With thousands of hotels and restaurants close together, inner London is a huge business potential for food suppliers. However, there is a costly downside – traffic congestion, the £5 daily congestion charge and the increased fuel costs due to the constant stop and start to make deliveries.
Express Foodservice, part of Express Dairies, has resolved the problem by switching to electric delivery vehicles. The company is using 7.5 tonne electric delivery vehicles equipped with high-tech eutectic refrigeration systems from Hubbard Transport Refrigeration.
The Govet E480/10 Stac Eutectic system comprises ten plastic eutectic beams, 1,500mm long, in a 2×5 stac mounted behind a false bulkhead and connected to a 1kW bulkhead-mounted condensing unit. The beams feature a patented non-toxic gel which, when frozen to -11°C, delivers constant refrigeration in line with the holdover capacity of up to 7.5kW. Frozen overnight, via a mains-powered condensing unit, the system ensures efficient and environmentally friendly refrigeration during the day.
Following the recent acquisition of C&R Foods, Musgrave Foodservices is investing in an Accord – Distribution solution, from supply chain specialist Business Computer Projects (BCP), to replace its current system and enable rapid integration of the new business. Accord is being implemented at frozen food supplier C&R, and will control all aspects of warehouse operation from purchasing and goods received to stock control and warehouse management. The implementation includes the new, enhanced Accord Telesales module while plans for Voice WMS features at a later date.
Labcraft has shed 9mm off the recessed depth of its FrigospotT light, making the total recessed depth 37mm. This means that many of the smaller refrigerated vehicles with thinner linings can now benefit from all the FrigospotT’s features including a weatherproof rating of IP66, low battery draw, instant light, ultra tough lens, and operation at temperatures down to -25ºc.
Stirlingshire Vending, of Linlithgow, has recently taken delivery of two new vans fitted with Thermo King V-100 refrigeration units with the new Direct Smart Reefer. The vans, with refrigeration units supplied by Thermo King Northern, have been introduced to transport fresh food products to customers in the UK. Stirlingshire Vending is a Nestlé-approved operator providing customers with a route-operated service delivering hot drinks, confectionery, snacks, can and bottle vending. It manages and prepares a vast selection of fresh food daily, which is transported direct to customers via Thermo King refrigerated vans.
