Mon 10 Sept Garden of the Year Miserden,Gloucestershire

Sat/Sun Malvern Autumn Show Malvern,29/30 Sep Worcestershire

Mon 1 Oct Election of Lord Mayor Guildhall Post Election Luncheon Stationers’ Hall

TBC Presentation of Fruit Mansion House to The Lord Mayor Luncheon Bakers’ Hall

Wed/Thu National Fruit Show Detling24/25 Oct

Thu 8 Nov Master & Wardens’ Barber-Surgeons’ Dinner Hall

Sat 10 Nov Lord Mayor’s Show Company notparticipating

Sun 11 Nov 100th Anniversary of St Paul’s Cathedral Armistice Day 1918

Wed 9th Jan Visit to Oman for a Muscat, Oman2019 tree planting in the Ambassador’s Residence

Fri 25 Jan, 12 Noon St Paul’s St Mary2019 Day Service Abchurch

NE W S L E T T E RThe Fruiterers’ Company

w w w . f r u i t e r e r s . o r g . u k

Number 92 August 2018

No forced smiles on such a pleasant occasion

Master, Wardens, Clerk & principal guests

Summer Court Dinner, at Merchant Taylors

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

also good for us to renew theacquaintance of Brian Porritt, whowas Master of the Makers of PlayingCards some eight years ago. MavisWarner is a Livery man of that Companyand, showing extreme courage, our

If you have the good fortune tovisit Tower 42 in Old Broad

Street, the old Nat West Tower,and can look out from a highlevel, look down to the south-south west and just afew hundred yardsfrom the foot of the

tower you will see, nestling in the midst of modern Citybuildings, the little green oasis of medieval calm thatis the courtyard of the Merchant Taylors’ Hall. Only afew steps from the Bank of England, the Hall is rightin the heart of the City. It is close by the old StockExchange building that was the home of the StockExchange in the days when it was a real exchange,where stockbrokers like those old city titans, PastMaster Peter Bartlett and Liveryman Paul Jewell, strodethe floor, dealing face to face with the stockjobbers for their clients– always, to be sure, judging perfectly the highs and lows of themarket. Nowadays, of course, dealing is done all over the world bygrey-faced young people huddled at workstations, never glancingup from their multiple computer screens (any fewer than threescreens and you’re a wimp). Luckily, the Merchant Taylors haveretained their ancient style and their Hall, with its elegant courtyardwas the perfect choice for our Summer Court dinner. The eveningwas warm and sunny, so we enjoyed drinks before dinner in thebeautiful courtyard and, even more of a treat in an English summer,were able to linger in the open air after dinner over a stirrup cup.

The Fruiterers’ principal guest was Tom Hart Dyke. Among theMaster’s personal guests was the Master, Anthony Komedera, andthe Immediate Past Master of the Makers of Playing Cards. It was

An aperitif in the summer sunshine

An oasis in the centre of the City

Master referred in his speech to his wife’sgood fortune in having both of her masterspresent that evening. Fortunately, it seemedto be all smiles after the dinner, so he wasprobably forgiven, or perhaps there weresterner words later – we shall never know!Tom Hart Dyke is a horti culturist and aplant hunter; he designed the famousWorld Garden of Plants at his family’sancestral home of Lullingstone Castle. Hecame to public attention when he washunting for rare orchids in Columbia in2000, and not just anywhere in Columbia,but in the Darien Gap. The area wasoccupied by the ruthless guerrilla army of

FARC, the socialist rev ol utionaries,and a number of drug cartels. Therate of kidnapping was running atthree an hour. Unsurprisingly,perhaps, Tom Hart Dyke and hiscomp an ion, Paul Winder, werekidnapped while travelling on abus. Tom narrated this in a zany,breathless style and took us on the

journey that he hadsuffered: nine months

of privation in sordidcap tivity, threat of exec ut ion and

then, suddenlyand un expectedly,freedom. Realisingthat they were lost,the released cap t -ives then return edto the guerrilla

camp to ask for amap to find their wayout of the forests.Crazy, or wise, itworked; they weregiven a map andwalked to freedom. Acheerful end to his story

and a cheerful note onwhich to end thissplendid evening.

Piece provided by Past Master Steve Bodger

2

Summer Court Dinner at the Merchant Taylors – continued

And a welcome Stirrup Cup at dusk

Tom Hart Dyke, our principal guest

Monday 25th June 2018 was one of the“hottest” summer’s days for many

years but the “heat” did not deter liverymenin their droves from attending Guildhall, forCommon Hall, where this year’s ShrievalElection, was “hotly” contested, with four

candidates standing for the two posts.It was in fact the first contested election

since 2011.Whilst this ancient ceremony is governed

by historic legislation which limits what canbe done from a procedural perspective, forspeed and accuracy of the count, colouredcards were introduced, one for eachcandidate and labelled accordingly.

The result was that Alderman andSolicitor, Vincent Keaveny together withCitizen and Framework Knitter, Liz Greenwere elected as Sheriffs for the City ofLondon for the ensuing year and will take up

office in September 2018.With the voting over, the Fruiterers were

most fortunate to have been invited by MarkGrove, Master of the Cooks’ Company, tojoin them for a hearty lunch. With “NoSpeeches”, a prevailing spirit of companion -ship combined with delicious food anddelightful liquid refreshment – what awonderful recipe for enjoyment.

However, immediately following lunch,both Master Fruiterer and Master Cook weresoon back on duty supporting the LordMayor at the Armed Forces Flag RaisingCeremony in Guildhall Yard.

Election ofSheriffs 2018

Lunch with the Cooks

Fruiterers at the Guildhall

Mr George Smith

with daughter

Miss K Zarate-Smith

Honorary Archivist

The son of a furniture manufacturer Sir Frederick was a botanist and

scientific adviser and it is said that he waswarm hearted and a witty conversationalist,a gift which would have been of great benefitwhen serving higher office and beyond withthe Fruiterers’ Company!

(Please see in the text below SirFrederick’s involvement with the setting upof East Malling Research Station.)

Sir Frederick’s achievements were many,and understandably it is not possible tomention them all in this article, so I haveselected several paragraphs from the OxfordDictionary of National Biography in anattempt to convey the interesting life of thismost remarkable Past Master!

Born in Westminster, London, he waseducated at Alleyn's School, Dulwich, andat Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.

In 1902 he was appointed lecturer inbotany and director of the horticulturaldepartment at University College, Reading,where he became professor in 1907, andwas Dean of the faculty of science from1907 to 1909. During his years at Reading,Keeble's main scientific publications weretwo series of papers in experimental biology.The first, in collaboration with F. W. Gamble,professor of zoology at the University ofBirmingham, was on the physiology andecology of marine plants and animals. The

second, in collaboration with the industrialchemist E. F. Armstrong and ChristinePellew, at the John Innes HorticulturalInstitution, was on the formation andinheritance of floral pigments. He was anearly champion of the Mendelian theory ofheredity and a founding member of theGenetical Society.

