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

Horticulture, History and Homage– a Fruiterers’ visit to Turkey

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

Number 83 August 2015

DATES FOR YOUR DIARYWed 9 Sep Tree Planting, Renishaw Hall,

Garden of the Year Derbyshire

Tues 29 Sep Election of Lord Mayor Guildhall

Mon 5 Oct 12.30pm Carvery Luncheon Ironmongers’ Hall

Wed/Thu National Fruit Show Detling21 & 22 Oct

Wed 28 Oct 11.45am Presentation Mansion Houseof Fruit to the Lord MayorLuncheon City of London Club

Wed 4 Nov Master & Wardens Dinner Barber-Surgeons’Hall

Sat 7 Nov Lord Mayor’s Show City(Company not participating)

Mon 25 12pm St Paul’s Day St Mary AbchurchJan 2016 Service

The Bursa factory can process 315 tonnes of sweet cherries dailyusing hydrocooling, optical electronic quality and defect sorting forcolour, size and maturity. Process control is on-line and real-timedelivering temperature and humidity tracking. Annual productionexceeds 7,500 tonnes of fresh cherries and 2,500 tonnes of figsemploying 50 full-time and 1000 seasonal workers. The factorypacks sweet cherries from the end of May to August followed byfigs to the end of November. Schooling is provided for the childrenof the factory workers with teachers and curriculum managed bythe Turkish Ministry of Education.

Subsequently, some Fruiterers met with representatives ofTurkish fruit exporters associations as a result of earlierconsultations with the Turkish Embassy in London.

HistoryThe Aeoloic Greeks first settled on the hill top site of Pergamon inthe 8th century BC. The city came to prominence after the deathof Alexander the Great in 323BC when it became the territory ruled

Turkey lies at the western end of the Fertile Crescent, one ofthe World’s major centres of biodiversity. Here in a hugetract stretching across what are now Syria, Iraq, Iran and

Afghanistan the ancestors of many of our crops evolved anddiversified, including several temperate fruits. Agriculture exploitedthe opportunities offered by these plants producing the economicconditions for the development of several significant civilisations.Consequently, the area gained great political and strategicsignificance resulting in wars and invasions. This backgroundbrought 23 Fruiterers plus their guests together for five days ofconvivial touring. Interests focussed on the sweet cherry industry atBursa and Bayramic, the Greco-Roman site at Pergamon and thebattlefields of the Gallipoli campaign.

HorticultureThe Alara Agri Company is part of the multinational UniVeg

Group with a major packing, storage and distribution facility builton the outskirts of Bursa. Here Mr Belit Balci, the chief fieldoperations officer described the operations (see also www.thefruitfarmgroup.com). In Turkey the Group grows, packs andexports sweet cherries, brine cherries, fresh black figs, green andblack olives, pomegranates and quinces. Produce is drawn fromtheir own orchards and from 2000 smaller local contract farmers.

Alara Cherries

JUNE 7-9 2016

by Lysimachus. His nephew Attalus builtthe Temple of Athena and the Library atPergamon, which rivalled the one atAlexandria. Attalus’s son Eumenes IIconsolidated the city building a spec tac -ular theatre, the Great Altar of Zeus, agymnasium and agora and fortified theacropolis. Pergamon fell into disarray withthe arrival of the Goths in AD 262.Following the adoption of Christianity itbecame an important missionary centrewith one of the seven churches of theBook of Revelations. In 1871 a Germanrailway engineer, Karl Humann re dis -covered the site and following excavationstook the Altar of Zeus to Berlin.

In the valley below Pergamon is asanctuary dedicated to the god of healingAsclepius (Asceplion). Here sick peoplebathed in the sacred spring and as a resultAsclepius appeared in their dreamsadvising on suitable cures.

HomageThe Master Rupert Best and Mr IzzetYildirim a local expert who spoke from aneducated position of neutrality briefed theParty in advance of visiting Gallipoli. Theydescribed the initial naval and thesubsequent land campaigns aimed atcapturing the strategically vital Peninsulaand Dardanelles waterway whichcontrolled entry into the Black Sea andaccess to southern Russia during 1915.

As the Fruiterers travelled down thePeninsula from Eceabal (Maidos) past thenarrows and castles/forts of Kilitbahirtowards Krithia (Alcitepe) they gained anappreciation of the hot, dry inhospitablescrub land (maquis) over which the battleshad raged. The Helles Memorial, designedby Sir John Burnet, commemorates21,000 British and Indian and 249Australian servicemen who fought atHelles, Anzac and Sulva and for whomthere is no known grave. The Master laid a

wreath on behalf of the FruiterersCompany and recited Laurence Binyon’spoignant stanza.

Thereafter, members of the Partywhose relatives had fallen in the Campaignplaced crosses in the appropriatecemeteries a tour of which underscoredthe scale of the slaughter. At ANZAC Covethe sheer impossibility of what wasdemanded of the troops was all tooapparent. The troops fought with greatgallantry and determination often in theface of certain death.

ConvivialityThe Fruiterers wined and dined well ontheir tour starting with a dinner atIstanbul’s Rami Restaurant and Museumadjacent to the Blue Mosque whichcelebrates the impressionist art of one ofTurkey’s most famous painters.

On the final evening a farewell dinnerwas very generously sponsored by PastMaster Laurence Olins and NortonFolgate. Matthew Hancock presentedeach Fruiterer with Celebrating the Cherry

– growing around the world, a digest ofcherry culture across the globe.

InsightJourneying through Turkey from Istanbulvia Bursa onwards to Ayvelik, CundaIsland, and Gallipoli offered an insight intothis large and varied country. Green Bursa,the original capital of the Ottoman Empirelived up to its horticultural reputation forfine parks and leafy suburbs. En route

from Bursa to Pergamon the drive wasmade all the more fascinating as soilschanged from alkaline to acidic and back.Changes reflected in the variations ofcropping and local flora. Finally aroundAyvalik is the centre of the olive industry

with trees grown as a monoculturecovering 1000s of ha owned on a croftingbasis by many families.

Thank youVery grateful thanks go to Mr HughPowlett and his wife Jane whoundertook the detailed organisationand to Mr Ozgur Ozkir (Oscar) ourconstantly helpful guide throughout thetour, Mr Rifat Kaptan the skilful andimmensely patient coach driver, MrErsin Gokce the guide to Pergamonand Mr Izzet Yildirim whose knowledgeof the Gallipoli Campaign is immense.Sincere gratitude also goes to theMaster, Rupert Best and to our everattentive Clerk Lt Col Lionel French andhis wife Ann without whom this tourwould not have happened.

