One hundred grand for a three-day week (even on a pro rata basis) is nice work if you can get it, but suppliers won’t begrudge the big-bucks salary if the adjudicator brings about real change in monitoring the grocery sector (see page 4).

The British Retail Consortium has long argued that the sector is perfectly capable of policing itself, but countless anecdotal evidence and documents such as the NFU’s Catalyst for Change report suggest otherwise.

The new body should have the capability to stamp out abuses of power, but there is one thing that suppliers are also going to have to accept: they will have to be prepared to make anonymous submissions of evidence.

That has been the Achilles’ heel of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice and, unless suppliers are prepared to trust in the system and come forward, it’s hard to see how much difference it will make. A more proactive adjudicator should help, but if it isn’t pointed in the direction of the smoke it will be tough for it to extinguish the fire.

The fact that the recruitment process has begun is a very positive step; but suppliers will still need more convincing that real change is just around the corner.