Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress Discover the Heritage and Expertise of Sheffield Assay Office
Published: 9th September 2026
Sheffield Assay Office was delighted to welcome the Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Councillor Andrew Sangar MBE DL, and the Lady Mayoress, Councillor Sue Alston, for a special visit to Guardians’ Hall.
The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress were welcomed by Ashley Carson, Assay Master and Chief Executive, and Sara Hale, Head of Commercial Operations.
The visit began with a presentation, introducing the distinguished history of Sheffield Assay Office, the breadth of its work today and its continuing importance to Sheffield and the precious-metals industry.
The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress then received a tour of the Hallmarking Department, seeing first-hand how precious-metal articles are tested and hallmarked to protect consumers and uphold the integrity of the trade.
The tour demonstrated how traditional craftsmanship and generations of specialist knowledge sit alongside modern technology at Sheffield Assay Office, enabling it to continue delivering its vital statutory hallmarking service.
The visit continued into Sheffield Analytical Services, where the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress learned more about the expertise of the laboratory team and the wide range of specialist analytical and testing services undertaken at Guardians’ Hall.
Following the tours, the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress joined representatives of the Assay Office for lunch. This provided a valuable opportunity to discuss the organisation’s work, its longstanding connection to the city and its ambitions for the future.
Councillor Andrew Sangar has served the people of Sheffield for more than three decades and is currently the city’s longest-serving councillor. The Lady Mayoress, Councillor Sue Alston, has represented Fulwood since 2012 and previously enjoyed a long career as a midwife with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
It was a privilege to welcome the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress to Guardians’ Hall and to share the dedication, expertise and craftsmanship of the people behind Sheffield Assay Office.
We are extremely grateful to them both for taking the time to visit and for showing such genuine interest in our people, our heritage and our work. We hope they thoroughly enjoyed their time with us and look forward to continuing our close relationship with the City of Sheffield.
The Sheffield Assay Office was established in 1773, under an Act of Parliament and today the company assays and hallmarks the precious metals - silver, gold, platinum and palladium. Sheffield Assay Office is one of only four UK assay offices who all work to uphold the Hallmarking Act of 1973 and continue to ensure consumer protection for customers purchasing precious metals.
To find out more about the whole range of services offered by Sheffield Assay Office, such as our hallmarking and analytical services, please email us at info@assayoffice.co.uk or complete the contact form on our website at http://www.assayoffice.co.uk/contact-us ,
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