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Dunhill White Spot pipes (courtesy Pipedia) -
Wood Group of Livery Companies' meeting
22nd June 2026Carpenters' Hall
On Monday 22 June I attended my first meeting of the Livery Wood Group. Many Livery Companies join together to create smaller interest groups, sharing common interests, supporting common trades and undertaking interesting visits and lectures. We have never been a member of such a group and so we were delighted recently to have been invited to become the ninth member of the Wood Group of Companies, joining:
Although originally founded by clay tobacco pipe makers, we have a significant heritage as a Modern Company in the manufacture of briar and cherry wood pipes. Our second Master was Alfred H Dunhill MC, son of the Alfred Dunhill who developed his family's saddlery business into the famous motorities and tobacco accessories business in the early 1900s and which became synonymous with the 'White Spot' briar pipe. Our 34th Master was Richard Dunhill, son and grandson of the "Alfreds", who died just ten years ago in 2016. For four years I was proud to wear the Warden's badge that he gave to the Company and which is engraved with his name.
When I worked for Rothmans International, the Dunhill cigarette in its famous maroon and gold pack was an important part of our portfolio, while dunhill (the luxury goods company) was (and still is is) an important part of the Richemont Group, founded by Johann Rupert in 1988 and which owned two thirds of Rothmans International until it was merged into British American Tobacco in 1999.
The Dunhill White Spot pipe factory is fully operational, based in Walthamstow in East London and still employing historic pre-WWI machinery and grinding stones to shape the vulcanite and cumberland stems of its luxury briar pipes.
dunhill now focuses on high-end men's fashion and accessories. Bourdon House, 2 Davies Street in Mayfair is dunhill's luxury house in town, a beautiful Georgian mansion where you can still find historical artefacts related to the history of Alfred Dunhill, together with collectors' pieces and vintage lighters displayed like museum objects in glass cases, as well as a walk-in humidor and cigar lounge in the cellar.
The Wood Group has a range of events and activities that we will be invited to participate in and I hope other members of the Company will take advantage of these opportunities when they are publicised.