Former FPJ publisher David Hope-Mason dies aged 85

Fruitnet is very sad to report the death of David Hope-Mason, aged 85, on Thursday 22 January 2026 at his home in Hampshire.

David Hope-Mason served for more than 30 years as managing director of Lockwood Press, the family company set up by his grandfather, which published the Fresh Produce Journal for more than 100 years.

Hope-Mason also co-founded Market Intelligence Limited, which launched Eurofruit Magazine and Asiafruit Magazine and is now part of Fruitnet Media.

It was his lifelong interest in new technology which resulted in one of the biggest changes for the Fresh Produce Journal. His passion for Apple and its software and hardware solutions – at the time very much a fringe interest in the business world rather than global behemoth it is today – encouraged the magazine to digitalise years ahead of other publications.

Hope-Mason was one of the first trade magazine publishers in the UK to use Apple’s new desktop computers to bring magazine production in-house.

The Fruit, Flower and Vegetable Trades’ Journal, first published in 1895, became the Fruit Trades’ Journal and then the Fresh Produce Journal under his stewardship, with all the editorial and page layout undertaken from the magazine’s offices at London’s New Covent Garden Market.

In-house desktop publishing of print magazines was fairly revolutionary at the time because it reduced dependency on traditional “hot metal” printers who were in thrall to powerful printing unions. Magazine pages were designed in-house, which in turn encouraged greater flexibility. This allowed editorial and sales staff to work right up to the close of the issue.

Hope-Mason broke new ground in other ways too. Together with his friend Günter Schweinsberg, publisher of the German-language trade magazine Fruchthandel, he formed an international publishing company called Market Intelligence Limited.

The business launched Eurofruit Magazine in January 1974 to mark the UK’s accession to the European Common Market. And upon returning from a trip to Asia in 1995, Hope-Mason had the idea to launch Asiafruit Magazine at a time when the fresh produce market in Asia was just beginning to grow.

Together, the pair also pioneered a series of fresh produce business conferences, which had generally been the preserve of trade associations. Eurofruit Congress launched in the early 1980s and soon became the most important business meeting for chief executives of Europe’s top fresh produce businesses. The same model was adopted for Asiafruit Congress, which launched in 1998.

Hope-Mason remained an important player in the UK through his stewardship of FPJ. He helped to bring UK sector interests together to create the Fresh Produce Consortium, where he served on the board.

He was also Master of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers in 1989, the same year HRH Prince Charles was introduced as an honorary liveryman, and at the time of his death Hope-Mason was the senior past master of the livery company.

Hope-Mason retired from Lockwood Press some 20 years ago and enjoyed a happy retirement at home in Hampshire. He is survived by his wife Mal, his daughter Amanda and son Justin, as well as his sister Karin, and by very many grandchildren.