Hugo Dunn-Meynell: 5th April 1926-6th February 2013

Hugo Dunn Meynell

I am very sad to learn that Hugo Dunn-Meynell died on Wednesday 6th February aged 86. Hugo was the long-time executive director of the International Wine & Food Society, the founder of the Guild of Food Writers and an early member of the Circle of Wine Writers. 

  

I will always be extremely grateful to Hugo for his friendship and the unstinting support he gave me as editor of Circle Update, the newsletter of the Circle of Wine Writers, ever since the first edition was published back in April 1991. Hugo and his monocle might suggest a crusty, old fashioned character. Such impression would be entirely false – instead he was kindly, extremely courteous and forward thinking.    

He is survived by his wife – writer and photographer – Alice Wooledge Salmon, and his four children:Ambrose, Catalina, Crispin and Nicholas.

Hugo and Alice wrote The Wine and Food Society menu book: recipes for celebration in 1983 and The Wine & Food Society Menu in 1997.

 

He was a great collector of books as the Guild of Food Writers recalls:

'During his period as Executive Director of the International Wine & Food Society, Guild Founder Hugo Dunn-Meynell, a life-long collector and lover of books, ensured that the Wine & Food Society retained André Simon’s post-1900 library, and then arranged that those volumes should go to the City of London Reference Library at Guildhall, where, as Hugo has put it, ‘they could be used in ideal conditions by everyone’. He likewise presented to the Guildhall Library his own accumulation of menus and wine catalogues, and was involved with the Guildhall’s acquisition of part of Elizabeth David’s estate.'

There will soon be a private funeral for family and a few close friends with a memorial service planned for later this year. 

There will be an appreciation of Hugo Dunn-Meynell in the March edition of Circle Update. Memories of Hugo are most welcome. Please email them to me at budmac@btinternet.com 

Hugo with some young friends at a CWW Christmas Party