There has always been plenty of talk about the supply chain needing to forge closer links, from seed breeders and growers all the way through to the end customer. Such close collaborative efforts are not as thick on the ground as they might be, but the necessity of creating strong relationships across the chain has been thrust into the limelight as a result of the difficult economic times we find ourselves in.

It was therefore heartening this week to see New Covent Garden Market hosting the first of what is hoped will become monthly breakfast meetings, aimed at hooking growers up with the chefs and customers who ultimately end up cooking their produce. In the middle of the two sides, the wholesalers and catering firms who buy and sell the goods act as the vital lynchpin.

The Nine Elms market has always had an integral role to play in the catering and foodservice industry across the capital, and is no doubt adding further strings to its bow by seeking to further this involvement.

However, as the catering specialists in our front page story so rightly insist, initiatives like this cannot be a flash in the pan - in one week and out the next - they will require commitment and hard work from every element of the supply chain. Let’s hope Tuesday’s event marks the first of many similar projects to be rolled out across the whole of the UK’s supply chain in the coming year.