Solving the EU Export Puzzle for Organic Food

When the UK left the European Union, Brexit reshaped the way British food and drink producers could sell into Europe. For small businesses in particular, the dream of serving customers across the Channel quickly turned into a nightmare of paperwork, rising costs, and seemingly endless red tape.

On the B2C side, the problem was clear. Every EU country has its own rules on food and drink imports. For organic producers, the hurdles were even higher. Chilled products faced added restrictions and shipping costs soared. Then came VAT — an administrative headache made worse by Europe’s patchwork of tax rates, compared to the UK’s 0% on most food. The result? Sending a single parcel across borders often became prohibitively expensive and the business community was hit very hard. Since 2021, over £200 million has been spent on paperwork alone even with EU imports down a staggering 34%.

On the B2B side, the challenges were no easier. Exporting from Britain and importing into Europe required complex paperwork, inspections, and clearances at different checkpoints. For organic products, clearance often had to happen separately at a different facility altogether. Pallet shipping costs doubled, making it uneconomical to send small loads. Add in the cost of chilled transportation, and the requirement to register for, and pay, EU VAT at the point of import, and the barriers to trade for small producers seemed insurmountable.

Innovation 

But out of challenge comes innovation - and this is where Loving Foods has generally excelled in the face of adversity. We understood firsthand the pain points of exporting in the post-Brexit landscape. 

Determined not to let red tape close off vital markets, the company scrutinised the system designed specifically for smaller producers. The goal was simple: make exporting to Europe viable again by solving three critical issues - cost, compliance, and convenience.

The solution we created is designed with smaller businesses in mind. By combining orders from multiple producers into a single consolidated shipment, Loving Foods has been able to drastically reduce costs and make exporting feasible again. 

The result - the cost of moving small numbers of pallets of organic produce can be reduced from over £500, down to less than £200. But it’s not just about making transport affordable, it’s about the admin as well.

How it Works?

Our framework handles everything from customs paperwork and VAT, to organic clearance, chilled transport and storage, and final distribution within Europe. For food and drink companies - whether you’re producing chilled or ambient products, organic or conventional - this means you can now send just one pallet, or scale up to more, without drowning in bureaucracy or breaking the bank, by combining orders into a single shipment. That’s why we are inviting others to join us to fill a shipment and reduce costs for a wider collective.

Even more importantly, the framework is not a workaround. It has been scrutinized, tested, and approved by customs authorities, organic certification bodies, and logistics experts. It is completely legal, fully compliant, and built for the long term.

For small businesses, this matters enormously. Brexit has forced many artisan and specialist producers to retreat from European markets - not because demand disappeared, but because the logistics became too burdensome. With our system, that door is now open again, giving smaller food and drink brands the chance to reach European customers with confidence.

The message is simple: if you’ve given up on exporting because of Brexit, it’s time to take another look. The barriers aren’t gone, but with the right framework, they can be managed.

At its heart, this is about ensuring that British producers - the bakers, cheesemakers, craft brewers, and organic farmers - can continue to share their craft with the world. And now, thanks to a smarter, fairer system, they can do so with less cost, less risk, and a dash more peace of mind.