The Magnificent Dining Hall2

Thoughtful Fruiterers at Redoubt Cemetery Pergamon Temple of Trajan Brighton Beach; peaceful now but a bloody

battleground in 1915

The Master lays a wreath at Helles Memorial

Piece supplied by Professor Geoffrey R Dixon, Liveryman. Owner GreenGeneInternational and Visiting Professor & Research Fellow in the School of

Agriculture, University of Reading

HONORARYARCHIVIST

3

Safe-harbour at Trinity House for

Audit Court DinnerIt seemed very fitting that, when arriving

at the Audit Court Dinner, Liverymen andtheir guests had to battle through torrentialrain and squally winds to seek thewelcoming shelter of Trinity House, as thisancient institution has been safeguardingmariners and those at sea for over fivecenturies. We were safely on land, of course;but were as wet as if we had battered ourway up the Channel in the face of a heavy

storm. The Master is one of the YoungerBrethren of Trinity House and we were veryprivileged to be able to hold the dinner intheir elegant hall.

Our principal guest and speaker wasHonorary Liveryman the Rt. Hon. the LordPlumb. Our other distinguished guestswere The Rt. Hon The Lord Fellows andLady Fellows, Rupert Cox, Chief Executiveof the Royal Bath and West of EnglandSociety, and the Masters of the Poulters’,the Coopers’ and the Woolmen’s Companies.

Lord Plumb is, of course, well known tous. A farmer, for many years the President

of the NFU, a former MEP and the founderof his charitable foundation to help youngpeople start rural businesses, Lord Plumbis, at the age of 90, still very active in theHouse of Lords and is of great influence inagricultural matters. He spoke widelyabout the state of the agricultural world,with interesting views on the need toimprove the quality of scientific researchand the need for our country to grow moreof its own food.

Lord Fellowes is better known to mostas Julian Fellowes, a very successful actor,producer and writer, whose most recenttour de force has been Downton Abbey. Inthis he works with Lady Fellowes, who isthe historian to the programme. Together,they are the Joint Presidents of the Bathand West of England Society, an interestclose to the heart of our Company and,particularly, of the Master.

In his speech, delivered in hisdelightfully ebullient style, the Masterreported that the Company’s and itsCharities’ Accounts are in good order andhad been approved that afternoon by theCourt. He thanked the Chairman and themembers of the Finance Sub-Committee for their workthroughout the year. He notedwith pleasure that the Clerk hasbeen elected a life member ofthe Fruiterers’ Golf Society,remarking that his membershipwill ensure that we do well in theInter-Livery golf competitions!He thanked the retiringHonorary Assistants and con -gratulated those who had been

appointed. It was a pleasure for all of us towelcome the newly clothed Liverymen andthe newly elected Freemen.

The Master announced that the Courthas appointed, Lieutenant Colonel PhilipBrown as Clerk-Elect; his appointmentstarts at the beginning of June and he willwork alongside the Clerk until the Clerk’sretirement in November, when the batonwill be passed to him. We all look forwardto welcoming him to the Company.

The scrumptious food and wine wasaccompanied by news of the ‘Scrumptious’apple saplings that were so generouslypresented to everybody at the Banquet.There are many good reports of flourishingtrees. Well, one would expect nothing elsefrom trees nurtured by Liverymen of theFruiterers’ Company! Some are in exoticlocations. The furthest travelled is inCroatia. The most local to the City is in theOld Bailey, planted by a Sheriff, oneassumes, and not by a prisoner in thedock!

Piece provided byPast Master Steve Bodger

Liverymen and guests assemble in the Court Room

So wet outside that wellies were almost

‘de rigueur'

Cartoon from ‘The Tatler’ of 1928 depicting some of

the characters at the Fruiterers' Banquet

4

This summer's hot topic has been the migrant crisis that hasengulfed Calais, crippled large parts of Kent, turned the M20

into a car park for lorries and is costing the economy around £1million per day, as freight is delayed and in some cases isrendered not fit for purpose. Shipments of food, fruit and flowersare among the disrupted cargoes. There has already been muchdebate in response to this crisis, raising humanitarian andpolitical issues as well as economic concerns.

This migration crisis has been with us for some time now, overa decade, and has not been resolved. The scale of the problemsuggests immediate and lasting action is needed. Let me focushere on my economic interpretation.

Although the issue at Calais is about stopping illegalmigration, it is important to put this in context. There is currentlyconsiderable migration across the world and much of it is legal.According to the World Bank, there are more than 250 millionpeople who live outside their home country. The top fivedestinations for migrants are the USA, Saudi Arabia, Germany,Russia and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, there isconsiderably more migration within countries, usually from thecountryside to cities. People are on the move as never before.

Across the globe, most are economic migrants, who move insearch of a better life and often send money back home tofamilies. Last year such 'global remittances' were a mega $583billion. This was more than double the amount governmentsspend overseas through official development aid.

Migration numbers are expected to rise, because ofpopulation growth, globalisation and climate change. In additionto economic migration there are also those fleeing war,persecution or seeking asylum.

Although migration is a global phenomenon, this does notmean the UK cannot take action to address the Calais crisis. TheUK already is witnessing massive legal migration. One in sevenpeople in the UK were born overseas, and there is little doubt thatwe have gained from immigration, in economic and culturalterms. This does not mean that we should let unlimited numbersin, and suggests we should be more discriminating, letting inthose we wish, not just those who want to be here. We cannothalt migration from elsewhere within the EU because of the freemovement of labour, but the migrants in Calais are illegal.

To address this issue it is important to recognise that there areboth "pull factors" attracting them to the UK and "push factors"that cause the migrants to leave their home country, which isusually it seems in Africa. The UK Government can only directlyaddress the pull factors, but it also should try and influence thepush factors too, although that will take far longer and is muchharder to achieve, and requires working with others.

Most people will genuinely ask why we cannot police ourborders better witheffective security? Thatwould seem to beessential, but there areother factors too.

Last October theMayor of Calais Ms

Natacha Bouchart appearedbefore the UK Parliament'sHome Affairs Committee.She was in no doubt that theproblem was lavish benefitsin the UK and the prospect of illegal work and accommodation.Asylum seekers, once here, receive weekly cash benefits, freehealth, housing and education for their children. The UKGovernment is now taking some limited action to try and addressthis, as well as asking the French to do more too.

Some say that on humanitarian grounds the UK should openits borders. But perhaps the scale of future flows suggest thatwould be the wrong economic response. Recently the AfricanDevelopment Bank released its 2015 Economic Outlook. Withinit, it points out that in the next fifteen years Africa's working agepopulation will rise by 435 million. This is not a forecast, butbased on the numbers currently alive in Africa. Given suchfigures it is possible to project migration of 30 million from Africato Europe over the next decade. This will be swelled by flowsfrom other regions, such as the Middle East, producing hugenumbers.

