The City and the Lord Mayor's Big Curry Lunch are intertwined. Since the first Lunch in 2008, the Lunch has become a staple event in the City calendar with many institutions and businesses offering their support. From the attendance of senior city officials at the Lunch to the generous contribution of Guildhall without charge, the Lunch relies on the City in many ways and is grateful for its support.
The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch has enjoyed the active support of each successive Lord Mayor of the City of London since the first LMBCL in 2008.
The Lord Mayor co-chairs the Committee for each Lunch, along with the founder of the Lunch, Michael Hockney. The Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress/Lord Mayor’s Consort host the Lunch each year in Guildhall and also hosts three receptions. The first is the launch party, usually in November, the second is the Launch of the Veterans' Garden in February in Guildhall Yard and thirdly the post-Lunch ’Thank You' party in May or June at which we thanksall our sponsors and supporters and announce how much has been raised that year. The Committee meetings are held at the Mansion House, the Lord Mayor’s ‘home’ for his or her year in office.
The Committee is grateful to the Lord Mayor, the Lady Mayoress/Lord Mayor’s Consort and the Sheriffs and their Consorts for their unfailing enthusiasm and support.
In recent years successive Lord Mayors have collaborated on a long-term strategy to make the Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal work with greater impact over time. Under the banner of ‘A Better City For All’, the Appeal articulates how the strategy can and will have a transformational impact on people’s lives in the capital. The strategy has four overarching themes or ‘pillars’ as represented in the Charity Appeal logo.
One of those pillars focuses on the City as a place of leading-edge practice in employment. With the recent focus of the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch on helping veterans prepare for employment, the Lunch has aligned itself strongly with this aspect of the Lord Mayor’s strategy.
The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London with in a globally successful UK
The Corporation’s headquarters in the City of London is Guildhall, which is a remarkable and historic site.
Since mediaeval times, Guildhall has been the administrative centre of the governance of the City as well as providing the complex of grand rooms used for State and Mayoral functions.
It is where the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch is held every year, thanks to the support of the Corporation's senior officials, the Court of Aldermen and the Common Council. The Committee is very grateful to the Corporation for the use of Guildhall without any charge. This is a further sign of the strong links between the Lunch, the Corporation and the Lord Mayor and our shared sense of purpose.
Another is that all the Aldermen are happy to serve as members of the Curry Lunch Committee.
The City and the Lord Mayor's Big Curry Lunch are intertwined. Since the first Lunch in 2008, the Lunch has become a staple event in the City calendar with many institutions and businesses offering their support. From the attendance of senior city officials at the Lunch to the generous contribution of Guildhall without charge, the Lunch relies on the City in many ways and is grateful for its support.
