There is no doubt that this is a resilient industry, and once again that attribute has been called upon in spades in the last week.

The plight of the fresh produce importer can rarely have been more tricky than during unprecedented security levels at UK airports. While the majority accept that the preservation of human life tops the security agenda, the situation nevertheless provides a nightmare for suppliers.

Whether you’re airfreighting produce in from afar, trying to deliver product into one of the stricken airlines, or indeed attempting to negotiate fruit and vegetables around motorways struggling to bear the volume of snarled up traffic, you will no doubt have felt the pressure.

As one foodservice supplier said to me - with tongue firmly in cheek - as the chaos kicked in “your customers are never as reliable with their orders as at times like these”. Let’s hope customers recognise the difficulties facing their suppliers and respond with compassion rather than the big stick.

As I write this, quite understandably no-one is able to give any firm guarantees that fresh produce traffic will return completely to normal in the short term. Having said that, the dedication and phenomenal expertise of this industry and its customer base has ensured that disruption goes largely un-noticed by the general public.

Long may that continue. It looks very much like it will have to.