Every few weeks someone asks whether we can ship fresh ponmo to London. We can ship a lot of things. That is not one of them, and it is worth explaining why rather than simply saying no.
The rule is moisture
Anything wet will either spoil or be refused. Anything properly dried will usually be fine. Between the two sits a category that travels only if it is packed properly and reaches its destination quickly.
Travels well
- Dried snails, dried ponmo, dried fish
- Egusi, ogbono, dried pepper, crayfish
- All the flours — plantain, yam, cassava, oat, rice
- Garri, dried pap, beans, rice
- Spices and powders — turmeric, ginger, moringa, tigernut
Does not travel
- Wet ponmo and wet pap — both spoil within days
- Fresh produce, including avocado
- Frozen anything, unless a cold chain is arranged end to end
Declare it honestly
Most countries allow dried plant products and many allow dried seafood, but almost all require it declared. An undeclared parcel of foodstuff is far more likely to be destroyed than a declared one. Rules differ: the UK, the US, Canada and the EU each have their own list, and they change. Check before you order, not after.
How we pack for export
Double-bagged, air pressed out, sealed, then boxed with the invoice inside and a copy outside. Powders get an inner seal — a burst bag of moringa inside a box of garri makes a mess nobody can salvage.
A cheaper way to do it
If you are sending food to family in Nigeria, do not ship from abroad. Pay us here and we deliver locally, which costs a fraction of international freight and arrives in days rather than weeks. Plenty of our customers abroad use us this way.
Either way, send your list to our enquiries page or on WhatsApp and we will quote the goods, the packing and the shipping separately, so you can see exactly what you are paying for.