Flitch of bacon custom ceremonies in 1855. They have been held ever since in one form or another except for a gap caused by the World Wars. The first ceremony after World War II was held in 1949, despite rationing still being in force. The modern trials are held every fourth year on leap years; the next one is planned for 2020. The event is organised by the Dunmow Flitch Trials Committee who employ a counsel to cross-examine the applicants in an attempt to save the bacon for the sponsors who donated it. The trial is decided by a jury. When first revived the
Flitch beam construction. Glulam beams were used to support the second floor and the roof. This allowed the appearance of wooden columns, while providing the necessary strength. The method for calculating the size of a flitch beam to be used in construction is straightforward, using the transformed-section method. The steel piece of the beams is imagined to be an equivalently flexible (although much thicker) piece of wood. This allows the elasticity of the entire beam to be calculated as if it were entirely made up of wood. There is modest business activity involving flitch beams with The Timber Research and Development Association