London Livery Halls, Butchers Hall, Apothecaries Hall, Fletchers Hall for Private Events, Exclusive Wedding Venues, Christmas Parties, Corporate Event Venue

London Livery Halls

Although originally all the companies that are members of the London Livery had their own Livery Hall, today, whilst there are 108 recognised Livery companies, there are only 40 Livery Halls - with all but one of these being inside the City of London.

The tradition of establishing Livery companies to represent the members of significant trades, crafts or industries in the City started in medieval times with the formation of guilds for these crafts. Exclusively in the City of London these later developed into the Livery companies and by 1500 over 40 members of the London Livery were recognised by Royal Charter. It is the remarkable history of these organisations and their previous importance in shaping the formations of their industries that created the wealth to build the great Livery Halls that can be found in London today. And whilst over the years, many Livery companies have changed their roles to become figurehead or even more charitable based, virtually all the Livery Halls can support themselves through revenues generated from providing high-quality catering and hosting events of all sizes and nature.

Livery Halls are often in easily accessible locations for London-based businesses and are often selected by corporate hospitality organisers for this reason. Additionally, most Livery Halls have many rooms of differing sizes, virtually always supported by excellent catering and event management personnel which means that they are suitable for a variety of events and differing sized parties. Most Livery Halls also have a licence to conduct wedding services and so make a popular choice for City-based couples getting married.

All the original London Livery members (granted their charter before 1926) had their own Livery Hall, but over the years these have fallen foul of various disasters – most noticeably the Great Fire which destroyed 22 Livery Halls – and the Blitz which damaged and destroyed many great buildings in the City including some Livery Halls.

Today, as not all Livery companies have their own hall, there are arrangements for some organisations to formally or informally share Livery Halls. A good example is the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers who, as they do not have their own premises, take residence in a section of the Apothecaries' Hall in Black Friar’s Lane.

Through a combination of their original trade responsibilities, charitable activities and a vibrant mix of social and corporate event management, London’s great Livery Halls have created a unique role which is likely to secure their continued longevity and maintain one of the Capital’s most historic traditions. It also provides residents and businesses located in the ‘square mile’, the wider City and beyond with some terrific catering and events venues .