In 1914 Keeble became director of theRoyal Horticultural Society's gardens atWisley, Surrey, but almost at once, on theoutbreak of war, he was transferred to theBoard of Agriculture and Fisheries. Hebecame controller of horticulture (1917–19)in the food production department, and, in1919, an assistant secretary to the board.In this position he was able to facilitate thesetting up of the East Malling ResearchStation as an independent government-funded institute for horticultural research.For his services in the war he was appointedCBE in 1917, and knighted in 1922.

Keeble returned to academic life in 1920as Sherardian Professor of botany at Oxford.On 27 March 1920 he married his secondwife, the actress Lillah McCarthy (d. 1960);they had no children. Together they createdthe beautiful house and gardens atHammels on Boars Hill, near Oxford, wherethey entertained extensively. Among theirguests was Sir Alfred Mond (later LordMelchett), head of the firm Brunner Mond,

which had developed the process forproducing nitrogenous fertilizers fromatmospheric nitrogen. He persuaded Keebleto relinquish his chair in 1927 to becomeagricultural adviser to Imperial ChemicalIndustries, which had taken over the processfollowing its creation from the merger ofBrunner Mond and Nobel Industries.

For further information on this mostinteresting Past Master and his remarkablelife please refer to: www.oxforddnb.com/Source of information: Oxford Dictionary ofNational Biography

Sir Frederick William Keeble, Master Fruiterer 1933

Two teams of Sharpshooters

May 16 saw the intrepid Fruiterers’ ‘ClayPigeon Shooting Team’ take to the

field at the beautiful Holland and Hollandshooting ground in Northwood, for a thirdyear. On this occasion, the stalwartFruiterers’ “Apples” team were aided andabetted by a Fruiterers “Pears” team. Incontrast to our previous two outings, thesun shone, and a wonderful day wasenjoyed by all. As ever there was somesharp shooting and while the cumulativeteam efforts saw the Apples and Pearstaking = 25th and 54th places respectively,the stand out individual performances werethose of Stephen Hyam who finished=14th and debutant Ben Bardsley who

came =21st out of the 480 participants. The Fruiterers Apples are to be con grat -

ulated though, as of the 120 teamscompeting they finished =1st in the “flush”– an exciting drive where 80 clays arelaunched over the teams heads in quicksuccession. Finishing with a remark ablescore of 77/80, they were rewarded with atrophy and a donation of £250 towards theFruiterers’ Charitable Foundation. If thereare any keen shots out there who would beinterested in joining a “Cherries” team in2019 then please let me know.

Piece supplied by Liveryman Chris Newnham

3

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Team Apples

Teams Apples & Pears

4

Are robots about to take our jobs or those of our children and grandchildren? If you believe what many economists tell you

the answer is yes. But the reality is that no-one knows and indeed,these pessimistic forecasts could easily be proved wrong. In fact,there are many reasons to be positive about what lies ahead.

Already the world of work has seen a dramatic change in recentdecades through the rise of China and other emerging economies.This has added to global competition, suppressing wage rises,particularly for unskilled workers, in the UK and other westerneconomies.

It has also highlighted that while the UK must be competitive,we need to compete on quality, and not just on wages and prices.This message is likely to be reinforced in coming years as the worldeconomy is about to experience a period of rapid change becauseof the fourth industrial revolution (4IR).

The first industrial revolution was in the UK from 1760 to 1840,with the rise of coal and steam and the emergence of industry. Thesecond was in the US, Russia and Germany as well as the UKtowards the end of the 19th century with the use of rail, electricpower and telephones. The third was towards the end of the 20thcentury and the beginning of this with the computer age andtechnology era.

The 4IR is seen as unprecedented because of its scale, speedand complexity. It encompasses a vast array of areas, each of whichis important on its own, from clean energy and driverless cars, stemcell research, biotechnology, 3D printing, a digital and big datarevolution through to robots and artificial intelligence.

The good news is that the 4IR is already high on the agenda formany firms and in UK policy circles. Indeed, an excellent debateon this subject took place in the House of Commons in September2016. One key message in that debate was, “There is one aspectof this revolution that should have every decision-maker in oureconomy on high alert: the rapidity with which it is occurring. Thefourth industrial revolution will sweep through our economy in amatter of years, rather than the centuries it took the previousindustrial revolutions to unfold.” Since then the Government’sindustrial policy has sought to position us for the future.

Despite talk about automation, the UK has underinvested inrobots. Some would say that is because firms have been able tohave access to a large pool of workers, reducing the urgency toinvest. Also, it may reflect the scale of our service sector. In relationto the size of workforce the top five countries with industrial robotsare South Korea, Singapore, Germany, Japan and Sweden. TheUK is 22nd and China 23rd, although China is rising rapidly.

Back in 2015 the chief economist of the Bank of England said

half of all UK jobs – a massive15 million jobs – were at threatfrom robots. Little wonderpeople fear for the futurewhen such authoritativeforecasts are made. Clerical, administrative and production jobswere seen as most at risk.

While nothing can be taken for granted, forecasts such as theseare likely to prove too pessimistic. Work tends to be transformed,not eliminated by new technology. Roles change. Some jobs dodisappear. But many more are usually created, and often in bothexisting and new areas. This is what has happened before, and it islikely to be the case now. The number of hours people work mayalso continue to fall. Another important point though is that youdon’t necessarily need new kinds of jobs to replace ones that areautomated because people will buy more of other things whenautomation makes things cheaper. So there will be more openingsfor the existing types of jobs that are hard to automate.

While rapid technological change can be accompanied by apositive impact on employment, routine manual jobs will be thosemost at risk, such as assembly line workers. But, also some manualroles can change, an example being tellers in bank branches, whohave, with training, now taken on wider roles advising customers.But when it comes to non-routine jobs, even manual jobs likecooking, hairdressing or personal trainers will likely be safe fromrobots. The question in the future is whether artificial intelligencewill make inroads into cognitive roles too?

There is no doubt that the UK needs to prepare for such change,by ensuring we focus on not only equipping school leavers andstudents with necessary digital skills, but also the need to preparefor people acquiring new skills throughout their careers, at manydifferent ages. In a digital age research also suggests that there willbe the need for people to have high personal skills. You don’t just need to be good with a computer, you need to good withpeople too!

“Britain is in a global race for success, and if we don’t act now,we will be left behind,” says Conservative MP Alan Mak, in his reporton the fourth industrial revolution. “In the future, every sector ofour economy will be a tech sector, so only by taking action now toback innovation, train our workforce and boost our digitalinfrastructure, can we reap the benefits just as we did in the FirstIndustrial Revolution two hundred years ago.” It is hard to disagree.

Piece provided by Liveryman Dr Gerard Lyons,chief economic strategist Netwealth

City Perspective

View from Overseas

At the recently held London Produce Show, I was asked to moderate a

panel discussion on this sub ject. It involved4 UK based representatives of the inwardinvestment agencies of Chile, Colombia,Mexico & Peru – the countries who haveformed what is now called the PacificAlliance. Together, they have a combinedpopulation of 210 million people and about35% of the region's GDP.

