About Us - International Wine & Food Society, London Branch

Do you enjoy good food and good wine?
Do you love to relax with friends over a special meal?
Are you passionate about the provenance of your food?
Do you want to learn more about wine?
Is experiencing the best in local food and wine an important part of your holidays?

Then IWFS is for you. Click here to join us!

Visit our event reports, and read Rachel’s Blog, where you can find detailos about wines that she has enjoyed tasting in the last month.

Who We Are

From small beginnings ….

The International Wine and Food Society (IWFS) is the world’s oldest and most prestigious wine and food appreciation group open to both amateurs and professionals. It was founded in London in 1933 by André Simon, who came to England in 1902 as the agent for the champagne house of Pommery et Greno. He was a celebrated wine connoisseur, gourmet and historian who despite the harsh economic climate of the time was able to persuade many of his contemporaries of the pleasures of wine and food. Perhaps it was a welcome escape! And of course it still is….

To the present day ….

Over ensuing decades the Society grew into a truly worldwide organisation and now has 7500 members belonging to 150 branches worldwide.
Branches are organised into three Zones: Europe & Africa (EAZ), Asia and the Pacific and the Americas, each of which is represented on the International Council of Management. The EAZ Executive Committee oversees the 26 branches and members in the Zone, but each branch is individually chartered and has its own traditions and character.
There are branches in many parts of the UK and also in Switzerland, Spain, Scandinavia, Estonia, Russia and South Africa.

This is the Website of the London Branch. Information on other branches worldwide can be found on the global IWFS website www.iwfs.org .
On this site you can find out details of the aims of the society and the events that we run. And if you are interested in becoming a member, you can join right here. Our Branch is a friendly group of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, who enjoy good food and wine and want to find out more.

Click here for a full history of London Branch.

Join IWFS

This is what we offer our members

A programme of London Branch events where you can enjoy good food, good wines and good friendships!
Members are welcome to make contact with other branches in areas they are visiting
Visits to vineyards, wineries and local food producers to learn their secrets
Access to International Festivals, Great Weekends and other events – and also to trips organised by branches – open only to IWFS members
Participation in inter-branch events
Insurance cover for branch events (subject to eligibility, terms and conditions)
Quarterly magazine “ Food and Wine” and specially commissioned Society Monographs
Access to online publications and a range of merchandise
IWFS Vintage Card, produced annually (doubles as membership card)

Click here to join us!

IWFS Membership

Membership is a commitment to our aims, and members are given the opportunities to participate in many activities designed to raise standards of preparation and appreciation of food and wine.
As the world’s oldest, and largest, wine and food society open to non-professionals, we have a wealth of experience, knowledge and contacts we can draw from, to arrange both traditional and innovative events which will captivate and inspire you. Learning and educating, supporting and rewarding quality and excellence are core values of our Society and are provided for and by our members in a number of ways.
But the IWFS offers much more than a dining and tasting experience. It also gives you the chance to meet and make friends with other like-minded people both locally and further afield, sharing experiences along the way – and there is always a warm welcome from a local branch when travelling somewhere new!
The Society has its Secretariat in London and hundreds of branches throughout the world. For more details on these please visit the Society’s International web site.

“Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.”
André Simon

“All wine’s associations are with occasions when people are at their best; with relaxation, contentment, leisurely meals and the free flow of ideas”
Hugh Johnson

“Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures”
Michael Broadbent MW