The first month of 2025 has been anything but quiet at The Royal Company of Merchants – and what a start to the year it’s been.
While others battled the January Blues, we have been busier than ever, hosting three Member events, a mentoring workshop and preparing for An Insider’s Guide to the Royal Company of Merchants, which will be presented by CEO & Secretary Guy Cartwright on Wednesday 5th February.
Corney & Barrow’s Burgundy en primeur tasting
As an exclusive benefit of membership, we managed to secure places for Company members to attend Corney & Barrow’s Burgundy en Primeur annual tasting at Merchants’ Hall on the 15th January.
The event offered a rare opportunity to sample exquisite wines from the 2023 vintage, carefully crafted by some of Burgundy’s finest winemakers. 🍷
Essential Edinburgh: Business Breakfast with Angus Robertson MSP
On Friday 17th January, we had the pleasure of hosting Angus Robertson, MSP for Edinburgh Central, at a business breakfast in Merchants’ Hall organised in partnership with Essential Edinburgh.
Angus shared valuable insights on the visitor levy, the local benefits of tourism and the future of arts and cultural investment in Scotland.
The Royal Company of Merchants is grateful to Essential Edinburgh for offering this exclusive and complimentary business breakfast opportunity to our Members.
My Edinburgh Mentoring Day
The Court Room was booked by Member-led charity My Edinburgh for their mentoring training day on Saturday 18th January. The event was well attended by our Master, Treasurer, Old Master Ian Watson, as well as Members of our committees and Court.
A big thank you to everyone who took part – it’s always great to see Members making the most of the rooms at Merchants’ Hall.
The Lord Mayor of London’s Business Breakfast
Finally, we had another fantastic business breakfast at The Royal Company of Merchants on Tuesday, where we had the honour of welcoming The Rt Hon. the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alastair King. The event was catered by Saltire Hospitality and graciously hosted by our Treasurer, Katie Ridland.
The Lord Mayor Alderman Alastair King DL shared his inspiring vision, with a particular emphasis on his mantra “Growth Unleashed,” which resonates strongly with the dynamic spirit of Scotland’s burgeoning start-up and business community.
Highlights included discussions on October’s Scottish Investment Summit in Edinburgh, providing a platform for Scottish businesses to showcase their innovations to global investors, and the exciting opportunities for the UK in green initiatives amidst shifting global policies.
On behalf of our CEO & Secretary Guy Cartwright, thank you to everyone who attended through their membership with the Company and contributed to the conversation.