Consider some of the issues. First, there needs to be a propercost benefit analysis of the scale of migration, including whetherour free health system can cope, particularly if after migrantshave settled their families will then follow them here? Two, the UKis already witnessing the biggest ever increase in its population.Our poor infrastructure and lack of housing suggest we are notbest prepared to cope. There is a limit to the scale. Three, itseems implausible that continued membership of the EU willpermit the UK not to accept its "fair share" of the future tens ofmillions of migrants coming to Europe. Four, does the UK needto change from a Beveridge benefits system where everyonequalifies to a Bismarkian system where peoples' contributionshistory determine what you can receive? Five, work with othercountries to stop the push factors encouraging people to leave.Some African economies may lack the absorptive capacity togrow in terms of infrastructure, jobs and skilled people. Thistakes time to address. Perhaps we can link our overseas aid toboosting the ability of African economies to cope with growth, sofuture migrant flow is limited. Perhaps one way for the UK is todirectly link aid spending to exporting the courses and services ofUK universities, so African economies can grow their numbers ofhighly educated people, key for future growth.

There are long term measures we can implement, but theimmediate challenge is to recognise the need for an effectivestrategy. Migration and globalisation go hand in hand and cannotbe ignored and look set to continue. Demographic and

migration change can be a dividend if planned for, adisaster if not.

Dr Gerard Lyons is a Liveryman and is alsochief economic advisor to

The Mayor. He writes ina personal capacity.

City Perspective

View from OverseasGreece on the brink?Greek citizens made a pivotal decision a

few weeks back when they voted toreject an inter national bailout in thenational referendum. Many politicalanalysts effectively regarded this as anin/out referendum on Greece’s continuedmembership of the Monetary Union.

It appears that neither Greece nor theleaders of the European Union wantGreece to exit the €, but time andpatience has been running out fast.Greece had at that stage already missed a€1.6 billion loan repayment to the IMF(the only advanced economy to do so)and neither the Greek government, nor itscreditors, seem to be able to findcommon ground.

This seems to have been resolved forthe time being, at least, with a 3rd bail outnow agreed. It still leaves however seriousquestions to be answered about the futureof the Greek economy. The fact is thatGreece still owes the international bankingcommunity some €320 billion.

What if Greece were still at some stageto exit the €? How would this impact onfood and drink trade between the UK andGreece? In this respect, Greece is not amajor trading partner with the UK.Approximately 1% of our total food anddrink exports are sent to Greece and lessthan 1% of the UK’s food and drink importsare from Greece. Therefore, disruption totrade would not have any major con seq -uences to the food chain as a whole.

Nevertheless, the situation, regardlessof what happens next will impact on someUK businesses that export to and importfrom Greece.

Short term risksLiquidityIn the short-term, the main risks appear tobe the liquidity of Greek businesses (i.e.getting paid) and which currency will beused to carry out transactions. Liquidity isa major concern. The capital controlsimposed by the government greatly restrictsthe flow of capital within the economy andprevents it from leaving the country.

Currency risksA Greek exit from the € would likely atsome stage bring the Drachma back intocirculation, which, given the state ofGreece’s finances, would be significantly

devalued relative to the €. This couldpotentially benefit UK buyers because itwould enable them to purchase fromGreece at a lower cost than it could fromother European countries in the € zone.

Ironically, a Greek exit could have abeneficial short-term effect on a boost toGreek exports, benefitting both buyers andsuppliers. However, in the long-run UKimporters would have to manage greatercurrency risks of transacting in Drachma,rather than the € .

Long-term risksDemandRegardless of the outcome of the mostrecent political and economic develop -ments, with the sheer size of debt incurred,Greek consumer expenditure is likely to beconstrained for some time to come, as thecountry attempts to reduce its debtburden. Unemployment remains cripplinglyhigh, real wages are falling and non-essential items will bear the brunt of the falloff in demand.

CompetitivenessGreece must still undertake fundamentalreforms to improve the long-termcompetitive ness of its economy. This willrequire sustained investment in all forms ofindustry to make Greece as productive andefficient as other European economies.

Contagion effectsPerhaps the biggest potential risk to the UKof a Greek € exit, if it were to happen,would be the contagion effects it wouldhave on other, significantly larger, European

economies with which the UK has a muchgreater trade based relationship, mostnotably Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Europe is, by far, the biggest tradingpartner for the UK. In 2014, the UKexported £19 billion worth of agricultural,food and drink products to Europe. This isequivalent to 61% of total UK food anddrink exports. We also imported £39 billionworth of agricultural, food and drinkproducts from Europe. This is equivalentto 72% of total UK food and drink imports.

A strong pound will make it even morechallenging for UK exporters to becompetitive within Europe. The task ofboosting UK food exports is made evenmore difficult with the UK’s mostsignificant customer struggling to staytogether and with the exchange rateworking against UK exporters. Whateverthe eventual outcome for Greece, the UKfood industry should prepare to react tothe wider impact it will have on bothEurope and the €.

Piece provided by Liveryman John Giles

5

Greece grows many fruits

Greek Olive Groves

FROM ORCHARD TO MARKETTOP FRUIT NEWS

It’s always a cause for celebration whenreporting a success for British grown

fruit and so it is on this occasion. Eightyears after English Apples and Pearsapplied to the European Commission for‘Bramley Apple Pie Filling’ to receiveTraditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG)listing, it was finally granted onWednesday 29th July. Media coverage ofthe event was remarkable. The purpose ofthe list is to protect the reputation ofregional products, promote traditionalagricultural activities and to ensureagainst the unfair promotion of inferiorproducts.

Drawing to a conclusion at the end ofApril, (four weeks earlier thananticipated), the English topfruit marketing season waslabelled as successful byAdrian Barlow CEO ofEAP when interviewedfor the Newsletter. Inc -reased sales wererecorded on each ofthe three main cate -gories; dessert apples,culinary apples (Bramley)and pears. Apart from Coxand a few other traditionalvarieties, which registered decreased

tonnages, most of the main -stream eating apples were up

in volume. Prices werehigher than thoseenjoyed by continentalgrowers but still belowthe level required by

growers to sust -ain growth.Such a resultwas quite ana c h i e v e m e n twhen the doub -le whammy ofthe large Euro -

pean crop and Russian ban on EUagricultural products were factoredinto the marketing equation.Support from the traditional Britishsupermarkets was strong with thediscounters pulling their weight in asignificant manner.

As a category, dessert apples topp -ed the list of most purchasedfruits and vegetables in asurvey recently pub lish -ed by the Fresh Prod -

uce Journal. The datawas supplied byKantar Worldwideand rel at ed to theretail volumes andvalues recorded inthe UK to the y/e 24thMay. The 467.5m kgwas sold for £846.1mshowing increases of 1.8%and 6% respectively whencom pared to the previous year of

sales. Consumer interestin both the establishedand newer varieties isundergoing a revival whichcould well put apples onthe road to becoming thefirst £billion fruit in the UK.

