Guild of Food Writers
| Founded | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Key people | Jane Suthering, President |
| Office location | London, England |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Website | www.gfw.co.uk |
The Guild of Food Writers is the professional association of food writers and broadcasters in the United Kingdom. It has over 390 authors, broadcasters, columnists and journalists amongst its members.
The objectives of the Guild, as set out in its Constitution, are as follows:
To bring together professional food writers.
To issue a Directory of Members.
To extend the range of members' knowledge and experience and keep them informed.
To encourage the development of new writers by every means, including competitions and awards.
To contribute to the growth of public interest in, and knowledge of the subject of food.
To campaign for improvements in the quality of food.
The Guild is twinned with the ASA (Associazione Stampa Agroalimentare Italiana).
The Guild aims to contribute to the growth of public interest in, and knowledge of, food and to campaign for improvements in the quality of food produced and consumed in the UK.
Current Guild Food Policy extends to such issues as:
On 12 April 1984, a group of the great and good in the British food world gathered for lunch at London’s Intercontinental Hotel to enjoy a lunch devised by the hotel’s chef Peter Kromberg.
Among others, Arabella Boxer, Elizabeth David, Christopher Driver, Jane Grigson, Claudia Roden, Michael Smith and Katie Stewart were in attendance to discuss the formation of an ‘association of food writers’. A debate arose about whether or not it would be an elite academy in the French style or something closer to the existing Circle of Wine Writers. The latter won the day.
On 17 January 1985, the first meeting of the Guild of Food Writers took place in Claridges, under the chairmanship of Derek Cooper. Over the years, the Guild has grown to a membership of around 400 professional writers, editors, journalists and broadcasters in the field of food.
The Guild has become a significant force in its field, being among the first organizations to lobby government about the potential risks of genetically modified food; to emphasise the importance of local produce and food producers; to encourage seasonal eating; to attempt to raise the standard of food in our national institutions, from schools and hospitals to prisons and even motorway cafés; and to encourage children to cook.
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