Corridor Fresh.
Freshness-preserving logistics for edible plants — vegetables, fruit, fruit trees, herbs and microgreens.
Most parcel networks optimise for throughput. Corridor Fresh optimises for survival, shelf-life and arrival quality of edible plants.
Edible plants move differently through the year.
Sowing, harvest and peak-condition windows are taken from RHS-grade UK growing guidance. Corridor Fresh aligns vehicle, route and handling decisions to the actual biology of each crop — not a generic parcel SLA.
| Crop | Sow | Plant out | UK harvest | Peak freshness window | Transit sensitivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato (indeterminate) | Feb–Apr | May–Jun | Jul–Oct | 24–48 h post-pick | Vibration · ethylene · 12–15 °C ideal |
| Strawberry (Junebearer) | — | Aug–Sep (runners) | Jun–Jul | 12–24 h | Bruise risk · 1–4 °C · short hops |
| Raspberry (summer-fruit) | — | Nov–Mar (canes) | Jun–Aug | 12–24 h | Highly fragile · single-layer trays |
| Apple (dessert · cv. Cox, Discovery) | — | Nov–Mar (bare-root) | Aug–Oct | Days–weeks (cv. dependent) | Bruise & ethylene · stable temp |
| Pear (cv. Conference, Williams) | — | Nov–Mar | Aug–Sep | Pick under-ripe · ripen in transit | Pressure-sensitive · upright crating |
| Cherry (sweet · cv. Stella) | — | Nov–Mar | Jun–Jul | 12–24 h | Splits in heat · 0–2 °C ideal |
| Plum (cv. Victoria) | — | Nov–Mar | Aug–Sep | 1–3 days | Bloom-sensitive · gentle handling |
| Lettuce (butterhead, cos) | Mar–Aug | Apr–Sep | May–Oct | Same-day to 24 h | Wilts above 8 °C · cool chain critical |
| Rocket (wild & salad) | Mar–Sep | Mar–Sep | May–Oct | Same-day | Heat-shock fast · cooler windows only |
| Spinach | Mar–Aug | — | May–Oct | 12–24 h | Yellows quickly · ventilated trays |
| Kale (cv. Cavolo Nero, curly) | Mar–Jun | Jun–Aug | Aug–Mar | 1–3 days | Hardy · tolerates short cold legs |
| Chard (Swiss, rainbow) | Mar–Jul | — | Jun–Nov | 1–2 days | Stem snap risk · upright loading |
| Carrot (early & maincrop) | Mar–Jul | — | Jun–Nov (lift Oct–Mar) | Days (with tops trimmed) | Tops wilt fast · root stable |
| Parsnip | Feb–May | — | Oct–Feb | Weeks (cold store) | Robust · cold-tolerant |
| Beetroot | Mar–Jul | — | Jun–Oct | 1–2 weeks (with tops 1–2 days) | Bleed risk if cut · separate trays |
| Potato (early · cv. Charlotte) | — | Mar–Apr (chitted) | Jun–Jul | 1–2 weeks (dark, cool) | Greens in light · breathable sacks |
| Onion (overwintered & maincrop) | Aug or Mar | — | Jul–Sep | Weeks–months (cured) | Robust if cured · keep dry |
| Garlic (autumn-planted) | — | Oct–Nov | Jun–Jul | Weeks–months (cured) | Robust · keep dry & ventilated |
| Leek (cv. Musselburgh) | Feb–Apr | Jun–Jul | Sep–Apr | 1 week | Hardy · cold-tolerant in transit |
| Courgette | Apr–May | May–Jun | Jul–Sep | 1–4 days | Skin-mark sensitive · single-layer |
| Runner bean | Apr–Jun | May–Jun | Jul–Oct | 1–2 days | Wilts in heat · ventilated crates |
| Pea (mangetout · garden) | Mar–Jun | — | Jun–Aug | Same-day to 24 h | Sugars convert fast · cool chain |
| Sweetcorn | Apr–May (under cover) | May–Jun | Aug–Sep | Hours for peak sweetness | Sugar→starch · same-day priority |
| Cucumber (greenhouse) | Feb–Apr | Apr–May | Jun–Sep | 2–5 days | Chill injury below 10 °C |
| Pepper (sweet · cv. F1 Gypsy) | Feb–Apr | May (under cover) | Jul–Oct | 1 week | Wrinkles below 7 °C · stable temp |
| Aubergine | Feb–Mar | May (under cover) | Jul–Oct | 1 week | Chill injury below 10 °C |
| Basil | Mar–Jun (warmth) | Jun (out) | Jun–Sep | Same-day | Blackens below 10 °C · never cold-chain |
| Coriander | Mar–Sep (succession) | — | May–Oct | Same-day to 24 h | Bolts in heat · cool but not cold |
| Parsley (flat & curled) | Mar–Jul | — | May–Nov | 1–2 days | Hardy leaf · ventilated bunches |
| Mint (Mentha spicata) | — | Mar–May (division) | May–Oct | 1–2 days | Bruises easily · loose bunching |
| Chives | Mar–May | — | Apr–Oct | 1–2 days | Hollow stems crush · light packing |
| Microgreens (mixed) | Year-round (indoor) | — | Year-round | Same-day | Tray-level handling · 4–8 °C ideal |
UK growing windows · RHS-grade reference · cultivars indicated where transit characteristics differ materially.
