Royal Smithfield Club Bicentenary Trophy

How can we recognise those who make a major contribution to our industry?  For many it is not possible, but within the livestock and meat sector there is a way - The Royal Smithfield Club Bicentenary Trophy.

Created to celebrate the bicentenary of the founding of the Smithfield Club in 1798, the trophy is awarded each year to a person or organisation deemed to have made a significant contribution to the UK meat industry.  Recipients can be from any part of the industry - from livestock producers through education, research, processing to retailing.

Nominations are received each year by the Smithfield Club with worthy nominees sought by consulting a cross section of the livestock and red meat industry.  The nominees are then considered by a panel made up of people from across all sectors who meet to create their shortlist from which they choose the winner for the year.

Past winners have been:

  • 2000 Sir Donald T.Y. Curry, CBE

  • 2001 Frederick J. Mallion, MBE

  • 2002 John Thorley, OBE

  • 2003 The Late Jack Woodhead

  • 2004 Norman Bagley

  • 2005 David Raine

  • 2006 J. Alan H. Stevenson, OBE

  • 2007 Ian Galloway, CBE, ARAgS

  • 2008 Dr Basil G. Lowman, MBE

  • 2009 Richard M. Cracknell

  • 2010 Professor Geoff Simm

  • 2011 J. Rees Roberts, OBE, BSc (Hons), FRAgS

  • 2012 H.R.H. The Prince of Wales

  • 2013 The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust

  • 2014 David B Gunner

  • 2015 John Cross

  • 2016 Professor Julie Fitzpatrick, OBE

  • 2017 Robert Forster, FRAgS

  • 2018 Heather Jenkins

  • 2019 Terry Bayliss

  • 2020 Not awarded

  • 2021 Not awarded

  • 2022 Elizabeth Buchanan CVO

The Trophy is a silver Armada Dish, around the rim of which are twenty-five golden guineas, all dating from the late 1700s, which represent the loan of twenty-five guineas made by the House of Lords Farmers Club to help the foundation of The Smithfield Club.

Each of the guineas was given by a person, or company, with long association with the Club - the best known being The Late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who was President of The Royal Smithfield Show in 1983 and from 1987 to 2001.

The current Duke of Bedford donated the Armada Dish in memory of his ancestor, the 5th Duke of Bedford, who was instrumental in the formation of the Smithfield Cattle and Sheep Society, and hosted its first meeting at the Woburn Sheep Shearings in June 1799.

The objectives of The Club were then, and remain today, the research into and promotion of best practice in the production of quality primestock to meet the needs of the consumer.

It is very fitting that a trophy in memory of the founding of those objectives should, over 200 years later, be awarded to those who stand by the same convictions.

To receive a nomination form for the next award please contact: richard@royalsmithfieldclub.co.uk.

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