The extra paperwork, fees, and health regulations required for goods to pass through Britain's border are especially difficult for businesses that transport small quantities. This is a challenge for specialist food importers in London who source products from small suppliers across Europe, making the city renowned for its dining scene. Yannos Hadjiioannou, the owner of Maltby & Greek, has faced obstacles in discovering and importing unique products from Greece and its islands due to these new requirements. Customers at his shop can find rare items like goat-milk butter, Mastelo cheese, mountain tea, and Gigantes beans from Feneos, which have become harder to import in recent weeks. After being postponed for a year, Britain began enforcing stricter customs requirements for goods entering the country from the European Union on January 1. Previously, these goods did not require customs declarations, but now they must be accompanied by them. Additionally, businesses importing animal and plant products, such as food, are now required to notify the government in advance of shipments. Despite the implementation of these new rules, the transition at the border has been relatively smooth. DFDS, a Danish logistics company that operates ferry services to Britain, explained that some customers had made errors in their paperwork, leading to delays in food shipments. Shipments from the Netherlands had to be temporarily halted to address a backlog from the previous day. DFDS CEO Torben Carlsen noted that lessons were learned from similar issues a year ago when the European Union implemented customs rules following Brexit. The problems included delayed deliveries, trucking companies ceasing service to Ireland, and food spoilage in ports. It took over a month to resolve most of these issues. Britain was unable to handle the same problems with imports this year. Approximately 25% of the nation's food is brought in from the European Union, particularly during the winter when there is a higher demand for fresh produce. However, there are difficulties that are not immediately apparent at the border. Some UK companies are absorbing the export costs of their European partners in order to retain them, while others are simply importing fewer goods, which limits choices for consumers. Others have started to limit their purchases to bulk orders and are not willing to experiment with new products. The decrease in imports was already apparent before the new import regulations were implemented. In the first nine months of 2021, food and drink imports dropped by approximately 11% compared to 2019, as reported by the Food and Drink Federation. Despite the fact that Britain exited the EU's customs union at the beginning of 2021, Hadjiioannou initially continued business as usual. However, within six months, the extra customs expenses and resulting price hikes became too costly. He no longer receives weekly shipments of anthotyro, a soft fresh sheep's milk cheese from Crete, and traditionally strained sheep or goat yogurt, causing these popular products to frequently be out of stock. Sausages from Crete are now frozen instead of fresh in order to be sent in larger, less frequent deliveries. According to Hadjiioannou, many perishable products, especially those with small volume but important for many restaurants and delis, have suffered due to Brexit. The main impact of Brexit has been the loss of flexibility. Maltby & Greek's warehouse is located at Spa Terminus, which is a row of railway arches housing food producers, wholesalers, and wine importers. During this season, the fresh produce available at markets includes Sicilian citrus, Italian leafy greens, and French root vegetables. Rachel Sills, who sells cheese made in Switzerland and the Netherlands at a different location than Maltby & Greek, has prior experience exporting from Switzerland, which helped her navigate Brexit's trade rules. However, she is still facing additional costs due to the new requirements, such as Economic Operator's Registration and Identification numbers, customs agents for export and tax paperwork, and more detailed invoices with tariff codes for the four small cheese producers in the Netherlands she buys from, some of whom do not even have email addresses. Sills mentioned that she had covered the additional expenses for export clearances on behalf of the cheesemakers. Recently, she managed to consolidate the orders, resulting in a payment of only 65 euros ($74.50) for each invoice, in addition to her own import fees. She noted that up to this point, the cheesemakers had not started covering the actual costs of the export charges, as she had been the one paying for them. Sills pointed out that the paperwork and costs are not overly burdensome individually, but for companies with numerous suppliers, the cumulative costs can be exorbitant, especially when purchasing small quantities. According to trade policy expert David Henig in London, Brexit has ultimately resulted in additional costs for businesses. While there are no longer wild shortages, the customs systems are functioning, but the impact will be gradual and ongoing, similar to a "slow boiling frog." These extra costs are expected to negatively impact Britain's economy, with forecasts suggesting a long-term loss of approximately 4% of gross domestic product. Customers may experience fewer choices as a result, and the incentives for companies to invest in Britain are also decreasing. Franco Fubini, the founder of Natoora, stated that the company has become less focused on the U.K. compared to a few years ago. Natoora, originally based in London in 2004, now sources fresh produce from numerous small farms in Europe and North America for approximately 1,600 restaurants worldwide and retailers like Selfridges and Whole Foods, with establishments in the U.S. To streamline operations, Natoora shifted its processes so that its British division no longer directly imports from farms in Italy, France, Spain, and Greece. Instead, additional staff were hired in Paris and Milan to purchase the produce for the London office from those hubs in Europe. This consolidation has resulted in a single invoice, saving costs on transportation and customs. Despite finding a solution, Fubini mentioned that Brexit has negatively impacted Britain's global standing, prompting him to reassess his company's future. He stated that after 15 or 16 years, he began to question the level of investment in the U.K. when Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new trade deal with the European Union on Christmas Eve 2020. Despite Johnson's belief that the agreement would facilitate more business with European partners, it has actually made it more difficult. Brexit was anticipated to eliminate Brussels bureaucracy but instead has introduced new complications for businesses. Even supporters of Brexit are frustrated by the slow realization of its promised benefits. Elena Deminska, who runs the fresh produce market at Spa Terminus, Puntarelle & Co, believes Brexit could provide British farmers with an opportunity to produce more food that is currently imported from the EU. The country's climate is suitable for growing bitter winter lettuce, broccoli raab, and apricots with some effort, according to Deminska. She criticizes farmers for not being adaptable and outsourced her customs work to an external company four years ago in anticipation of Brexit, but still finds the additional paperwork frustrating. She believes there is already too much paperwork and anticipates more obstacles for businesses in the future. Starting in July, food imports must be accompanied by health certificates signed by European Union inspectors and may be subject to random checks at the border. These new regulations will increase complexity and cost, causing disruption, according to Fubini.