Spring is in the air, Six Nations rugby is underway, the GP Formula 1 season is just around the corner and, to cap it all, the British Olympic team is on its way home from Whistler with the first gold medal in 30 years thanks to Amy Williams’s breathtaking skeleton slide.

With all this great sporting activity, thoughts turn to the 2012 summer Olympics and on to the debate surrounding the Food Vision proposals to impose restrictions on fresh produce suppliers to the Games in the name of sustainability. Is there perhaps a hint of hypocrisy here? Record numbers of visitors will be welcomed to British shores to attend the Games - boosting our economy, filling our ports and airports, and navigating the UK by train, coach and car. The ludicrous notion that it is acceptable to import the people but not the food they require is quite extraordinary. Words like ‘common sense’ and ‘choice’ seem to have been overlooked in the desire to promote all things British. In this case, it is also totally impractical and potentially damaging to many small UK businesses that will doubtless struggle to meet the additional specifications that go beyond the usual legal requirements. We will continue to lobby for a balanced approach to provide a level playing field and opportunity for many in the supply chain, not simply for an exclusive minority.

The Re:fresh Conference programme is finalised and presents an interesting line-up. I am particularly looking forward to Iain Dale’s analysis of the general election and the impact of the results on our industry. Don’t forget there is an expo this year, with an exclusive number of stands in the meeting area. The trickle of awards entries is increasing as we move closer to the deadline, which is around five weeks away. If you haven’t entered the awards before, why not make 2010 the year - and remember, you can enter more than one award. We had an increase in the number of entries last year and expect 2010 to be just as competitive. This is a great way to gain PR for your business and to significantly raise your profile, so don’t miss out.

The long-standing ceo of New Spitalfields Tenants’ Association, Jim Heppel, is retiring at the end of this month after a long career in the industry spanning several decades. He has been a great supporter and friend of the FPC over the years and his wit and expertise will be missed. The team and I wish him a long and very happy retirement.