It is a group in Latin America which wasoriginally formed in 2011 around a series ofwide ranging agreements in the areas ofeconomic cooperation, trade development,environmental protocols, diplomaticarrange ments (in some cases), investmentand market access in an effort to boost theregion’s macro economies. By 2018, itappears as if the Alliance is now ready toaccelerate the process

It was pointed out on a number ofoccasions that this was very different to theway in which the European Union operatesthere being no political dimension to theAlliance. However, the basic thinking behindits creation, was a recognition that there aremore things in common across the regionthan are different. It was also felt that someof the challenges faced by all four countriesare probably better off tackled together,rather than on an individual basis.

This is a hugely ambitious project, butone that seems to be gaining traction in

Latin America and other parts of the worldtoo. It was stated that up to 50 othercountries, including the UK, have expressedan interest in joining the Alliance at somestage in the future. There are now 49observer states, of which 2 are candidates,Costa Rica and Panama.

There is often much talk about nations“working together” on joint objectives andthis project seems to me to be one of thelitmus tests of whether words can betransformed to reality. The evidence so faris that this concept is gaining momentum,and looking at the track record of thesecountries in export development youwouldn’t bet against them achieving thestated long term goals.

Some of the features and objectives ofthe Alliance in the agri food sector in thefuture might include the following: l the UK will continue to be a key market

for the members of the Alliance in thefuture and they might come together tonegotiate joint market access to the UKpost Brexit.

l they want to supply a better range ofcommodities to the UK and otherinternational markets. There is also adesire to build on consumer interest inLatino type cuisines.

l there is a planned increase in thenumber of joint ventures between the 4countries with companies from Chile

investing in Peru, from Mexico intoColombia and so on in order to providea wider range of produce and funding into R & D type projects. The use andconservation of water, for example, is anarea which is an issue for all 4 countries,as are the wider challenges presented byclimate change.

l to use the Alliance to promoteinvestment in new growing/productionregions and boost the investment in thephysical infrastructure of the 4 countriesboth internally and externally.

l the Alliance will look for enhancedaccess to other international marketsespecially in Asia. This may witness jointpromotional activity along with supplychain cooperation. In certain cases thishas already commenced.

l to retain the individual identity of eachcountry in terms of market development,but at the same time, recognise thatthere are a number of hugely importantissues such as the subject of corporatesocial responsibility (CSR) that impacton them all.The whole concept of the Pacific Alliance

seems to be an exciting one and builds onthe shared economic, social and culturalinterests to be found across the region.There is also a desire to boost trade andinvestment and work together on importantissues of joint interest in the environment,CSR, and market access.

It was admitted at the conclusion of allthe fine detail the Pacific Alliance had yet tobe agreed, but in the meantime there wasa determination to “get on with it”. Thereappears to be a very strong underlyingrecognition that there is more to be gainedin the long term by working together. 1+1has always equalled 3 but, in this case, itseems that 1+1+1+1 might add up to awhole lot more than 4.

Piece provided by Liveryman JohnGiles who has worked in all four ofthese countries on various projects

The Nations involved

5

The Pacific Alliance – What is it All About?If 1+1 = 3, what might 1+1+1+1 add up to ?

FROM ORCHARD TO MARKETTOP FRUIT NEWS

It has been a fairly challenging year forapple growers in the United Kingdom.

Weather, as usual, has played a significantrole in the fortunes of domestic producers.Last year was a disappointing season withreductions in volume offset to an extent bya rise in retail values. In a recent projectcommissioned by the FPJ (Fresh ProduceJournal), Kantar World panel supplieddetails on turnover and volume for the topfifty fruit and vegetable products measuredover the 52 weeks ending 20 May 2018.These were based on wholehead or monopack sales. Dessert apples remain inposition 1 with a value of £915.2m (+4.9%)and a volume of 434m kg (-4.3%). Pearsrose to position 14 with a value of £228m(+3.5%) and a volume of 124.6m kg (-7.7%).

Sales of the 2017 domestic apple croptailed off at the end of April. According toour correspondent every major variety hadshown a reduction in volume with oneexception. The net effect was a downturn intonnage of 10.7%. Braeburn was a parti -cular disappointment down 49% whileGala, (the only exception), did show anincrease of 24%. The higher crop ofNorthern Irish Bramley salvaged thereputation of the variety because withouttheir larger crop retail shelves could havebeen devoid of this culinary treasure for upto two months. Disturbing was the drop in

the UK’s share of all apples in 2017 from42% to 33%. The hectarage in productionis static, not reducing. New varieties, suchas Jazz, are already being replanted with thesame cultivar – a sign of success.

The forecast in April for this year’sEnglish production would have beentempered by the wet, cold weather thatpersisted into late spring with the exceptionof the brilliant Easter and May Day Holidayweekends. There was virtually no frost at orafter flowering but from the end of May untilvery recently most of the apple growingareas in England experienced muchsunshine with exceptionally high temper -atures and very little, if any, rain.Fortunately, water table levels were high atthe end of May which delayed the onset ofdrought conditions but by the end of Julythere were widespread reports of treesshowing signs of stress, reduced fruit sizeand some sun scorch. The June drop thatoccurs 8 weeks after blossoming wasparticularly high this year. Currently, thecrop estimate is more or less the same aslast year but there are too many unknownsto be certain about the ultimate tonnages.Fruit size will be small to medium but it istoo early as we go to press to be precise.An additional uncertainty surrounds colour -ation. Will there be enough differentiationbetween daytime/nighttime temperaturesto give the apples the colour that themarket requires? There has been a little haildamage but no more than usual. The warmweather has been conducive to anexplosion in the populations of harmfulpests such as codling moth, which growershave strenuously endeavoured to containwith the remedies at their disposal. Anotherdownside is the large stock of cider juice.Manufacturers are renegotiating contractsand as a consequence juice prices for theforthcoming season are expected to belower. Despite all the negatives, the generalopinion is that fruit quality will be of anexceptional, vintage standard and wherenecessary with adequate storage potential.

The season started around the samedate as 2017 with Discovery from Kentbeing available as the first variety. Othervarieties will follow in a fairly normal fashionalthough the season may end prematurelyif demand dictates a faster rate-of-sale.

The pillow pack has continued to provepopular with consumers for its convenienceand in the attractive way it displays fruit.

This is another move in the trend towardspre-packs. All are aware however, that thereis a growing groundswell of opinion thatalternatives to plastics and non-bio -degradable materials must be found andwith some degree of urgency.

For a second year in succession, EnglishApples and Pears (EAP) will be running their‘Great British Apple’ campaign. This putsthe spotlight on building a recognisableand positive identity for the UK crop.Significant in-store activity is planned inpartnership with multiple retailers and willbe strengthened with PR, social media,digital and sampling support.

It is anticipated that the production ofboth Comice and Conference pears will behigher than last year but will still besomewhat short of meeting demand forBritish fruit.

Piece prepared following aninterview with former Chairman &

CEO of EAP, Adrian Barlow

English Cox – almost ready for harvest Kanzi from South Africa

New SeasonBelgian Conference

Pink Lady - a remarkable marketing success

6

VIEW FROM THEHIGH STREET

It has been a particularly interesting fourmonths since the appearance of the last

Fruiterers Newsletter, as far as the High Streetis concerned. Several well-known brands havestruggled and have either sunk or gone intoreceivership. On line orders and deliverycontinue to impact on what were consideredsome of the most resilient organisations. M&Scontinues to review its operations and willclose a number of outlets to stay in the blackand continue to remain a high street icon.

