Celebrating the harvest at Westminster Abbey

During the service Westminster Abbey was decorated with displays of British produce and filled with over 2,000 guests, including charity volunteers.

The Order of Service included a written message of support from His Majesty The King, in which he said: “Celebrating the harvest by gathering together to give thanks for the food from the land is something that is shared by communities all over the world and I am so delighted that this tradition is continuing with a National Harvest Service in a different part of the country every Autumn. As you honour that tradition here today, may it be an opportunity to reflect anew on the refrain from that great harvest-tide hymn: ‘All good gifts around us are sent from heav‘n above; Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord, for all His love.”

The service included readings from Charles Dance OBE; Matt Baker MBE; Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate; and Charlotte Hill OBE, CEO of The Felix Project. The Harvest Torch was carried by Tom Bradshaw, President of the National Farmers’ Union.

Helen Day, the RCF’s Governance Manager, represented the charity at the service and we would like to extend our thanks to Alexia Robinson, Founder and CEO of Love British Food. We are very proud to have been included in this special occasion along with many of our partners, funders and trustees.

In a message in the Order of Service, Alexia Robinson, founder of Love British Food and organiser of the Harvest Service, said:“Harvest festivals have long played a role in bringing communities together to give thanks for the abundance of food we enjoy from Britain’s beautiful countryside while recognising the importance of sharing food with those who do not have enough. It is a tradition that continues to flourish in other countries, but in Britain it is no longer as established a part of our national calendar as it used to be. We hope that today’s service at Westminster Abbey will help continue this joyous tradition.”