U.S. Food Export to the United Kingdom

Chihade International supplies American food products to importers, retailers and foodservice distributors in the United Kingdom, shipped from our SQF-certified facility in Georgia. We are looking for a distributor partner in the UK.

Why United Kingdom

U.S. agricultural and related exports to the UK reached $3.8 billion in 2024, up 19.8%, with consumer-oriented food at $1.0 billion and growing 11%. The grocery market is worth around £220 billion, with the top four grocers holding 67%, discounters 19.2% and online 13.1%.

The fastest-growing U.S. categories are tree nuts (+24.7%, $202.4 million), food preparations (+19.7%) and wine (+13.7%). USDA names hormone-free beef, pork, dried and processed fruit, seafood and craft spirits as the clearest prospects.

What We Do From the U.S.

We are a U.S. exporter. We do not operate warehouses or distribution in the United Kingdom — that is what our distributor partners do. Our job is everything on the American side of the shipment:

• Sourcing from more than 300 U.S. manufacturers, to your specification
• Consolidating mixed loads into full containers, so you are not forced into single-supplier minimums
• Dry, chilled and frozen storage in our 64,000 sq. ft. SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia
• English-language labelling, stickering and ink-jet date coding applied before goods leave the U.S.
• Export documentation — USDA and health certificates, halal certification where required, certificates of origin
• Ocean and air freight on contracted U.S. lanes, with expedited air for urgent replenishment

Import Requirements We Prepare For

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is the competent authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with Food Standards Scotland in Scotland and port health authorities running checks at the border. Since Brexit the UK runs its own regime — and one point catches exporters out constantly: establishments approved for the EU are not automatically approved for the UK. A separate UK listing is required.

A word on meat, because it is where most U.S. exporters get this wrong. The restriction is on the treatment, not on American origin. Beef enters legally provided the cattle are certified under the USDA Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) programme, with segregation at slaughter and an EU-approved establishment. Pork must move under the FSIS Pork for the EU (PFEU) programme, since ractopamine is not permitted. Poultry is the genuine problem: the pathogen-reduction treatments used by essentially all U.S. processors are not approved, so U.S. poultry does not form part of our programme here. Beef, dairy, grocery and foodservice lines are unaffected.

In May 2025 the UK–US Economic Prosperity Deal created a 13,000 tonne duty-free UK quota for U.S. beef and zeroed the tariff on an existing 1,000 tonne quota — hormone-free product only. UK food standards were explicitly unchanged.

Labelling is in English, and since 1 January 2024 pre-packed food sold in Great Britain must carry a UK food business operator address — which means a UK-established partner is structurally necessary, not merely convenient. A GB importer must pre-notify through IPAFFS at least one working day ahead and route the consignment through an appropriately designated border control post.

Felixstowe and London Gateway are the principal container gateways, with Southampton also significant. Heathrow is the largest air cargo hub.

What We Look For in a Distributor Partner

We are deliberately selective, because these relationships tend to last decades rather than seasons. We are typically looking for:

• An established importer of record, with the licences and clearance experience the market requires
• Real coverage of at least one channel — modern retail, wholesale, foodservice distribution, or franchise supply
• Temperature-controlled storage and distribution appropriate to the categories you want to carry
• A sales team that can place and support a new brand rather than simply warehousing it
• An interest in a long-term programme, including exclusive lines where it makes sense for both sides

If that is a reasonable description of your business, we would like to talk.

See all markets we serve →

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a warehouse or office in the United Kingdom?

No. Chihade International is a U.S. exporter based in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and we ship from there. We do not hold stock inside the United Kingdom. Local importing, clearance, storage and distribution are handled by our distributor partners — which is precisely the role we are looking to fill.

Do we have to order a full container of a single product?

No. Consolidation is one of the main reasons distributors work with us. We combine products from multiple U.S. manufacturers into one container, so you can carry a broad range without committing to full-truckload minimums from each supplier.

Can we get exclusive rights to a brand in our market?

In many cases, yes. Chihade International is the exclusive distributor of Country Sun, our own brand of American cheeses, mayonnaise, frying oils, cheese sauce and breakfast meats. Where it makes commercial sense on both sides, we grant exclusive Country Sun distribution rights by territory — a line your competitors cannot stock. See the range at countrysunfoods.com.

Is U.S. beef banned in the UK?

No — but hormone-treated beef is. U.S. beef enters legally when the cattle are certified under the USDA Non-Hormone Treated Cattle programme and slaughtered at an approved establishment. There is also a 13,000 tonne duty-free UK quota for U.S. beef from the 2025 trade deal, for hormone-free product only.

Can you supply U.S. chicken to the UK?

No. UK rules permit only potable water and a short list of specifically approved substances for removing surface contamination from poultry. The pathogen-reduction treatments used by essentially all U.S. processors fall outside that list, so U.S. poultry does not form part of our UK programme. Beef, dairy, grocery and foodservice lines are unaffected.

Does our EU approval cover the UK?

No. Establishments on EU lists are not automatically approved for UK export — a separate UK listing is required. We confirm UK eligibility per plant and per product before quoting.

How We Work With Partners in the United Kingdom

Whichever channel you operate in, the U.S. side of the shipment is the same: sourcing, consolidation, preparation and documentation from our SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

• Franchise export — supplying U.S. franchise brands at their locations in the United Kingdom.
• Distributor partnerships — for importers and foodservice distributors carrying American lines.
• Retail and supermarket consolidation — an American grocery range without single-supplier minimums.
• Export warehousing and 3PL — dry, chilled and frozen under one roof in Georgia.
• All export services — the full picture of what we handle before a container sails.
• Beef and protein export — U.S. beef, poultry and seafood, including halal programmes, with plant eligibility confirmed for each market.

Useful reading: Export documentation, in plain English  ·  Cold chain for food exports  ·  How to become a distributor partner  · How franchise export works ·  all export guides

Become Our Distributor Partner in the United Kingdom

Tell us about your market coverage and the products you are looking for, and we will be in touch about a distribution program.