Shipment left the UK 6/15, cleared customs first week of July, was right at the very end of August when orders started being taken for all but a couple of sellers (Boswell, Smoking Pipes).
While any shipment anywhere, including the UK, might have some mold issues, the only market where the company ships to where these problems seem really significant is the US. Gawith’s distributors are, except in the UK, independent businesses. As has been widely noted, they are working through changing distributors.
I got 6 boxes and 13 tins this drop, no mold, 1 popped tin which I decided to keep anyway. 5 vendors. I have had two boxes of moldy Best Brown, different drops, different date code, different shops, in 2017 -18. I have bought factory bags, boxes, and tins, and loose tobacco from shops, including several shipments from UK shops years ago, since circa 1985 and those two boxes were the only time I experienced mold.
Don’t get me wrong, in that period of time I have had other disappointments, such as getting a bag or box that was way to dry, even for me. But even though the machinery is antiquated, the GH factory isn’t a hot bed where mold is even close to being rampant. (I have heard that the old SG works did have a real issue some years before the merger.)
Gawith could have a fully automated packing operation if they sold out to, say, MacBarens, K&K or STG. Otherwise, acquiring fully automated packing equipment isn’t economically feasible. Such equipment exists, but it simply is designed for much higher volumes. I doubt 1792 or Bob’s Chocolate would taste the same if made by one of the majors.
It has been widely reported that manufacturers who reliably deliver a mold free product from, say, Germany, are reducing the % of Perique in blends such as HU Directors Cut and Peter Heinrichs Curly Block. They aren’t advertising this downgrade nor are they reducing the price. But you as a consumer can choose to buy an artisan product, put up with some aggravation, or not.
Me? I buy and enjoy lots of different things.
