Issue addressed Supermarket are a potentiai setting in which to deliver nutrition promotion to the community. A piiot project was able to examine the requirements for health authorities to form partnerships with other sectors and opportunities and limitations of using industry based communication strategies to promote healthy eating messages. Methods Pre‐intervention interviews heiped determine communication strategies. Post‐intervention interviews were used to assess content and appropriateness of nutrition resources, collaboration between key participants, satisfaction with training and barriers/promoters to implementation. An intercept survey with consumes measured the impact of the intervention. Results The survey of more than 1,120 women indicated only limited success. 12% of respondents from the intervention supermarket had watched demonstrations and 20% had noticed the recipe leaffets, with only 5% able to name the pramotion. Supermarket owners, representatives from participang food companies and demonstrators were supportive of the concept and content used in the promotion and qualitative analysis provides indicators for similar promotions. Conclusions Health authorities considering ‘partnerships’ with the food/supermarket industry should recognise the diversity of roles and responsibilities of the organisations invoived in the supply of food through the retail market and allow for long‐term planning when working with them. Head office of the supermarket group has a key co‐ordinating role, however, individual supermarkets will be driven by financial returns. So what? The recognton and trust in the name of health authorities by consumers means that organisations value an association with them.