Walpole, the trade body for 270 British luxury brands, launched its 2026/2027 Book of British Luxury at Hotel Café Royal this September.
Walpole, the trade body for 270 British luxury brands, launched the 2026/2027 edition of its Book of British Luxury at Hotel Café Royal in Piccadilly on Monday 14 September 2026.
Walpole began in 1990 as the Churchill Group, set up by British Airways, Coutts, DAKS Simpson and the Savoy Group among others to promote British excellence abroad. It took its present name in 1992, after Robert Walpole, generally counted the first British prime minister.
Its members include Rolls-Royce, Burberry, Claridge’s and Harrods. The sector was valued at £48 billion to the British economy in 2019 and is put at £81 billion today.
The Book is Walpole’s annual survey of its member houses, and its launch is the evening those houses turn out for. The room held the chairs, creative directors and chief executives of the British luxury industry, on a guest list Walpole compiled from its own members.
The Café Royal opened in 1865 as a wine store and restaurant and stands where Mayfair, Soho and St James’s meet. Its historic rooms are restored within a hotel of 159 guestrooms and suites.