Fifty years ago the US input into the UK’s international sourcing calendar had a far more limited impact than it does today.

Predominantly these included some red apple varieties, which, from as early as the turn of the century used to arrive in Liverpool in barrels from the East Coast, before later turning up in cartons.

These were mainly bound for north of the border, based on the unproven theory that the Scots were attracted to names like McIntosh Red and liked soft fruit because of the high sugar content of their diet!

But as trading conditions continued to ease post-war, and the impact of the Common Market was yet to be felt, the sixties heralded several sorties targeting London through the US Trade Centre. Indeed when the first iceberg lettuce went on show it confused journalists, with many actually thinking it was white cabbage.

Following a return visit across the pond, Peter Walker, then minister of agriculture, asked me in one of his private interviews why British growers did not attempt to grow this compact convenient non-waste variety as an alternative to butterhead and Cos.

But in one sense this seed was planted, and shortly afterwards the variety was imported by supermarkets in its US-branded Bud Antle overwraps to fill a UK winter gap. There were other attempts to attract buyers, which included introducing peaches and sweet potatoes from the southern states. The latter has now become a permanent line on supermarket shelves, some 40 years later.

However, other produce was beginning to arrive more regularly on the wholesale markets. Among the best known were Californian dark Angelo plums and strawberries for Christmas.

Berries were hard, dark red and often criticised as tasteless, giving credence to a rumour among salesmen in Old Covent Garden that the punnets should be left out on display over night so the frost would give them a better taste. Green celery also made its appearance from Florida, alongside wooden chests of Red Emperor grapes from the West Coast competing with barrels of Spanish Almeria.

However, the general approach on both sides towards introducing other delicacies was often only lukewarm.

On more than one occasion US delegations looking for a market arrived with the promise of quality bumper crops to follow, such as avocados, but at harvesting time shipments expected often proved to be minimal.

The reasons, apart from currency differences, were due often to a lack of understanding over the traditional UK preference for commission or joint-account sales, or the fact that as the season got underway months later a better priced market in the States, Canada or Mexico had appeared. There was certainly no shortage of fruit for export. The vast apple production of Washington State, then based almost entirely on Red and Golden Delicious, initially had little UK appeal.

Sales of the former only really gained momentum following the highly successful example set by competitive British Columbia, where a dynamic marketing campaign increased demand for red apples, particularly into the south of England.

When I visited the vast orchards at the time, US growers regarded other apple varieties as novelties, particularly Granny Smith sold as a cooking apple. But I remember being asked to send any information I could find about the potential for Gala and Braeburn, which was grown then almost solely by New Zealand, and were increasing in popularity. UK interest in Washington State was also quickening for another reason, with the realisation that it was a major source for some of the best cherries in the world. The Pacific Rim was regarded by West Coast fruit growers as their natural market, reflected by the fact Japanese buyers queued up every season, but they were also looking for a wider audience.

It provided a range of red and black varieties from May to August, the peak European sales period, and later convinced cautious buyers to include the golden Rainier.

In the UK cherries were to remain one of the few limited seasonal crops for many years, and with English production virtually non existent this niche market was wide open for imports.

UK multiples provided the impetus. Eager to sell a luxury item with high profitability in terms of shelf space, this even encouraged some importers to invest in US orchards themselves.

Further north, Oregon pear growers were also gaining a foothold, filling a seasonal gap boosted by the availability of red-skinned varieties.

With the US having been a traditional and vast citrus producer which had exported oranges to our shores pre-war, it was not long before importers also took steps to explore the potential.

For many it was the memory of California, with its internationally known Sunkist brand, which offered an alternative to South African Outspan, particularly if they were not graced with a panel appointment.

The interest was so strong that it was one of the few times when virtually every multiple in the UK was prepared to let their buyers travel together on a fact-finding mission. At this first meeting in Los Angeles I reported they estimated that collectively there was the potential for the UK to take a million cartons.

If my memory serves me right this figure was almost reached on an annual basis for some five years, by which time the Mediterranean crop and season had extended to virtually creating a year-round supplier.

While California had also enjoyed a reputation for lemons prior to the Spanish explosion and shipped a limited volume of grapefruit, 20 years later success had moved to Florida – previously only recognised as filling a niche in the market for limes.

The British public had initially regarded grapefruit as somewhat of an exotic breakfast dish, but had acquired the taste, encouraged by one of the first marketing messages promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Until this point UK imports were based almost entirely on white Marsh Seedless grown in Israel and Cyprus in the winter and South Africa in the summer. Demand was strong, but the rush to get early harvested fruit to a market which was often immature, left consumers wanting something new. Florida’s pink and red varieties filled the bill admirably, were backed by a massive industry, and were heavily promoted. The rest is history.

Overall while much credit must be given to US plant breeding and the technology which supports and handles vast acreages, the import trade has not always been plain sailing.

One year I went to Florida and updated the grapefruit story. The presses turned on my return but a frost decimated the crop on the day of publication! Imagine the impact on retail programmes.

There have been scare stories which have affected established programmes, such as the fear of black widow spiders in bunches of grapes and the disruption of apple imports when the use of Alar used to wax apples, seen as a normal practice in the States, was called into question.

Such events, however, have only been short lived and US enthusiasm, backed over the years by a series of government-supported Market Access programmes, has made its mark on the UK.

Interest in the Sunkist brand was so strong that it was one of the few times when virtually every UK multiple was prepared to let buyers travel together