Lloyd’s of London’s decision to ban its 800 employees from drinking alcohol between 9am and 5pm caused a bit of a stir in the City press. But is the boozy lunch still a thing in the law?

Obiter recalls Conservative peer Lady Wheatcroft telling the House of Lords constitution committee a couple of years ago about her astonishment at the judiciary’s capacity for sticking away the sauce. And a quick glance around the doors of two of legal London’s favourite hostelries – El Vino (aka Pomeroy’s) in Fleet St and the Seven Stars at the back of the Royal Courts – suggested a brisk lunchtime trade last week. However, we suspect those were one-off celebrations, as opposed to what Nigel Farage likes to call a ‘PFL’.

Away from the glamour of WC2, we believe that the days when clients were automatically offered a dry sherry from mid-morning onwards are long gone.

And not because of any diktat from management. ‘No one has time to go out boozing during the day so I doubt we would need to implement a policy,’ one City firm, which asked not to be named, told Obiter austerely.

 

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