Cold-chain or cool-chain?
Basil, cucumber, pepper and aubergine suffer chill injury below ~10 °C. Lettuce, leaf herbs and soft fruit need 1–4 °C. Corridor Fresh segments routes by crop, not by truck.
Sugar-loss windows
Sweetcorn, peas and asparagus convert sugars to starch within hours of harvest. These are routed same-day, single-leg, with no overnight depot dwell.
Bruise & bloom risk
Plums, cherries, raspberries and strawberries are routed on low-vibration legs with single-layer trays and minimal handovers.
Cured & stable crops
Onions, garlic and maincrop potatoes tolerate longer routes once cured — routed flexibly with ventilation, kept dry and dark.
Hardy winter crops
Leek, kale, parsnip, chard and overwintered brassicas tolerate cold legs — useful for off-peak EV-suitable runs.
Greenhouse & protected
Tomato, pepper, cucumber and aubergine carry consistent quality through autumn under glass — routed on temperature-stable legs into October.
Routes scored for freshness — not just speed.
Corridor learns which routes, vehicles and delivery windows protect freshness best — reducing heat exposure, depot delay, frost risk, vibration, missed delivery and spoilage.
Scoring input
Temperature exposure
Heat and frost risk modelled across route segments.
Scoring input
Route duration
Total time from pickup to handover, not just driving distance.
Scoring input
Depot risk
Overnight or weekend depot dwell modelled per leg.
Scoring input
Weather risk
Local frost, heatwave and humidity bands factored in.
Scoring input
Vibration & handling
Sensitivity scoring for delicate stems, leaves and trays.
Scoring input
Delivery window reliability
Probability of arrival inside the booked slot.
Scoring input
EV suitability
Where quiet, low-vibration EV runs improve outcome.
Scoring input
Spoilage risk
Composite risk surfaced before dispatch, not after.
Cheshire herb grower → Manchester restaurant
Payload: mixed herbs + soft-leaf vegetables
Standard parcel risk
High
Corridor Fresh risk
Low
EV route suitable
Yes
Freshness Confidence
94%
Indicative figures · pilot model
How Fresh routing differs
- Slots chosen for cooler windows, not just nearest van.
- Direct legs preferred — fewer depot dwell points.
- Vehicle and loading chosen for vibration sensitivity.
- Delivery window probability surfaced before dispatch.
- Telemetry from each run improves the next.
Why edible plants fail in normal parcel networks.
Depot delays
Living goods lose quality when they sit in warehouses overnight or over weekends.
Temperature shock
Heat, frost and poor timing can destroy fragile produce before it reaches the customer.
Rough handling
Plants and edible greens need orientation, careful loading and fewer handoffs.
Missed delivery windows
Freshness-critical orders need predictable arrival, not vague parcel tracking.
Not mass parcel delivery.
Corridor focuses on fragile, urgent and freshness-sensitive logistics where reliability matters more than volume.
The Corridor ecosystem
- Open →
Corridor Rapid
Urgent operational logistics
- Open →
Corridor Fresh
Edible plants — vegetables, fruit, herbs and microgreens
- Open →
Corridor Intelligence
Route confidence, vehicle choice and operational telemetry
- Open →
Corridor Air
Future low-altitude / drone corridor pilots
Freshness-critical logistics creates real-world route data that can later support low-altitude corridor planning.
Less waste. Smarter routes.
Better routing means fewer failed deliveries, less spoilage, fewer replacement shipments and lower unnecessary diesel mileage.
Fewer failed deliveries
Right window, right vehicle, first time.
Less spoilage
Freshness-aware routing reduces written-off stock.
Fewer re-shipments
One arrival in good condition replaces two in poor condition.
Lower diesel mileage
EV-suitable legs identified before dispatch.
Move edible plants like infrastructure, not parcels.
Talk to Corridor about a Fresh pilot route for your growers, kitchens or farm shops.