News about the crisis in the Middle East explains how the war is affecting global shipping routes. But what has this got to do with Manuka honey? Actually quite a lot...
FROM ONE SIDE OF THE WORLD TO THE OTHER
All Manuka Doctor honey comes from New Zealand. We use sea freight to minimise environmental impact. With containers often taking many weeks to reach us here in the UK. Any disruption to shipping means your honey can be delayed in reaching us – and some grades may be temporarily out of stock while we find alternative ways to transport it safely.
CAN’T YOU JUST AVOID THE MIDDLE EAST?
That is only half the issue. While the Strait of Hormuz has hit the headlines, it’s actually the knock on effect of this closure which is affecting all companies who use sea freight.
Many ships sail through the Suez Canal (see map) but this is currently being used less, due to its proximity to countries in the conflict. That means a lot more sea freight is travelling a longer way around, via the bottom of South Africa. With this extra demand comes delays, increased costs, and inevitable issues with space, routing and shipping lanes.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?
We are holding stock in the UK currently, but there will be inevitable delays in re-stocking over the coming weeks and months.
Some specific grades of Manuka may become temporarily out of stock as we wait for new sea freight to be delivered.
If you are currently using a certain grade of Manuka – you can consider swapping to a similar grade to keep consistent. Our friendly UK team is happy to help advise you what we have in stock at the best price.
Until then, stock up on sale items while they're still here by viewing our Manuka Honey offers.
