French customs reject British shellfish shipments after UK reset' deal with EU

"Family-run business Offshore Shellfish, based in Devon, has continued exporting blue mussels to its European customers since Brexit, despite the administrative burden and onerous paperwork requirements. However, the past month has seen three out of four lorries prevented from entering the EU by customs officials at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer for various reasons, which the company's commercial director Sarah Holmyard called subjective and inconsistent."

"The mussels are grown on ropes in the waters of Lyme Bay, several miles off the coast of south Devon. The company exports the vast majority of what they grow, sending them for processing in the Netherlands, with most ending up in restaurants or on supermarket shelves in Belgium where they are a key ingredient in one of its national dishes: moules-frites. Few Belgian diners may realise some of the bowls of mussels and french fries they regularly enjoy contain molluscs grown across the Channel."

"All three rejected loads had to be destroyed, at the company's cost. The rejected shipments did not differ from previous deliveries, Holmyard said, leaving the company confused and suffering from the unexpected financial hit. It's completely subjective and it's inconsistent, which means you can't plan for it. It's just a lottery at the moment whether they get through or not, and we absolutely can't run a business in that way because it's too uncertain."

Offshore Shellfish, a family-run Devon business, has continued exporting blue mussels to EU customers despite increased post-Brexit paperwork and health checks. In one recent month, three of four lorries were prevented from entering the EU at Boulogne-sur-Mer, an outcome described as subjective and inconsistent by commercial director Sarah Holmyard. The company usually sends most mussels for processing in the Netherlands, with many reaching Belgian restaurants and supermarkets as ingredients for moules-frites. All three rejected loads were destroyed at the company's expense, producing an unexpected financial loss and creating operational uncertainty for future exports.

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