On the grocery front there have been anumber of significant moves that will affectmany shoppers. Tesco which last year absorb -ed Booker has recently announced an alliance

with the French supermarket Carrefour.Together they will have far greater bargainingpower over suppliers. Moody’s has reportedthat the deal is credit positive citing greaterpurchasing efficiencies that will reduce costs.It will also enable them to improve quality andchoice of products, reduce prices andtherefore improve competitiveness. Punditsare also expecting Britain’s number onegrocer to roll out a new discount chainbadged as ‘Jack’s’, to compete with Aldi &Lidl. Evidently the recruitment process is welladvanced and the first wave of stores could beopen by September. The Company has beenassessing its 3,400 sites to identify which arebest suited for transformation. Tesco has alsoreceived plaudits from ‘Feedback Global’ forranking No 1 among the top 10 UK retailersfor its waste initiatives.

Meanwhile the union between Britain’ssecond and third biggest supermarkets, J Sainsbury & Asda, valued at £15 billion, is

being assessed by the CompetitionCommission but may receive less scrutiny inlight of the Tesco/ Carrefour announcement.Purportedly the project was motivated by‘buying power’ but analysts believe that theremay be a lot more behind the rationale of thedeal than just pure ‘clout’. Sainsbury’s samestore sales growth continued to weaken in thefirst quarter to June 30.

The Co-op made an audacious £15m offerfor Costcutter but had its advance rebuffed bythe independent grocer’s owner Bibby LineGroup. But discussions may be ongoing andother suitors may be waiting in the wings. Fiveyears ago the Co-op almost folded but has

gone through a revival and has announcedplans to open a distribution centre in theHighlands of Scotland. The Company alsotook control of NISA in May.

With the big getting bigger and morepowerful, market watchers are predicting thatthe smaller grocers such as Ocado and Ice -land may come under pressure as supplierstry to maintain profits at their expense, afterbeing squeezed by the giants.

In July, Aldi & Lidl dropped their prices onselected fruit & vegetable lines. The Germanretailers are often cheaper than their Britishcompetitors. Lidl tends to run its discountsswitching products on a weekly basis whileAldi runs the reductions for a fortnight. Un -doubtedly their activities and styles are closelymonitored by the ‘big boys’ who maymoderate their selling techniques and offersto compete more effectively. Already there

are indications that certain categories andlines are being ‘streamlined’ by the largerretailers in an endeavour to simplify the offer.

The weather in 2018 has had an effect onfresh food prices. A cold spring and aprotracted hot spell since May impacted onproduction levels of fresh foods which resultedin inflation rates, in the sector, rising in Julyfrom 0.8% to 1.2%.

Here are nine tips given by HannahMaundrell, editor of Money.co.uk, to help yousave on your shopping bills. 1. Write a list; 2. Create a budget; 3. Never shop hungry; 4. Don’t buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit; 5. Use social media to check for best deals; 6. Be disloyal, shop around; 7. Check the smallprint; 8. Use your loyalty cards where possible;9. Use MySupermarket to compare prices.

An alternative of course is to shop in anindependent retail greengrocer/butcher/fish -monger or baker. Often they are as wellstocked, of equal quality and, maybe, fresherand as competitive in price as the discounters.By supporting these establishments you willalso be contributing towards continuation ofthe high streets which we Brits love.

7

Still in position 2 of the top 50 – grapes

Asda to merge with Sainsbury

Carrefour in alliance with Tesco

After going to press last time one of my first duties was to attend the Treloar

Lectures. Treloar is a special (in all senses ofthe word) school for disabled children. Theevening was hosted by Alastair Stewart andthe lectures were both moving and inspiring.Livery Companies jointly provide considerablefunding for this cause, hence our invitation.

One of the highlights of any MasterFruiterer’s year is the Lord Mayor’s Big CurryLunch where the Fruiterers put on a mostimpressive display, courtesy of New Spital -fields Market Traders Tenants’ Association,Prescott-Thomas, Tiptree, Belazu and Rod -anto. Without the support of these org an -isations we would have nothing to show.

Liveryman Susan Handy’sSchool of Dance lightens theatmosphere by bring ingalong half a dozen young

ladies dressed asFlower Girls. The

repres ent at ive ofthe Royal Family

this year wasP r i n c e s s

Eugenie whowas, co-incid ent -

ally, a pupil atSue’s Schooland rem em -bered her well!

This eventis one of our

biggest contributions to charity being a majorfund raiser for the three Service Charities andit also shows our support for the Lord Mayor,thereby fulfilling two of our five objectives.

Meanwhile Mavis has not been idle, shearranged a visit for Consorts and LadyLiverymen to the Foundling Museum followedby lunch. This was an enjoyable and low-keysocial event. We recognise that our moreformal events are often too expensive formany to attend on a regular basis so we bothfeel that informal get togethers are more andmore important.

In contrast to this was the Audit Court andDinner (page 11). By custom, Consorts arenot allowed to attend but the rest of us had agreat time in Armourers’ Hall with a speechby Sir Alan Yarrow.

A truly unique event followed. Unique is anoverused word but, in this case, accurate.Never again will there be the Installation of thefirst female Bishop of London. Mastersprocessed, fully gowned and badged, into StPaul’s Quire and were able to witness theoccasion from this vantage point.

And next…an invitation to the Bucking -ham Palace Garden Party. What more can Isay?!

Then we were off to represent you at theBrigantes Breakfast in Leeds. This is intendedto encourage those of you who live in thenorth to get together with your Master. It is agreat social occasion, so I encourage thoseof you north of Watford to attend next year.

One of my most important, but saddest,duties as Master is to attend the funerals ofLiverymen. One of the most recent was forlong term Liveryman Andrew Poulton (page15). Andrew spent the whole of his career inthe fresh produce industry and, right up untilhis death, was running a company specialis -ing in organic citrus fruit. I understand thathe was in the vanguard of the organicmovement, so his legacy will live on for ever.

After Andrew’s funeral, Mavis and I drovestraight to the Royal Bath and West Show fora Judges’ Reception. As is the custom, I hadbeen called upon to judge cider in the Ciderand Orchard Pavilion (page 12).

Away from the eating, drinking andjudging, another side of any Master’s dutiesis working with other Livery Companies and,to this end, the Food Group of Companies

(Fishmongers, Bakers, Poulters, Cooks,Butchers, Farmers and ourselves) have helda couple of meetings that link in with the PanLivery Forum. This latter Forum has thebacking of the current Lord Mayor and histwo assumed successors and is beingspearheaded by the Mercers’ Company.

The Food Group already organises theannual City Food Lecture in Guildhall, but itis felt that we could be more cohesive toensure that our efforts are co-ordinated. For example, we all have contacts with severalUniversities and Colleges. Maybe we areduplicating our efforts; on the other hand,there may be gaps between our efforts thatcan easily be closed. Until we talk more toeach other we will not know.

