We were delighted last month to report that the years and months of working with DEFRA Plant Health and negotiating on your behalf have finally paid off. The good news is that we have secured clarity with regard to historical invoicing, which will be a welcome bonus in this challenging period. Moving forward, I would greatly encourage you to use the revised PEACH system during the trial period to ensure that all aspects work satisfactorily.

Out and about in October we visited The Restaurant Show at Earls Court. Among the many interesting stands and great demonstrations we found our celebrity chef friend Rachel Green, cooking up a Lincolnshire treat for the gathering passersby. We were delighted to stop for a chat with the guys on the New Spitalfields Wholesale Market stand, flying the flag for wholesale fresh produce and handing out delicious kiwi berries, among other delights. Fresh produce stands, however, were in a minority, which was noticeable and somewhat disappointing. This show could offer a good opportunity to showcase our industry in 2009.

The World Fruit & Veg Show at London’s ExCel was interestingly different, with many overseas stands, and we enjoyed working with Professor John Moverley and the team. Although still in its formative years, we believe there is a niche for this trade show in London and the feedback from organisations gave every indication that it could well enjoy substantial growth year on year.

A visit to Liverpool last week with a group of our members was bracing, but thankfully rain-free! First stop was the wholesale market for a chat to the stallholders. Our thanks to Geoff Wells, Chris Dobbin and all at the market for their kind hospitality. It was fabulous to see stalls open and trading in the middle of the morning. Following that we headed for the port and a warm welcome from Andy Rickard and the team at the Liverpool Produce Terminal. We were treated to an extremely interesting presentation and tour of the new facility, which was a hive of activity testing the various systems prior to the first shipment, expected on November 18. Imports will come predominantly from the Spanish ports of Gandia and Cartagena, providing a great opportunity to reduce haulage across the UK. We wish the team and its facility every success.