There was a good turnout for the Re:fresh Conference and Awards last week, when by the end of the evening more than 550 produce players met at the Intercontinental Park Lane to celebrate their sector.

The industry’s fighting spirit was captured in National Farmers’ Union (NFU) horticulture board chair Sarah Pettitt’s call to arms and her insistence that “we should think radically about how we achieve our aims and be prepared to think the unthinkable” (p4).

These words came just 36 hours into the confirmation of a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government and with the new DEFRA taking shape and a meeting with NFU president Peter Kendall set up less than a week later, could this be the start of a brave new era for the industry?

Wealmoor stood out as the big winner on the night, crowned FPJ Importer of the Year and Fresh Direct Overall Produce Trader of the Year. This marked a comeback from the devastating blaze that ripped the heart out of one of the company’s newly acquired facilities in 2007 and more recently, the death of influential founder and chairman Rati Dhanani.

The exotics firm embodies the resilience of the produce industry, which like Wealmoor has undergone a series of challenges that have come in many shapes and guises.

Thanks to those of you who came out to support your industry for Re:fresh 2010 - and for those who missed out on the night, better luck next time!

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