A COOPER’S 20 years of dedication and service to his ancient craft has been honoured by one of London’s oldest trade organisations.
Jonathan Manby of Masham’s T and R Theakston is the country’s last remaining brewery-based craft cooper and started to make barrels there as an apprentice in 1995.
Now he has been made a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Coopers, an ancient body now largely concerned with charitable work.
“This is a great personal honour for me,” he said.
“It is also a tribute to Theakston’s, which is keeping this ancient tradition well and truly alive in our part of North Yorkshire.”
He added: “There aren’t many craft coopers left in the UK, and while a lot of the Worshipful Company of Cooper’s work is primarily concerned with charity, it still plays an important role in protecting and prolonging the practice of this trade.”
The brewery’s executive director Simon Theakston added: “This is an honour he richly deserve. Jonathan has become an extremely talented craftsman during his two decades with us."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here