Prospects for the forth -com ing season which hasalready commenced app -ear favourable. Weatherconditions have beenrelatively good for applesfrom blossom andalthough there has beensporadic hail in certainareas this has not affected

yields. Pear production may have beeninfluenced in a negative fashion by lowtemper atures at critical stages ofdevelopment. Current forecasts for thecomm erc ial, dessert crop of apples showan increase of 10% in volume with aseason commencing one week later than2014. Average size will be ideal for the UKmarket with most apples disp laying agood top colour enhanced by the coolnights. Sugar levels will be good and theoverall net effect should be an en hance -ment of the English product’s reput at ion.Available information would suggest thatthe European mainland crop of apples willshow a 5% decrease on the previousseason. Growers there are disturbed bythe low prices their fruit has achieved andare looking to take remedial action. Thiswill undoubtedly benefit English growersboth in respect of the rate of sale andfinancial returns. One other considerationthat could impact on con tin ental

shipments of fruit to the UK isthe havoc that is being

experienced at Calais.Disturbance to

supplies may wellresult in higherprices at retailand greateropportuni t iesfor the growersof English apples

and pears.

TSG listing for Traditional

Apple Pie Filling

6

Adrian Barlow, CEO English Apples & Pears

New Book

“Liveryman Gerry

Edwards, who isChairman of theRoyal HorticulturalSociety’s FruitGroup, has justhad a bookpublished aimedat either gardeners or allotmenteerswishing to grow fruit for the first timeor those wishing to expand their rangeof knowledge. The book has beenpublished by the National VegetableSociety and copies are available fromGerry at £3.99 plus postage. If you would like a copy pleasecontact Gerry by email -gerryedwards@ blueyonder.co.uk –or by phone on 07768 657797.”

UK

Apple

crop

forecast to

be up for 2015

Each year, for over a decade, the FreshProduce Consortium (FPC) has held

an award ceremony to acknowledge thebest in the fresh produce industry.Covering the complete spectrum ofcategories the event has proved extremelypopular with its membership. Held at theIntercontinental in Park Lane thoseentrants who have been independentlyvoted top in their category are revealed.The winners are presented with an eleganttrophy that they can display and have theright to carry the logo proclaiming theirsuccess on their company’s commun -ications. The evening is a black tie affairand attracts well over 400. In June thisyear, David Bryant, the Newsletter’scorrespondent, was voted as the UK’s topIndependent Retailer. Unfortunately, hewas unable to attend on the night so theNewsletter made arrangements with theFPC for their CEO, Nigel Jenney, to makethe presentation at the shop in July.Congratulations to David.

After the informal ceremony which was

recorded by the local press, tea andbiscuits were shared with the winner. As isalways the case when people in the fruitindustry meet, the conversation flowsfreely covering a wide range of pertinenttopics. David reported on some ofsubjects where he has witnessed changes.“Shopping patterns have evolved at theFruit Market over the years” he revealed.“Customers used to be waiting when I gotback from the market, just after opening,but now the late afternoons have becomevery busy”. Although the number ofyounger people who are regular cust om -ers is not great some are very interested inpreparing their evening meal from basics.The discussion led on to the way in whichdomestic science is currently taught atschool. It was concluded that a lotdepends on the passion and enthusiasmof the departmental heads. The FruitMarket employs a number of youngpeople at weekends and the business,products and customers bring them outof their shells. “Fortunately most produceis pretty perfect the year round thesedays” he stated “but despite thesupermarkets claiming to sell wonkyproduce they still dump thousands of tonsof fruit and veg every year” he says ruefully.

When questioned about what heconsidered to be the most importantconsiderations for running a successfulretail outlet he responded with Quality,Price, Service and Convenience (carparking) and in no particular order.

The Co-op recently published a fairly indepth report that it had commissioned tocompare food retailing trends and stylesin 2015 compared to 50 years ago. Thecontents make very interesting reading.Although the first Co-op store appeared in1948 it was not until 1965 that the storesbecame of a similar format. One of themost revealing points to emerge is thatBritish shoppers have gone almost fullcycle in their shopping habits. Rather thanundertaking a large once weekly ormonthly shop many now buy smallerquantities on a more regular frequency aswas the habit half a century ago. The mostsignificant change has been the move

from counter to self-service and in certaincircumstances non-assisted personalisedcheck outs. This has been enabled by theintroduction of bar coding and electronicscanning. The organisation has far morefocus and emphasis on fresh producethan there was five decades ago. Now,when the expenditures on weekly shopsare analysed 11% is laid out on food andnon-alcoholic beverages which comparesto 23% in 1965. The gender split betweenmale and female shoppers was 39:61 in2015 which contrasts with 24:76 when thecompany started trading. Fresh vegfeatures 8th in the basket of mostpurchased products in 2015 and Mondaysare the most likely days that customerswill shop in convenience stores, focusingon admin tasks and staple top ups.

Shopping habits have changed gov ern -ed not only by technological developmentsbut by the demise of specialised in dep en -dent specialists; butchers, bakers andcandlestick makers. One often hears thecomplaint from shoppers and consumersthat high streets do not have the indep -endent specialists that once existed andthat choice has been diluted and stifled. Online shopping must also be responsible forthe change in the high street mix. With foodthe opportunity may still exist to reverse thetrend. Meat, bread, cheese, fish, fruit andvegetables are important because they arenot manu fact ured and freshness along withflavour are still tangible consid er ations.Experiences related by the proprietor of the‘Fruit Market’ suggest that the latentdemand for the independent is far fromdead, but dormant, requiring just the righttweak to ignite customer interest.

VIEW FROM THEHIGH STREET

David Bryant with two of his staff and FPC

CEO Nigel Jenney

The Fruit Market, Bourne End, Bucks.

Winner of FPC

Fresh Awards Retailer of the Year

Colourful displays of fine produce

7

Every Livery Company is different, yet allare bound by the same tradition and the

common pillars of loyalty to the Lord Mayorand Corporation of the City of London,association with their profession, charitableworks, and support for their members in aspirit of fellowship. The Fruiterers arefortunate that our industry is very active,global in nature and diverse in its structure. Tohave half of the Livery connected with thesector gives us our purpose, while the otherhalf, drawn from all parts of the businesscommunity, introduces a richness anddiversity of talent. It is with this in mind thatthese ‘Reflections’ trace the route from springto high summer.