Rest assured we shall not be losing controlof any of our charitable giving. This is notsomething that any of the smaller Companieswill contemplate.

As an example of how Companies can co-operate to the greater good, the Gardeners’Company has agreed to become jointsponsor of our Nuffield Scholar. This will bethe first time that the Gardeners have becomeinvolved in the educational scheme that haslong formed part of our charitable giving. Ourown scholar this year is Dr Richard Harrison.His chosen subject is: “Where next for softfruit in the UK? Addressing the yield gap andproviding a path to 500 t/ha”.

Receiving his award, Richard wrote to us:“As you may be aware, when I arrived at EastMalling in 2011, one of the first pieces of workthat I had successfully funded was a smallpump-priming grant from the Fruiterers togather some preliminary data on applereplant disease. …. support for individuals at

HRH Princess Eugenie talks to her

past teacher Sue Handy Consorts’ visit to the Foundling Museum

8

Master judging

ciders at the

Royal Bath &

West

early or transitional stages of their career is socrucial and the Fruiterers are an essential partof the development of a career in horticulture.I am, therefore, also grateful that once againI am to be supported by this organisation”.

It is gratifying for us to receive confirmationthat our contributions lead to greater things.

In addition to our Nuffield Scholar we alsohave Student Awards and all expenses paidone-week student internships. These intern -ships have been very kindly offered by G’s

Fresh and Berry Gardens. Berry Gardens hasalso agreed to fund a Student Award for thenext three years. Without the support of thesecompanies we would not be able to fund somany Awards so we are very grateful to them.

Recently, while interviewing potential can -di dates for the Freedom, we were told thatreceiving one of our student awards was“probably the most important day in my lifeso far”.

Returning to what I call the Ambassadorialside of a Master’s duties, all Masters and theirConsorts are invited, annually, to a weekendat Ironbridge together with the Lord Mayor,the Sheriffs and their Consorts. This is a greatopportunity to get to know other Masters inan informal setting. It also marks theformation of that year’s Past Masters’

Association. In view of the100th Anniversary of theRAF our group settled onthe name Spitfires. OurConsorts decided onMerlin, to demonstrate thatthey are the power thatdrives us all!

Mavis and I were then guests of the Guildof Young Freemen at their annual CivicLunch. They are a very enthusiastic group of

young people all of whom want to go on tobecome Freemen and Liverymen ofCompanies. As their Clerk said to me, they arethe only organisation that wants theirmembers to leave!

Then it was the Summer Court and Dinnerat Merchant Taylors’ Hall (pages 1 & 2). Thesinging of Happy Birthday by a (very) mixedchoir of 150 voices with an organaccompaniment will live with me for a longtime. I hope you all approved of my choice ofvenue and enjoyed it as much as I did.Whether the experiment to hold this dinner ona Friday rather than during the week was asuccess or not I will leave for others to judge.

The following Monday, all Liverymen weresummoned to attend the contested electionof Sheriffs (page 2). This was followed by a

lunch organised by the Master Cook inGuildhall for his Company and ours. Onceagain Fellowship in action.

And then Mavis and I were off to join theLord Mayor and his Party on a visit to ourspiritual home, New Spitalfields Market. Onceagain, the New Spitalfields Market Tenants’Association were extremely generous andwelcoming hosts. It was wonderful for us tosee so many Fruiterers in their “naturalhabitat”! One of our own, Liveryman ChrisHutchinson, was recognised by the Tenants’Association for his Chairmanship for over 14years, a feat only matched by his late Father,Arthur - another Fruiterer – before him.

I again met Fruiterers on their home turfwhen I was asked to be a judge at the NationalCherry & Soft Fruit Show at the Kent CountyShow (page 13). I now know a little moreabout what constitutes a prize cherry thanksto the mentoring I received.

I was left, however, to “fly solo” in thechoice of the Fruiterers Most MeritoriousExhibit Awards for cherries and for soft fruit. Ifelt that both should go to those that hadovercome difficulties in producing either thespecific English variety or in producing a verywide range of varieties. I only hope that theother exhibitors agree with me when I cometo present the awards later in the year!

Next will be the Master’s event in theChilterns – until then here’s to more “Fruit,Fellowship and Fun!”

The Lord Mayor & Sheriffs’ visit to Spitalfields Market

Guild of Young Freemen

9

Master, Wardens and Clerk at Merchant Taylors

10

Every year in the UK throws up challengesfor fruit growers and marketeers of their

crops. This is principally because as an islandwe don’t experience climate but weather,which can vary dramatically. The extremes,which appear to becoming morecommon, influence seas onality,yields and a number of otherfactors. Although it is possibleto plot trends and applyscience to the productionequation no bullet proofalgorithm has yet been devised.This year was cold and wet wellinto the traditional spring period butswitched to dry and hot in June. Andso it has remained for most of thesummer period. This has impact ed onall fruit production but particularly softand stone fruit.

There was a lot of optimism at the start ofthe domestic Strawberry season after thedifficulties experienced with imports in theearly months of the year. Commencementin the UK was two weeks later thanlast year and with the glasshouseproduction there was a hugecompression of large volumesinto a reduced market ingperiod. This led to ‘distress’packs being used exten sively.The situation was exac er bated byever bearer production beingbrought forward by the warm weather.According to our corresp ondent therewas a “freight train of volume”. At thecommence ment of the UK campaignvolumes were 20% down but havecaught up and are now 10% ahead. With theprotracted spell of fine weather plants have justcontinued producing but many are becomingstressed under the extreme temperatures.Prices in late May were looking promising butwith the exploding volume it was those with thecorrect mix of varieties that rode the problems.Many growers were caught out.

Weather in Spain made it hard going forthe latter half of the Raspberry import seasonwith fruit being available through to mid-June.UK production became available ten days afterthe start date of 2017. The outdoor domesticcrop built rapidly and then held at asustainable marketing volume with high levelsof productivity. The June and July markets forthe fruit have been driven by supplies ofexcellent varieties. At the time of this interviewthe raspberry market was described as being

“on a high”. A switch to glasshouse product -ion will occur shortly and there is somespeculation that the weather may create a gapin supply later in the year. Apparently,identification and utilisation of good genetic

material has changed berry marketingin a positive fashion.

Blackberry marketing hasbeen governed in recent yearsby the introduction of sweetereating varieties. Driscolls, withtheir ‘Victory’, are apparently

leading the way. The UK first cropwas late and the second crop early

with a lot of fruit coming at the sametime. During the late summer monthsdomestic demand for black -berries increases. With thetraditional hedgerow

bram ble availability severelyreduced by the intense heatthere may be a gap in supply inthe traditional Sept ember

window, before Mexican fruitarrives.

Across the piece therehas been strong growthin the demand for Blue -berries. The Iberianwin dow of supply

finished in mid-June. Standardproduct has finite life expectancy

with pro priety gen etics improvingboth size and flavour. The UK seasonstarted a little late but growers of earlyproduct on the south coast meant thatthere was less reliance on near

continental supplies. Poland still figures as acountry in the supply chain and was two weeksearly but fruit dried up at the end of August.There is a lot of research going into securingand maintaining continuity. Late Scottish andEnglish fruit assisted by ship ments from SouthAfrica and Peru will take the season forward.

