[1] Founded in the 14th century by members of the Guild of Pepperers, dating from 1180,[2] the company was responsible for maintaining standards for the purity of spices and for setting of certain weights and measures.

Today, the Grocers' Company exists as a charitable, constitutional and ceremonial institution which plays a significant role in the election of and supporting the Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs of the City of London.

[5][6] The earliest known Grocers' Hall was in Poultry, London, then known as Conningshop-Lane on account of the three conies or rabbits hanging over a poulterer's stall in the lane.

The hall survived the Blitz with only minor damage to its north wing, but was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1965, apparently caused by a lightbulb left on in the grand staircase beneath an oak lintel which smouldered and eventually ignited.

The Grocers' Company now maintains close links with and is the principal sponsor of Hackney's Mossbourne Academy, renowned for its excellent academic standards.

[17][18] The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Northill, in Bedfordshire displays the Grocers' coat of arms on a stained glass window by John Oliver, commissioned by the Company in 1664.