The Chairman of the London MarketCommittee’s Dinner at Stationers’ Hall inMarch reinforced our connections with theCity of London Corporation. The Livery waswell represented by past and present tradersin London’s fruit markets and it was apleasure to join them on a cheerful occasionthat anticipated my introduction to fruittrading itself. Early in May, together with theImmediate Past Master and the Clerk and hiswife, I joined the Lord Mayor on his annualvisit to New Spitalfields Market, one of threeowned by the City of London. We were guestsof Liveryman Chris Hutchinson, Chairman ofthe Tenants Association, and his wife Janet,Chief Executive. By the time we began ourtour, shortly after 7 o’clock, most of the day’s

work had been done. We saw long establishedfirms and a number of Fruiterer friends, aswell as traders from overseas who cater forthe diverse tastes and national foods ofLondon’s multinational population. Themorning ended with a good breakfast, shortspeeches by the Lord Mayor and by ChrisHutchinson, who politely but forcefullypressed the case for a fair rent review, andpresentations of fruit and flowers that were atribute to the market itself.

June was busy. Sandwiched either side ofthe visit to Turkey, further activity in support ofthe Lord Mayor, in consort with all the LiveryCompanies, included the annual weekend atIronbridge, cradle of the Industrial Revolution,and the commemoration of the 800thAnniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta atRunnymede. The day in which, then as now,the Temple featured prominently, was areminder that the Mayor of the time played asignificant role in the events from which manyof the City of London’s privileges and customshave derived. Elsewhere in this country,Sheriffs are appointed by the Crown. Theright of election for London Sheriffs wasgranted by King John, which is why, later inthe month, Masters, Wardens and Liverymenmet in Guildhall to elect Alderman CharlesBowman and Citizen Dr Christine Rigden asSheriffs for the ensuing year. It is one of thosesplendid and whimsical occasions of pompand circumstance but, as those who have

Past Master Donald Cryan at Runnymede

with the Master

Lord Mayor's visit to

New Spitalfields Market

Lord Mayor Allan Yarrow at

Guildhall for the 'Election of Sheriffs'

8

The Fruiterers arefortunate that ourindustry is very active,global in nature anddiverse in its structure

obeyed the summons of the precept issuedby the Lord Mayor will know, it is animportant affirmation of the City‘s right toconduct its own affairs, a right thatpoliticians in Westminster have sometimesquestioned. For us, it is also the occasion forfellowship at an informal lunch at the LittleShip Club.

The first of two other informal gatherings,was a Battlefield Tour of Sedgemoor, takingplace on the day before our annual visit tothe Royal and Bath & West Show. Theaction, on 6th July 1685, between the forcesof King James II and the Duke ofMonmouth, the illegitimate son of Charles II,who had landed at Lyme Regis in Dorset andmarched towards Bristol in the expectationof exciting a popular uprising, was arguablythe last pitched battle on English soil.Liverymen and their guests met at thePuriton Inn, on the edge of the battlefield, forlunch and a brief on the politics and eventsof the time, by our guide, General Sir JackDeverell, before following the latter part ofthe route of Monmouth’s four mile nightmarch from Bridgwater to attack the Royalforces at Westernzoyland. This area of theSomerset Moors and Levels, so badlyaffected by floods last year, is riven by rhynes(ditches) and the Great Drain (King’sSedgemoor Drain) which were to influencethe conduct and outcome of the battle.Monmouth’s bold plan might havesucceeded but the shortcomings of hiscommanders, the skill of John Churchill,later Duke of Marlborough, and prematurediscovery of the attackers led to a daylightmassacre and then the Bloody Assizes ofJudge Jefferies. We finished in Western -zoyland Church, in which many prisonershad been incarcerated. The small museum

there records familiar Dorset and Somersetnames of those hanged, drawn andquartered, or deported to the West Indies...

The second occasion, was a wellattended visit to Christie’s. We were briefedby our host, the Archivist, and hercolleagues on the history of this well knownand successful company and its buildings.We learned of the tasks to locate, establishthe provenance and promote rare works andwere shown sales catalogues andauctioneers’ records going back to 1766,only a few years after James Christieconducted his first auction. In them, we weredelighted to discover early records of anauction of fruit trees. The sale of Post Warand Contemporary Art the previous eveninghad realized over £93 million and thatafternoon we visited the sale room for anauction of similar works, albeit of lesser butstill substantial value. For those withoutprevious experience of the King Streetheadquarters, the speed, humour and skillwith which the auctioneers stimulated thebidding was impressive. The visit over, wewalked to St James’s Square and The Rag,the London Club of both the Clerk and theClerk Elect, for a refreshing Lady Hamilton’sTea.

At the Royal Bath & West, it was good tohave the Basketmakers and Poulterslunching with us in the Council Tent for thefirst time. In the Orchards and Cider Pavilion,

I regret to say that, as a judge of theChampion British Cider for the award of theFruiterers’ Cup, I was outvoted by MikeJagger’s brother. More recently, I tried myhand at judging cherries at the Cherry andSoft Fruit Show, whilst it was filmed by BBCCountryfile. To be accurate, I was firmly ledand instructed by Don Vaughan, anacknowledged expert. The Fruiterers, withLiveryman Paul Kelsey as Chairman, andthree Past Masters as Vice Chairman, ChiefSteward and Judge/Prizewinner, as well asstewards and competitors were clearlydominant at this, the only combined show ofits kind. The cherries were excellent and,remembering what we had learned in Turkey,it was no surprise that the black variety,Kordia, took the top award.

Education and encouragement of youthin the fruit industry underlay our StudentAward Winners day in Somerset, beginningwith a tour led by John Thatcher, this year’sMatthew Mack award winner, together withone of his recently qualified apprentices.Also present, Ali Capper, a Fruiterers’sponsored Nuffield scholar, representedanother thread in the tapestry of theCompany’s work for the long term future ofthe sector. It was a good note on which tofinish the first half of our year.

Fruiterers at the site of the Battle of Sedgemoor

Sale at Christies Auction House with Fruiterers in attendance

Judging ciders at the Bath & West

9

10

Soft and Stone Fruit

Arecent research project commissioned by the Fresh Produce Journal using Kantar Worldpanel data lists the top 50 fruit and

vegetable products. The findings are based on the volume and valueof sales of 100 fruit and vegetable products for the year to 24th May.Strawberries were listed in position number 6 and have reached aturnover value at retail of over £half billion. Purchase frequency rosein the UK to an average of 12 times. Notable industry experts havecommented on the future expectations and potential. These hingeon the development and availability of new cultivars to fill gaps ofvolume and quality in the supply calendar and the fulfilment ofgrower expectations. The season commenced with a non-vintageSpanish crop where problems with pollination and other growingfactors produced a lot of class II fruit. In the main production areasof the Iberian Peninsula some strawberry units are being switched toother berry types. The English strawberry season was 10 days laterin commencing with very few issues through to the Wimbledonfortnight. Subsequently, because of colder nights and less sunshinesupplies declined and sales volumes dipped. Currently, in the firstweek of August, availability has become tighter. Overall it has beena very reasonable season with grower returns proving satisfactory.