A short, sharp season prevailed for Goose -berries but the commercial ambitions are toextend sales over a six week period with qualityvarieties. Indeed, post-harvest care will featurefor an increasing number of the minor soft fruitsubjects to prolong the availability toconsumers.

Kiwi berries came onto the market duringlate August. There have been significant

plantings of this fruit which has beencreating con sid erable excitement in

marketing and retail circles.The headliners over the past

four months have been theweather that has created chall -en ges in production but opp -

ortunities at retail. A muchadvertised shortage of seasonal

migrant pickers was not as critical assome feared but by the end of August,working in the intense heat, many weretired and keen to return home. Incertain areas there was a concern for

the availability of irrigation water but heavy rainover the weekend at the conclusion of week30 reduced, temporarily, that pressure.

Piece prepared after interviewwith Paul Avery, UK Marketing

Director, Berry World

Soft and Stone FruitBERRIES and CURRANTS

Delicious for tea or with vanilla icecream for pudding:50g soft unsalted butter50g golden caster sugar1 tbsp Victoria plum jam 6 plums, halved and de-stoned

For the cake

100g hazelnuts, ground175g soft unsalted butter125g golden caster sugar50g light or dark soft brown sugar2 tsp ground mixed spice2 tbsp Victoria plum jam100g plain flour2 tsp baking powder100g polenta

Preheat the oven to 180C. In a smallbowl, mix the 50g of butter and sugartogether and stir in the tablespoon ofjam. Spread over the base of a butteredand base-lined 20cm springform tin.

Arrange the plums on the sugarybutter, cut side downwards.

Mix all the cake ingredients with apinch of salt until combined, spoon ontop of the plums, smooth out with aknife.

Bake on a baking tray for 1 hour 25minutes – 1 hour 30 minutes, looselycovering the tin with foil after 45minutes. Cool in the tin before invertingonto a serving plate.

Sarah Randell

Plum and Hazelnut Cake

600gm pack of

British Capri

Strawberries

Spanish Sweet Dream

Peaches

Poland is still a significantsupplier ofBlueberries

We enjoyed the hospitality of Armourers’Hall for this year’s Audit Court Dinner

and very hospitable it was. It is a delightfulHall and its modest size, it can only seateighty nine, ensured that it was packed. It isa Hall that not many Fruiterers will haveknown, as we have not been there before inliving memory. Past Masters will probablyhave known it, as it is the home of our goodfriends the Poulters, who invite our Masterthere each year. It is decorated with armour

and with the heraldic crests of their pastmasters. One crest is blank and is to honourthe courageous, quick thinking fire wardenwho, on 29 December 1940, threw anincendiary bomb off the roof and saved theHall from the almost total destruction of thesurrounding area.

It was very good to have welcomed threenewly elected Freeman, Adrian Blackshaw,Richard Harnden and Anthony Upward. TheCourt, that afternoon, had also appointedour very first Journeyman, Amy Lance, and

it was a joyful juxtaposition that the dinnerwas also attended by our very last appointedApprentice, James Bradshaw; two talentedpeople who are in the early stages of verypromising careers in the fruit industry.

The Master spoke of the recentachievements of the Company, notably ourleadership of the successful ‘Fresh CareersFair’ and the great contribution made to theLord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch, raisingmoney for the Armed Forces’ Charities, andhe thanked the many Liverymen who hadgiven much time to these. Our principalguest and speaker was Alderman Sir AlanYarrow, Fishmonger and Lord Mayor 2014-15. An investment banker, he gave alively and impassioned speech about thesuccesses and importance of our greatwealth creating City. He reminded us of itsimportance to employment across thecountry, as well as in London, and expressedconfidence in its future. It was good to hearfrom such an eloquent and well-informedambassador of the City.

The menu and the wines chosen by ourMaster were first rate and, judging by thecheerful atmosphere during the dinner, weregreatly enjoyed. It seems, however, that wehave, neither the gargantuan appetites ofthe Armourers, nor their budget. Strateg -ically placed for perusal in the gentlemens’toilets are some past menus. Two inparticular catch the eye, as they frame theSecond World War. A dinner in April 1939started with oysters and followed by: turtlesoup, two fish courses, foie gras, three maincourses, a passion fruit iced soufflé, devilledlobster and, as if all that might not havebeen enough, fruit ices. The wines wereexceptional. I shall pass over the Montrachet1928, the Madeira, the Hock, and thevintage Pol Roger, to concentrate on theChâteau Latour 1924. How the world haschanged! This would be just a little bit aboveour price limit. Today, Berry Bros would

provide Latour at £667 a bottle for the, tooyoung to drink, 2005, or £820 a bottle forthe 2000. A lunch in December 1945 wasrather more modest and the menu wassomewhat vague, perhaps because in thosehard days the chef was limited to whateverhe could find on the day. The menu was:soup, fish, cold goose and anchovy eggs.The choice of wines was generously tolerantof the recently defeated Germany, as the firstwas a Hock. Our old friend Château Latourpopped up again, this time the 1929vintage. It must be hoped that they thanked

that fire warden for savingthe cellar, as well as theHall!

Piece provided by Past Master

Steve Bodger

Audit Court at the Armourers

Master Poulter

Master with his Wardens

Our first Journeyman Amy Lance with Ian Breminer (L) and Honorary Assistant

Adrian Padfield (R)

Honorary Assistant Rupert Hargreaveswith Lord Blunkett

11

OurHonoraryChaplain The Very

Rev Mark Bonney

Royal Bath & West Show 2018Avisit to Shepton Mallet, Somerset, for the

Royal Bath & West Show, where theFruiterers can be seen promoting excellencewithin the Fruit Industry, is a firm date inmany Fruiterers’ diaries

On this important occasion the Masterparticipates in the judging (tasting!!) of thenumerous cider entries and then presentsthe winner of the British Cider Championshipwith the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers’Perpetual Cup. This is for the SupremeBritish Champion Cider and marks theCompany’s support of the Cider Industry

This year it was Harry’s Cider who werethe proud recipients of the Championship’smost prestigious award.

Prior to the awards ceremony, theFruiterers were joined in the Council Tent byMasters and members of the Pewterers,Coopers, and Woolmens’ livery companies,where a most enjoyable spirit of goodfellowship was in abundance over anexcellent lunch.

Albeit, not without a little rain, goodweather did prevail for much of the dayallowing liverymen to visit the many otherinteresting aspects of the show.

The Master wishes to thank all those whosupported this year’s visit and extends aspecial thank you to Honorary Assistant IanAdams for logistics with the Company’sStand and Banners together with thosemembers of the Company who “Manned theStand” and Peter Andrews for his sterlingwork in producing the rota for each day.

