Heathrow, UK: PML Seafrigo, formerly PML, is offering UK fine food producers access to Seafrigo’s less than container load service to the US, enabling the transfer of British artisan foods to the States in 11 days.
“The newly launched London to New York line is likely to appeal to a variety of producers spanning the cheese, chocolate, charcuterie and dry goods sectors, looking to exploit the US’s ongoing love of fine foods from the UK,” PML Seafrigo says.
Ian Shuttlewood, UK general manager – ocean product & and operations, PML Seafrigo, says, “This represents an exciting opportunity for specialist producers looking for a hassle-free solution to develop a new route to market in the US. We can now provide a complete end-to-end temperature-controlled transfer, using our bonded warehouses which enables customs clearance on site.
“PML Seafrigo’s colleagues in the US handle picking, packing and container building, with onsite screening and quality control protocols. As per the service we operate in Europe, we will manage all the necessary freight forwarding documentation allowing the customer to concentrate on their skills as a fine food producer rather than worry about the logistics of transatlantic travel. “
According to the Department for Business & Trade, the US is the UK’s third largest market for food and drink exports, which totalled £2.0bn in 2021 (HMRC, December 2021), with cheese, identified as an emerging category in the US with a high growth potential.
“This fact combined with the increased complexities and costs associated with exporting perishable goods to Europe in the post Brexit landscape is heralding a strong interest in shipping goods to the US,” PML says.
“Producers of temperature sensitive foods such as cheese and chocolate, are key targets with PML Seafrigo providing a secure route which guarantees a seamless, timely transfer and unbroken cold chain, that includes a dedicated Seafrigo-owned cheese warehouse facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey.”
“PML Seafrigo’s service which is suitable for single pallets or sample cases includes pickup, consolidation and storage in the UK and deconsolidation, storage and delivery in the US. Throughout the entire freight transfer journey, PML Seafrigo is in full control of the cargo, from the time of collection through to arrival at the US destination, providing producers with complete peace of mind and full traceability of the consignment.”
Seafrigo’s established customs clearance expertise enables the container to be unloaded from the quay as soon as it arrives with an onward transfer to the company’s bonded warehouse in New Jersey, saving time and avoiding potential delays at the docks.
The final mile of the journey, from the warehouse to the customer destination is completed on a Seafrigo truck or on the truck of one of Seafrigo’s trusted and approved partners.
