The 450th function of the IWFS West Yorkshire branch was our Diamond Jubilee dinner, celebrating 60 years to the very day since the first branch function.
The venue for the Jubilee dinner was the Food Academy at Flannels, Leeds City College’s flagship restaurant for its most talented trainees, the chefs and front of house staff of the future. We have always supported local catering colleges and this was the 7th function with this College. We felt it was an ideal location to celebrate our anniversary.
On December 8th 1952 the first event, a tasting of red and white burgundy, was given by Ronald Avery, of renowned merchant Avery’s of Bristol. For many years the association continued, with the branch buying some fabulous wines from Avery’s. In fact the champagne we drank at the 60th Anniversary was the special cuvee which Ronald originally blended.
Ronald’s son John succeeded him, and was also President of the Society until his sudden death early in 2012. John was the guest of honour at our 50th Anniversary, so we were really pleased to welcome to this dinner John’s daughter, Mimi, who has taken on his role as Ambassador for Avery’s and therefore is the third generation of the family to be connected to our branch.
We also welcomed some special IWFS guests who joined us. Brian Sager, Pat and David James represented the Blackpool branch. Our guests of honour were Ron Barker and his wife Val Ramsay, to mark Ron’s retirement as Chairman of the Europe and Africa Committee and Val’s unstinting support to him in that role. We thanked Ron for all he has done for the Society, at a critical and difficult time in its history, and wished him and Val a very happy retirement.
Ron’s last official task as EAC chairman was to present awards to some well deserving West Yorkshire members. Richard Roper and David Rae were presented with IWFS Long Service Medallions. Ron then announced that the EAC had decided to present the André Simon Bronze Medal to Bruce Naylor. Bruce has attended Society events since the mid 1970’s, when he was in his early 20’s, and became a committee member and Treasurer of the West Riding Branch in 1998, posts he has held continuously since then.
The dinner had been a long time in the planning. We wanted somehow to reflect the previous 60 years in the wine and food. We decided that the menu should follow the classical formats that were a feature of previous anniversary dinners, but with a contemporary interpretation. To reflect the wines that the branch used to drink would be nigh on impossible. Instead we chose to have at least one wine from each of the seven decades. So extensive research into wines was undertaken, and numerous wine and food combinations were rehearsed. With the support of some generous donations from members and friends, we were able to enjoy some magnificent wines, and the pairing with the menu worked superbly.
Special thanks was given to the three people who used their creative skills to great effect for the dinner – Caron Naylor for the wonderful place names, John Lee for the amazing flower display and Malcolm Simm for his artwork on the menus and table settings.
Chairman Tim Gittins thanked all the other members who had made the dinner a success, and, in proposing a toast to the guests, reflected on how the pattern of recruiting new members following their attendance at functions was following the principle that Andre Simon had established at the very first Society function in 1933. M. Simon had said “We propose to hold lunches, dinners and tastings for the sole purpose of creating a wider interest in food and wine among a greater number of people, not to show them how much better and cheaper meals can be, but merely, by adding the spice of novelty, to make it worth their while to attend such functions and meet other people who share the same enthusiasm in the art of good living." Tim closed by inviting the guests to attend more of the branch's functions, and then to consider membership and help continue the Society's traditions.