Piece supplied by Past Master

Peter Cooper

A very impressive selection

Fruiterers gather

Harry's – the Supreme Champion BritishCider & Winner of the Fruiterers' Cup

Entry pass for lunch

Fruitererers' Stand well manned

Harry's Ciderreceives theFruiterers'Accolade

12

It was with some sadness that 16 Liverymenand 22 guests assembled at Kingswood on

May 31st for the annual Fruiterers’ Golf Day.The passing of the Course’s owner TommyHilliard and more recently the Golfing Soc -iety’s Secretary, Andrew Poulton, obviouslyhad a sobering effect on the occasion. Butas both our dear departed fellow Fruitererswould have wished the only blues to be seen

were those that char act erised the heavens. Itwas a perfect day for the game with idealconditions prevailing throughout. Despite thegolf day clashing with the Fruiterers’ visit tothe Royal Bath & West Show, whichprevented our Master from attending, SeniorPast Master David Hope-Mason deputised.Terry Ogbourne had stepped up to the plateat late notice to act as temporary secretary

and his arrangements and organisationmade for a most enjoyable event. Thewinner of the Barton Cup, on the day, wasChris Mason. At the conclusion of play, theusual prizes were distributed at the 19th holeover lunch. A new permanent Secretary, IanWaller has been appointed, as well as aCaptain, Mark Culley, the latter being a newposition.

As you would expect with the hot summer weather the judges of the 2018 National

Cherry and Soft Fruit show were treated toexemplary entries from an impressivenumber of growers. Despite the hard winterand some trying weather in the spring theJudges and Stewards were delighted with thehigh numbers of entries across all classes butespecially in the cherry show which wasparticularly well supported with over 130baskets of 26 different varieties submitted.Vice – chair Liveryman Henry Bryant waspleased to report that there was no greatconcentration of any one variety, somethingthat makes the task of judging infinitely moreinteresting.

New Chair Tom Hulme had an especiallyimpressive show to begin his tenure thoughthe extremely high temperatures provedchallenging for both exhibitors and exhibits.

Retiring Chief Steward Past Master TonyRedsell (standing down as Chief Stewardafter 60 years association with the show)observed that “this was a particularly goodyear for cherries” and made special mentionof the superb flavour of the new varietyCarmen, grown by Brian Piper, which wasselected to be sent to HM the Queen. Onenice additional touch is that ThomasJohnson of Elverton Farms, Tony’s nephew,has agreed to take on Tony’s responsibilitiesas the Chief Steward from next year. Thomaswill join the Committee and Tony has kindlyagreed to help Thomas in 2019, easing himinto the role. The New Chair felt that ‘this isa great outcome for the society andobviously it is very nice that the Redsell /Johnson family will continue to fulfil thisimportant role’.

The cherries certainly scored very highlyattracting the majority of the major awards inthe competition including the highest andsecond highest points in all classes awardedto Elverton farms & FW Mansfield and theSt Michael cup for outstanding flavour andappearance awarded to Brian Piper. ElvertonFarms are great supporters of the show andfeatured in many of the winning entriesincluding taking home the Fruiterers’ Medalfor the most meritorious exhibit of cherries.

The soft fruit medal was awarded to HughLowe Farms. Liveryman Marion Regan wasdelighted with the win as it recognisesvarieties from UK breeding programmessuch as the one at NIAB EMR.

Piece provided by Liveryman Sarah Calcutt

Golf Day

Cherry & Soft Fruit Show

Kingswood’s greens and fairways were superb as always The Course was bathed in sunshine

First for Strawberries

Past Master Tony Redsell with newChair of the Show, Tom HulmeFirst for Cherries

13

Awards Council

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is apest of soft and stone fruit crops.

A new pest in the UK, it first arrived herein 2012 and since then populations haverisen to the point where all growers ofthese crops now need to adopt routinemanagement and control measures toprevent it from damaging fruit. TheFruiterers part contributed to an industry-funded project which was completed in2017. Led by NIAB EMR, the projecttaught us a great deal about SWDbehaviour and how to achieve effectivecontrol.

To investigate a novel approach tocontrol, the Fruiterers are now funding

NIAB EMR to search for naturally occurr -ing insects which will parasitise SWDlarvae and pupae. In the first year of thework, with help from the Berry Gardens’agronomist team, four UK native insectswere identified which parasitise SWD, twowhich attack the larvae and two whichattack pupae. It was found that all fourtend to be most abundant in woodland,hedgerows and crop bound aries. Furtherwork is being carried out in 2018 toevaluate the time that these parasitoidsbecome active in the wild, theireffectiveness and how this inform ationmight be harnessed in future controlprogrammes. Work is also on going at

NIAB EMR to search for a parasitoidcalled Trichopria drosophilae, which hasbeen found to offer useful parasitism ofSWD in other countries, but so far it hasnot been detected in the UK. All thisresearch is aimed at developing novelbiocontrol techniques to reduce ourreliance on traditional control measures.

The Fruiterers are extremely grateful toDr Graham Collier who has served asChairman of the Awards Council over thepast three years. He will be succeeded byLiveryman Chris Newenham. We wishhim well in his new role.

New Liveryman, Freemen and Journeyman

New Honorary Assistants

Audit Court is when Fruiterers traditionally say farewell and thank you to our outgoing fourHonorary Assistants and hello to our new incumbents. Retiring in May, after serving for the

customary two years, were Ian Adams, Andrew Macdonald, Christopher Newenham and JurgaZilinskiene. Still to serve until May 2019 are Matthew Hancock, Susan Handy, Adrian Padfield

and Christopher White. They were joined on May 9 by Brendon Conry,Nigel Hargreaves, Henrietta Naish and Christopher Wheeler. We wish them well in their new roles with the additional responsibilities thatthe position carries.

AT AUDIT COURT

9 MAY 2018

New Freemen; Adrian BlackshawRichard HarndenAnthony Upward

New Journeyman;Amy Lance (the first Journeyman)

AT SUMMER COURT

22 JUNE 2018

New Liveryman;Anthony Snell

New Freemen;Professor Stephen ChallacombeJames Simpson

Our first Journeyman, Amy Lance, receives her indentureNew Freemen at Audit Court

New Freemen at Summer Court

Newly

clothed

Liveryman

at Summer

Court,

Anthony Snell

The search for naturally occurring parasitoids for spotted wing drosophila

L-R; Christopher Wheeler, Rupert

Hargreaves, Dr Brendon Conry &

Henrietta Naish

14

15

ObituaryIt was with great sadness that many in

our industry would have received thenews that Liveryman Andrew Poultonpassed away on Thursday 19th Aprilfollowing a sixteen month battle withcancer. Andrew was admitted to theLivery in 1991, had served as anHonorary Assistant and Secretary of theGolf Society.

He was described by the Editor ofthe Fresh Produce Journal as a ‘freshproduce veteran’ having spent over fiftyof his seventy years in the business. Hewas widely known and respectedthroughout the trade both in the UKand abroad. His career started in 1964at the tender age of 17 working for DanWuille in Covent Garden when theMarket was situated in its original WC2location. His father had been agreengrocer. His personality, work ethicand eagerness to learn impressed hisbosses and he was soon moving up theranks. Ten years later he joined White

& Sons based in the Fruit Exchange atLondon’s Spitalfields Market in theCity’s East End. The building andmarket were homes for many of thegreat fruit trade personalities of the era.He joined Mark White and Colin Bentleyboth Fruiterers. He described his timewith the Company in that location assome of the happiest of his career.

