Total Produce chairman Denis Punter said interest in the newly formed £400 million company was huge in Berlin, as visitors packed the company’s stand to find out what recent developments mean for them.

“A lot has happened very quickly,” said Punter. “People are trying to get to grips with exactly what it all means. Is there still a link with Fyffes? has been asked for instance, well, there isn’t. And the Indian venture announced last week has been received very well too.

“All in all, the reaction has been extremely positive and there have been a lot of people in the mid-size range that have been keen to talk to me. I don’t blame them - as I’ve said before, I’m a great believer in consolidation and it is becoming harder for £10-20m companies to stay in the game, as they need the same infrastructure as the bigger players to supply supermarkets.”