Queen's Birthday Honour For Local Resident Simon Berry Of Berry Bros & Rudd

Made Commander of the Royal Victorian Order for work as Clerk of the Royal Cellars

Chiswick resident Simon Berry, of well known wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd, has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, receiving the CVO (Commander of the Royal Victorian Order) for services rendered to the Royal Household as Clerk of the Royal Cellars.

Simon Berry has served on the Royal Household Wine Committee since 1994, and as Clerk of the Royal Cellars since 2007, tasked with advising and supervising the purchasing and maintenance of the liquor for the Household, focusing on spirits and wines. His duties include giving advice on wine pairings for State banquets and other events.

Berry Bros & Rudd has traded in London since 1698 and has been a supplier to the Royal family since the reign of King George III. The news of his inclusion in the Queen's Birthday Honours coincided with his announcement to staff that he is going to retire as chairman of the company in December 2017.

“It has been a great honour to have worked at Berry Bros & Rudd since 1977, and to have been chairman since 2005. However I’ve always believed that the right time to retire is not when you’re ready but when your successors are ready, and that time is now, " he commented.

During his time with the company Simon Berry was the driving force behind several innovations. In 1994 he instigated the launch of the duty-free shops at Heathrow. He also oversaw the company’s expansion into Asia. He also led Berry Bros. & Rudd into the digital era, masterminding the development of their first website - the first wine company to launch online – and in 2000 he was instrumental in the creation of the Berrys’ Events and Education operations, which now host over 1,000 events a year in the Company’s historic St James’s Street premises.

Simon Berry is a Council Member at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), as well as chairing their Development Board. After his retirement, he intends to devote more time to RADA, and to pursue his original vocation as a writer.

For 40 years he has had articles published across numerous titles including The Economist, The Spectator and Vogue and in the recently re-launched No.3 Magazine. He intends to start the novels, plays and screenplays he has planned for many years as soon as he has more free time.

He will remain on the Family Board and intends to curate the company archives to preserve the stories from the past 300 years.

June 24, 2017