In the 1980s he began a job withDole as trading director which he left in2002 to set up his own company ‘BeOrganic’. The enterprise which special -ises in citrus and top fruit suppliesorganic produce to box schemes, thewholesale and processing trade as wellas major high street retailers.

Andrew was universally known andrespected by his peer group, customersand suppliers and has been describedas a “true English gent”. His knowledgeof citrus in particular was impressiveand he was always generous with hisadvice and delighted in talking with

others about the trade he loved.Despite his illness he was enjoyingworking right up to the end.

He was a keen golfer, who had beenin and around single figure handicapsfor over forty years. In 2017 he wasmade Captain of the Royal BlackheathGolf Club, thus fulfilling a dream. Hewas an avid Charlton Athletic fan andenjoyed fly fishing in his spare time.

Andrew was married to Janice for 48years and they could often be seen atFruiterers’ functions together. Sheassisted at the Fruiterers’ Golf Days andis a very competent player in her ownright. The couple have two childrendaughter Alix and son Daniel. It is hisson-in-law and Fruiterer Dave Barkerwho continues to run the business. Oursincere condolences and commis -erations were extended to them all.

During a time of unprecedentedchange in the Fresh Produce

business it was Jacques Onona, asChairman of the Fruit ImportersAssociation Federation and UK’s rep -resentative in Brussels, who led theindustry’s fight against bureaucraticimpediments to trade. In recognition hewas proud to receive the French Gov -ernment’s award of the Order of Meritand, in 2008, the UK’s trade associationLifetime Achievement Award.

Jacques grew up in Casablanca,where his first commercial experiencewas with citrus and potato exporter LBarber Ltd. In due course he moved toLondon where he managed and exp -anded the Company’s UK interests, untilleaving to establish his eponymouscompany in 1971.

Under his guidance and with theassistance of close family, the businessof Jacques Onona Ltd expanded rapidly,principally as a major importer of Frenchapples, apricots and other products. In

1992 the thriving multi-million turnoverbusiness attracted an acquisitionapproach, and Jacques accepted anoffer to become part of the Albert FisherGroup.

In later years he maintained his tradeconnections and his membership of theWorshipful Company of Fruiterers towhich he had been admitted in 1980.Right up to his death at the age of 81Jacques remained active as an exporterof French apples to Russia and Israel,and a breeder of Israeli potato varietiesfor export to Europe.

The considerable gathering at hisfuneral on 26th July heard of his gen -erosity, his love of God, and his deeplove of family. The mourners includedhis wife Nanou, his four daughters, hiskey colleagues, brother David andbrother-in-law Albert and a number ofhis fruit trade contemporaries.

The industry will mourn the passingof a charming and charismatic char acterwho was a leading light in the industry

for so many years.Our sympathies and commiserations

are extended to his family, friends andcolleagues.

Andrew George Poulton

Jacques Onona

John Scott

Who joined the Livery in 1999 andlived in Kent. A service of

thanksgiving for his life was held at StMary’s Church, Hunton, Nr Maidstone,Kent on Thursday 28th June.

Jacques Onona

Andrew Poulton being installedas Captain of the Royal

Blackheath Golf Club

Published by The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers: Clerk, Lt Col Philip Brown, 3, Parsonage Vale, Collingbourne Kingston, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 3SZ

Editor: Richard BrightenPrinted by Typecast Colour Ltd, Hop Pocket Lane, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6DQ. Tel : 01892 838382. Email : info@typecast.co.uk

16

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe Editor wishes to thank the following for their valuable contributions to this Newsletter; Paul Avery, (Marketing Director, Berry World)

Dave Barker, Adrian Barlow, Steve Bodger (Past Master) Lt Col Philip Brown (Clerk), Rupert Best (Past Master), David Bryant, Sarah Calcutt,Graham Campbell, Dr Graham Collier (Chairman Awards Council), Peter Cooper (Past Master & Honorary Archivist), FPJ, John Giles,

Alick Glass, David Hohnen (Past Master), David Hope-Mason (Past Master) Dr Gerard Lyons, Chris Newenham, Janice Poulton, Ian Rainford (Honorary Remembrancer), John Warner (The Master), Mavis Warner and Sarah Whitworth.

Gerry Edwards

For any Liveryman who has not attended a City of London Briefingand is in two minds whether to apply, ask a fellow Fruiterer who hasattended. You will always receive a very positive res ponse becausethe evening provides an inter esting and valu able insight into theworkings of the City. They are aimed particularly at new Freemenand Liverymen, but wives, husbands and partners are also welcome.Liverymen and Freemen of longer standing who have not previouslybeen to a Briefing are also encouraged to attend. It is necessary toattend one of these briefings, held at the Livery Hall, 71 BasinghallStreet, Guildhall, before being clothed in the Livery. The dates ofthe 2018 briefings are given here:-

They are: Monday 8 October 2018, Tuesday 20 November 2018Application should be made atwww.liverycommitteecourses.org.uk

City of London Briefings

ObituaryMalcolm Campbell was born in

1934 to Malcolm and HelenCamp bell who were living atWhitecraigs, Glasgow. When only six,Malcolm lost his father who was killedin the war. He was sent to Moniaire toboard while his mother and sisterremained at home. After the termin -ation of hostilities he became a pupil atGlenalmond where he comp leted hiseducation. Ever keen on sport heplayed rugby for the school’s 1st XVand cricket for the 1st XI and evenplayed for Scotland at schoolboy level.

He spent his National Service inGermany which were formative yearsand reinforced the solid ‘old-school’values with which he was raised andcontinued to maintain: discipline,politeness, smart appearance, punct -uality and a business like demeanour.

His mother, Helen Campbell, a

remarkable lady, kept the familybusiness running successfully. Malcolmjoined the firm at the bottom in 1955and thirteen years later in 1968 becameChairman. In its ‘heydays’ the epony -mous company, started by his greatgrandfather, had 65 fruit shops fromAberdeen to Stranraer, becomingalmost a Scottish icon.

In the early 1990s Malcolm recog -nised the impending challenge of thesupermarkets and had the foresight todiversify the business thus ensuring itscontinued survival and success.

Despite being actively involved in ademanding corporate timetable hefound time for public service. He wasChairman of the Glasgow Chamber ofCommerce, a Governor of BelmontSchool, Chairman of the Court ofGlasgow Caledonian University and saton the Retail Evaluation Panel. In rec -

ognition of his services he was awardedan Honorary Doctorate.

From his first marriage to FionaMcClaren there were three sons. Hissecond wife Sue, whom he married in1983, provided Malcolm with a stepdaughter and in due course a fourthson. Currently there are nine grand -children.

He had several sporting interests;golf, curling and sailing. The latter heshared with Sue and his children.

He was described in the eulogy at hismemorial service as a true gentleman,generous, warm, funny, a big character,a man among men, upbeat, kind andbrave. To those who knew him theseattributes certainly rang a familiar bell.He was admitted to the Fruiterers in1978 and had served as an HonoraryAssistant. We extend our sincerecommiserations and condolences.

Malcolm Campbell

Malcolm

Campbell