George Hammond plc has secured a new service from Seatrade with the backing of the Port of Dover in the UK.
Seatrade's new Rayo service from Ecuador will carry bananas for Morrisons, Fyffes, Winfresh and Dole Fresh UK, also calling into Marin, Spain to combine with the CeltIberian service, offering a two-day onwards passage to Dover for seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Africa Express Line (AEL) will continue to utilise the port, its ships carrying bananas and pineapples from The Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana for receivers such as Tesco, Compagnie Fruitiere, Del Monte, Fyffes, Canavese and Simba, reports Fruitnet.com.
Seasonal vegetables from Senegal for receivers Barfoots of Botley and Dole Fresh UK are also carried in containers on deck, the group noted.
A large percentage of this cargo is cross docked, within a day of arrival, back to the near continental ripening facilities.
Seatrade's ColoRica service, which now sails direct to Hamburg, has just been replaced by its Seaban service, which carries bananas from Colombia and Costa Rica for Tesco, Mack Multiples, SH Pratt, Morrisons (Global Pacific Produce), Fyffes and Keelings.
Fresh Del Monte also continues to ship significant volumes on the Africa Express Line weekly service to Dover, the port confirmed.
Operationally, customers already receive extended loading times, when in excess of 100 vehicles a day are loaded, whilst still maintaining a ship discharge rate of 200 pallets per gang hour.
Hammond has also recently invested in a new fleet of Hyster fork trucks, improved flooring and installed ethylene scrubbing devices in all of their temperature controlled stores. While facilities at the terminal will be improved with the addition of extra electricity plug-in points and a purpose built Quality Assurance facility.
James Ryeland, managing director at George Hammond PLC, said: "Our relationship with the Port of Dover continues to pay dividends with their ongoing support over the past year," he said. "This joint effort is now bearing fruit with the addition of the new Rayo service. Our business continues to grow and attract major names in reefer shipping which will benefit from our wealth of experience and dedicated personal service."
Kate O'Hara, head of commercial and marketing at the Port of Dover, added: "We are delighted to welcome the new Rayo service. The fresh produce trade, operated at Dover's Cargo Terminal in the Eastern Docks, is an important part of our trade customer mix and one which we continue to fully support in any way we can."
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