Raspberries were recorded in position 18 in the same survey.Demand has been increasing after many years of stagnation.Penetration has moved up from 30 to 35%. Most of the success overthe past year has been down to improved varieties with greater size,flavour and shelf life. Consequential inspiration of greater consumerconfidence witnessed retail values rising by 19.2% to £179.6m andvolumes to 16.8m kg up 24.3%. There has been no issues sellingraspberries during the current season and many pundits view thecommercial future for the fruit very positively.

When searching for a star in the berry category figures clearlyindicate that the Blueberry must wear the mantle. According toDave Ashton the supplies are inadequate to fulfil the demand – notjust in this country but internationally. Spain was late in startinghaving suffered problems with aphids. The volume was not as highas was anticipated but prices remained buoyant. Penetration hasrisen to 42% as against 36% in the previous year. The UK and Polishseasons are underway as the Newsletter goes to press with Peruviansupplies of over 10,000 tonnes scheduled to become available inSeptember. UK retail values have risen over 25% and volumesalmost 40% in the last year putting the fruit in position 12.

Blackberries are also faring well according to the Kantar report.Although in position 50 both value and volume have increased. As

with raspberries much of this is due to consumershaving increased access to sweeter, larger

fruits and possibly moving away from the‘free, hedgerow image’. Top Tier

varieties such as Victoria andBlack Magic are engenderingconfidence and satisfactionwhich encourages retailersto stock more regularly. As

with other berries penetration hasincreased.

The UK Gooseberry season has come and gone without incidentand according to our correspondent Currants have sold successfully.

Worth noting is the domestic Apricot production for 2015 whichrose significantly and allowed certain British retailers to stock thefruit for short seasons. Little is known about the prospects for the UKPlum growers as there does not appear tobe a central co-ordinating body. There arecertain significant Kentish growers who areenthusiastic about planting the fruit andportend a bright future. This is supportedby research that list plums as a starperformer. At position 28 with retail value atover £90m and a sparkling 19% increase involume it is a product very much in theascendancy. Finally domestic Cherrieshave experienced another stellar season.Production of new varieties using moderntechniques are increasing yields andextending the season. All good news foreverybody in the supply chain for a fruittype that is on the shelves for 12 months.

Piece prepared after an interviewwith Dave Ashton, Procurement

Director of Berry World

BERRIES and CURRANTS

The English strawberry

season has proved

satisfactory

Global supply of

blueberries is not

satisfying demand

Increasing demand for new

varieties

Tomato and AubergineChutneyMakes about 1 litre

4tbsp olive oil3 onions, peeled and chopped3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced750g ripe tomatoes, chopped2 aubergines, de-stalked and chopped small2-3 red chillies, chopped4 tbsp sultanas200g light brown soft sugar250ml white or red wine vinegar

1. Heat the olive oil in a wide-based large pan or preservingpan. Stir in the onions and garlic, and cook gently for 10minutes until the onions have softened.2. Tip in the tomatoes, aubergines, chillies and sultanas;stir together over the heat for 5 minutes.3. Add the sugar, vinegar and 2 teaspoons of salt, and stir.4. Simmer the mixture for 11/4 hours, uncovered, stirringfrom time to time until thick when you drag the end of awooden spoon through the chutney, it should leave a trail.5. Transfer the hot chutney to hot sterilised jars. Seal withlids that are plastic coated (otherwise the vinegar willcorrode them) and leave to cool. Serve with cheeses, cold meat and pies and curries.

By Sarah Whitworth

Summer Court Dinners are by traditionthe most relaxed in the Fruiterers

formal year. On many occasions theweather has been clement and diners havebeen able to enjoy conversations andaperitifs with their fellow liverymen in theopen. So it was during the evening of July16th at the Haberdashers’ Hall and thepictures taken at thereception in the courtyardrecord smiling faces andproject a convivial mood.

Haberdashers is a popularvenue and was capaciousenough to accommodate thevery impressive attendanceof 170 Liverymen, partnersand guests. From 1910 to

1939 the Fruiterers held their annualbanquet at the old Haberdashers’ Hall onat least 25 occasions. This was principallydue to the Eagleton’s association with theCompany, a family which supplied theFruiterers’ Clerks between 1861 and 1948.Sadly, the old hall which stood at 33Gresham Street was destroyed by enemybombing in 1940. English cherries of theKordia variety were graciously provided byPast Master Sandys Dawes, being offeredin dishes on table. It was fortuitous thatthe dates of the dinner and peak inproduction coincided. Many commentedon the size and flavour of the fruit. Thebeverage for the Loving Cups was ChapelPleck, Sparkling Perry gifted from ‘OnceUpon a Tree’, Gold winning medallists at

the 2015 Royal Bath & WestShow. Our own HonoraryFruiterer General Sir RobertPascoe, KCB, MBEresponded on behalf of theguests and gave aninteresting and differentperspective to the Battle ofWaterloo. Musical accomp -ani ment was provided by

musicians from the London ArtsOrchestra.

We were pleased to meet with and havethe pleasure of the company of our ClerkElect, Lt Col Philip Brown, at his firstFruiterers’ dinner.

An excellent evening was enjoyed by alland thanks must go out again to Lionel andAnn for the impeccable arrangements.

On Thursday 7th May Kingswood Golfcourse was bathed in late spring sun -

shine with the trees in full blossom – idyllic.A record 56 players attended; 23 Livery -

men entertained 33 guests with everyoneenjoying the day and Kings wood's wellrenowned superb catering.

Our winner was Mark Culley from the“A” division with 38 points. The winnerfrom “B” division was Bill Haynes. Wehad an amazing, long drive from a guest.Sussex apple grower Richard Daysmashed his ball 286 yards into the wind!

The Fruiterers' Golf Society entered ateam into The Prince Arthur Cup atWalton Heath for the first time in at least10 years. Liverymen Culley, Hilliard,Poulton and Waller finished 30th out of 64teams and qualified for automatic entry in2016. The day was won for the third year insuccession by the Leathersellers.

Andrew Poulton, Secretary, The Worshipful Company of

Fruiterers' Golfing Society

Summer Court Dinner

Warm sunshine, cool champage and

delightful company

Liveryman Mark Culley the

2015 Champion at Fruiterers' Golf Day

Long driving Champion Richard Day

with 286 yard smash into the wind

Master, Wardens and Clerk at Summer Court

Past Master Ivor Robins receiving a fun prize

from The President

Bill Haynes putting to win the B division

Time to catch up with old friends

Delicious Kordia cherries

supplied by Past Master

Sandys Dawes

Annette Bardsley receiving nearest the hole

prize from The President

A Delightful

Fruiterers’ Golfing Activities

11

The ancient document you see illustrated on this page isthe charter granted to the City of London by King John

in May 1215. It is a month older than the Magna Carta. Fora document of its age it is in remarkably good conditionand the King’s seal is clearer than any attached to theremaining copies of the Magna Carta itself. Despite its size– it is somewhat smaller than a sheet of A4 – it is one of themost enduring and potent documents in English history.

