Chef Richard Corrigan finds London Sheep Drive 'deliciously eccentric'

Richard Corrigan (back left) said the drive "culminates a life's work in London"

Top chef Richard Corrigan has said he felt "a deep sense of pride" while participating in a "lovely, beautiful, symbolic moment" which saw him drive sheep across a London bridge.

The three-time Great British Menu winner walked over Southwark Bridge with nine sheep as part of the London Sheep Drive fundraising event.

The drive echoes an ancient right for freemen to herd livestock into London.

The chef, from County Meath in Ireland, said it felt "deliciously eccentric".

Freemen of the City of London were historically allowed to bring livestock and tools into the capital without paying tax.

People can become a Freeman by paying a fee or as a reward for public service.

Organisers said Britain was one of the largest wool producers in the world, with 34 million sheep

Mr Corrigan, who owns multiple restaurants in the city, retraced the steps of London's ancient trading routes and was joined by former Lord Mayor of London Sir Andrew Parmley and sheriffs of the city.

He said he felt "a deep sense of pride" from participating in the "lovely, beautiful, symbolic moment".

"There's something deliciously eccentric about driving a flock of sheep over Southwark Bridge but the fact it's been happening for years and years and dates back to medieval times shows how wonderful this great city is and how farming is at its heart," he said.

"It culminates a life's work in London, bringing those sheep over the bridge, and every step was another memory." he said.

He added that the sheep coming over the bridge had not been "very well behaved" and should have been moving "a bit faster".

The annual sheep drive began in 2013 as a way of celebrating the 45,000 sheep farmers in the UK and the wider industry, which is estimated to be worth about £290m to the economy.

Ann Dent, chairwoman of the Sheep Drive, said over the last decade, its organisers the Worshipful Company of Woolmen (WCW) had "raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity and thousands of freemen and their guests have herded their flock, as happened in olden days".

The WCW is one of the oldest livery companies in the city and traces its roots back to 1180.

The event culminated with the Livery Fair, which aims to showcase British wool and raise awareness of the countryside in the heart of the city.

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