vineyard tour and tasting, and judge for yourself.  We hope Richard will be available to lead the tour.

The tour will take us through the vineyards and orchards.  It takes approximately two hours so please come prepared for hiking over relatively uneven ground in possibly inclement weather.  We will visit the state-of-the art winery, opened in 2010, before tasting the finished product.  The tasting will be followed by a light buffet lunch at the winery.

Hush Heath is accessible by train from central London: trains run half-hourly from Charing Cross to Marden from where it is a five minute taxi ride to the winery.  If you plan to take advantage of this please let John Nicholas know so that we can book taxis. 

The all-inclusive Cost for members is £42.00 (£47.00 for non-members). This promises to be a fascinating day and we expect it to be very popular. 

This is the day after the Annual EAZ Dinner, so why not come to both events!