The story – As the author of Winnie the Pooh put it,“King John was not a good man”. In fact he was a verynasty man and by the spring of 1215 he was in trouble witheveryone, the Church, his barons and the City of London.He was notoriously cunning and deceitful. He tried,sometimes successfully, to divide his enemies and in May2015 he tried to buy-off the Lord Mayor and “Barons” of theCity by granting to the City a charter confirming its ancientrights, and, most importantly, the right to elect its own LordMayor annually on the basis that he would swear fealtybefore the King or his justices. Over the next 800 years theCity has kept the Crown to its word, and that explains thejourney which the new Lord Mayor makes each Novemberfrom the City to the Law Courts to swear fealty before theLord Chief Justices of England.

In 1215 things did not go as John planned. The City andthe barons didnot trust himand ten daysafter thecharter wassealed the Cityopened its gates tothe barons, whowere by that time infull revolt. Even bythe time John diedin 1216 the Cityhad not returned tohis control. Indeed,Prince Louis ofFrance, who hadinvaded at theinvitation of therebel barons, had

entered London, with little resistance,and was openly received by the

rebel barons and citizens andproclaimed, though not

crowned, King of England atSt. Paul’s.

Largely because thebarons held London, John

was forced to negotiate through his universally trusted minister,William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, and the Archbishop ofCanterbury, Stephen Langton. A little over a month later thosenegotiations resulted in the Magna Carta being sealed atRunnymede.

John being John, things did not end there and as most peoplesuspected, within a few months the Magna Carta was revoked. Itwas re-issued on a number of other occasions in revised forms byother monarchs, but that was not the fate of the City Charterwhich endured.

The City guarded it closely. It has only left the Guildhall threetimes – to escape the Great Fire; to avoid the Blitz and to cometo the Temple Church in May this year, in the company of theLord Mayor, the Aldermen and many of the Common Council.Why the Temple Church? That was where on 9th May 1215 KingJohn’s seal had been applied. It was the first time it had beenback in eight centuries.

As far as is known there was no Fruiterers’ Guild in 1215, but800 years later the Fruiterers were represented by Past Master HisHonour Judge Cryan, who this year is Reader (the equivocate ofUpper Warden) of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, inwhose hall a banquet was held to mark the occasion.

Piece provided by Past Master Donald Cryan

Still in remarkable condition.

Magna Carta of the City of

London with King John's Seal

The City of LondonCharter of 1215

12

The second staging of the LondonProduce Show and Conference drew

an impressive 50% more visitors toGrosvenor House than the inaugural show.Presented by Fresh Produce Consortiumand Produce Business magazine, the eventhas immediately become the largestnetworking occasion in the UK for theinternational fresh produce industry. Some1660 produce professionals from 36countries attended the boutique tradeexhibition and a gala cocktail receptionattracted 750 people on the evening priorto the main show day. The dates for LPS16

have already been announced – it will be atthe same Mayfair venue on June 7-9, 2016.

As a result of winning a Fruiterers Company Student

Prize, I was invited to attend thestudent day on the 14th July inSomerset. The day consisted ofvisiting two cider producers tolearn a little about ciderproduction and meet a recentlyqualified fruit productionapprentice. I was very fortunateto be in the company of theMaster, Rupert Best, GrahamCollier, Chairman of the AwardsCouncil and Mike Solomon,entomologist, formerly at EastMalling Research and TechnicalSecretary of the Awards Council.We were also joined for part ofthe day by Alison Capper who isa Nuffield Scholar sponsored inpart by the Fruiterers Company.Alison with her husband growsdessert and cider fruit and hops inWorcestershire. She is a member of theNFU Horticulture Committee.

Mr John Thatcher hosted in the

morning, giving us a riveting guidedtour of his growing business. Welooked at both the cider productionand logistical side of the companyas well as the growing aspect. I,myself, did not know a huge amountabout the cider trade so theexperience was all relatively new tome although many aspects aresimilar to dessert fruit growing. Wewere then treated to a buffet lunch.

We spent the afternoon at JulianTemperley’s Pass Vale Farm, lookingat and tasting some of his exquisitecider and cider brandies. It wasgreat to see some of the moretraditional methods of fruit growing andcider production which was a quite different

process to that at Thatcher’s.Forty year old trees at standardspacing (30ft x 35ft) and 6 metreshigh were the favoured growingsystem, along with sheepforaging grass beneath thecanopy. Even with this older-stylesystem, top quality fruit is alwaysproduced.

Overall, I had a brilliant day,meeting new people andexploring all corners of the ciderindustry, whilst being sited in thebeautiful landscape of Somerset.I want to a say a huge thank youto everyone involved in theWorshipful Company ofFruiterers’ for a superb day andthank you to Julian and John fortheir very kind hospitality.

Piece written by Ryan Williams

Worshipful Company of Fruiterers’ Award Day

Birds eye view of exhibition area

Chef Jeremy Pang demonstrates

Julian Temperley explains his personal

philosophy for successful cider brewing and

distillation

Julian Temperley, Ryan and our Master at Pass Vale Farm

The London Produce Show

Some glorious Somerset landscapes

with John Thatcher

13

14

Lieutenant Colonel Philip Brown assumed the appointment of Clerk

Elect on 1 June 2015 being introduced tothe Court and Honorary Assistants on July16. He will take over responsibility from LtCol Lionel French, in November.

Born and educated in Derbyshire, PhilipBrown was a professional soldier for thirty-seven years before retiring from the BritishArmy in July 2014. Commissioned into theRoyal Corps of Transport from The RoyalMilitary Academy Sandhurst in December1978, he spent his early years as a juniorofficer in regimental appoint ments in theBritish Army of the Rhine, the UnitedKingdom and served for three years withthe Gurkhas in Hong Kong. During thistime he saw operational service inNorthern Ireland.

A posting back to Germany followed,where his operational logistic planning skillswere put to the test during a deployment tothe First Gulf War as a junior staff officerwith 4th Armoured Brigade.

Following attendance at The ArmyCommand and Staff College Camberley,

he was posted to Aldershot for the next twoyears and then assumed command of asquadron of Gurkhas based in Colchesterwith whom he twice deployed to theBalkans. Promotion to lieutenant colonelfollowed shortly after and he was posted aschief of staff of the headquarters of theRoyal Logistic Corps Territorial Army inGrantham, Lincolnshire.

Lieutenant Colonel Brown completed afull time Master of Defence Administrationdegree (essentially a defence focusedMBA), at the University of CranfieldShrivenham Campus during 2001-02. Ongraduation, he was appointed to theDefence Transport and MovementsAgency as the principal strategic businessplanning officer. A posting to the Army’sinternal management consultancy for twoyears followed, first as a senior consultantand then as head. His final tour was as astaff officer at the Army Recruiting andTraining Division in Wiltshire.

A Fellow of The Charted ManagementInstitute, he has a particular interest in themanagement of change within

organisations. In his spare time he enjoysan occasional round of golf and is a keenamateur photographer. He was given acopy of ‘The Ladybird Book of Tricks andMagic’ at the age of seven resulting in alifelong interest in the history andperformance of conjuring and is a memberof The Magic Circle. Lieutenant ColonelBrown is married to Wendy and they havemade their home in Wiltshire.

Meet the Clerk ElectLieutenant Colonel Philip Brown

Philip Brown

Shepton Mallet and the Royal Bath &West Showground have become

familiar sites for our liverymen. The annualpresentation of the Worshipful Company ofFruiterers’ Perpetual Cup, to the brewers of

the Supreme British Champion Cider for‘Best in Show’, has become an event, formany, not to be missed On 28th May, theSherborne Cider Company was announcedas the worthy winner for 2015. This is oneof 28 awards that are made at the Show forvarious categories of cider, perry and fruitjuices. Needless to say there is much enth -usiasm for the competition and unique nessof the occasion, with the the prestige ofsuccess attracting entries from manybrewers, nationally and from farther afield.

We have supported and sponsored theRBW&W show for many years and with ourcurrent Master very deeply involved in theevent a new dimension has emerged in thathe has had to abandon his role as asteward. This year also witnessed our Clerkentering the lists with an apple juice that hehad prepared dubbed ‘Chapelstones’.

Visitors journey considerable distancesto view the eclectic displays and demon -stra tions at what is essentially a veryimportant agricultural show. Not only arethere some delicious, British produced

foods and beverages to sample andpurchase but on the multitude of stalls thatpack the show ground can be foundsomething for everyone.

At lunch, served in the Council Tent wehad the pleasure, at table, of liverymenfrom other companies and Anthony Gibson,President of the Royal Bath & West Show.

Unlike another event that is held in thesame County around the same time of year,wellingtons were not necessary over the fourday duration of the Shepton Mallet event!Winners of the Fruiterers' Perpetual Cup

Relaxing in the largest ever Orchard & Cider

Pavilion

Royal Bath & West Show

15

Twenty million children in Europe are overweight! In the UK 1in 5 school children are clinically obese and only 10% of boys

and 7% of girls aged 11-18 meet the “5-a-day” recommendationfor fruit and vegetable intake.

These statistics are shocking and do not bode well for futurehealth. The good news is that children have begun to eat morefruit and vegetables and the relentless rise in obesity hasplateaued. Government backed programmes to achieve greatervisibility of fruit and vegetables in schools, food orientatededucation and campaigns by celebrity chefs have all contributedto this turnaround. The problem is that making fruit readilyavailable and providing information about the benefits of healthyeating do not necessarily change children’s behaviour and theirlong term dietary habits.

The Food Dudes system was developed in the Department ofPsych ol ogy at Bangor University. It applies the science ofbehaviour change to children aged 2-11 years in order toincrease their fruit and vegetable consumpt ion, decrease theirintake of foods high in fat, increase their physical activity andabove all change their food preferences for the long term.Between 2009 and 2011 the Fruiterers Company donated£75,000 to Food Dudes. This is one of the largestgrants we have ever made to a single organisation.We sponsored a National Coordinator at a timewhen the scientific evidence for the effectivenessof the system was strong but the uptake inprimary schools was relatively low.

Over the past six years Food Dudes hasevolved into a succ ess ful socialenterprise; Bangor University remains akey partner, ensuring that the scientificbasis remains robust. The prog rammeshave now reached over 700,000 childrenacross 3,500 schools and Food Dudes’influence has extended beyond the UK toIreland, Italy and the USA. In 2014 primaryschool children in the West Midlands, animportant region for Food Dudes, ate 1.8

extra portions of fruit andvegetables per day duringthe school day alone, afterparticipating in Food Dudesprogrammes.

Sadly Professor FergusLowe who led the originalresearch and was theinspirational founder ofFood Dudes died last year.However he leaves a stronglegacy and we can be proudthat our Company gave vitalsupport to Food Dudes at acritical time in its development.

Piece provided by PastMaster Prof. John Price

Food Dudes Revisited

The Food Dudes

Thomas Nast’s drawing

of the fat boy Joe

Pickwick Papers 1873 Edition

JUNE 7-9 2016

Published by The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers: Clerk Lt Col (Retired) L. G. French, Chapelstones, 84 High Street, Codford St Mary, Warminster, Wilts BA12 0ND

Editor: Richard BrightenPrinted by DC Graphics, Drury Lane, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 9BJ. Tel: 01424 720072. Fax: 01424 434086

16

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe Editor wishes to thank the following for their valuable contributions to this Newsletter, Adrian Barlow, Jenny Bartlett, Berry World Ltd.,(Dave Ashton), Rupert Best, (The Master), Steve Bodger (Past Master), Lt Col Philip Brown (Clerk Elect), David Bryant, Dr Graham Collier,

Peter Cooper (The Immediate Past Master), Judge Donald Cryan (Past Master), Prof. Geoff Dixon, Lt Col Lionel French (The Clerk), John Giles, David Hohnen (Past Master), Jan Hutchinson, Tommy Leighton, Dr Gerard Lyons, Andrew Poulton, Prof. John Price (Past

Master), Dr Mike Solomon, John Warner, Mavis Warner and Sarah Whitworth.

For any Liveryman whohas not attended a City ofLondon Briefing and is intwo minds whether toapply ask a fellowFruiterer who hasattended. You will alwaysreceive a very positiveres ponse because the evening provides an inter esting and valu -able insight into the workings of the City. They are aimedparticularly at new Freemen and Liverymen, but wives,husbands and partners are also welcome. Liverymen andFreemen of longer standing who have not previously been to aBriefing are also encouraged to attend. The dates of the 2015briefings are given here. It is necessary to attend one of thesebriefings, held at Guildhall, before being clothed in the Livery. They are:-Wednesday 14 OctoberMonday 23 November 2015Application should be made atwww.liverycommitteecourses.org.uk

City of London Briefings

New Liverymen & New FreemenAt Audit Court May 14th 2015New LiverymenAdrian F RidleyCharles J C Hodges

New FreemenBrendon G E FinucaneJohn A JohnsonMalcolm Lindsay

ApprenticeElliot T Parker

New Freemen

at Audit Court

New Liverymen

at Audit Court

Congratulations

Congratulations to Sarah & Matthew Whitworth onthe birth of Archie George James who made hisappearance on 30th July weighing in at 6lb 8oz.

Editor’s thanks. The Editor extends his sincere thanks to the organisers of the ‘London Produce Show’who have kindly sponsored this Newsletter.