North Yorkshire-based Bettys has switched out its two diesel delivery vans for all-electric vehicles as the latest part of its decarbonisation strategy.
The temperature-controlled vans will run daily deliveries between the craft bakery in Harrogate and its five café tea rooms/retail shops – one across town, one at the nearby RHS Garden Harlow Carr, and one each in York, Ilkley and Northallerton.
They will supply Bettys’ range of freshly made breads, cakes, and patisserie, including the bestselling Fat Rascals (fruit scones decorated with glacé cherry for eyes and three almonds for teeth) and the Fondant Fancies (Genoese sponge cake with buttercream and raspberry preserve, topped with marzipan and hand-piped fondant icing).
Bettys ordered the vehicles from ProGreen, the sustainable vehicle hire and alternative fuels division of fleet management firm Prohire. Their bespoke design not only helps reduce emissions but also improves operations, with a tail lift that safely and efficiently lowers entire bakery trolleys rather than requiring individual trays to be removed one by one as before.
Additionally, ProGreen has delivered a brand-new electric van to The Cone Exchange, Bettys’ flagship community project which collects waste from local businesses and raises funds that are then donated to local charities. ProGreen initially provided the van free of charge as an in-kind donation.
Telematics systems have been fitted to all three vehicles, providing remote fault diagnosis, tracking, accident detection, driver behaviour analysis, performance monitoring, and reporting on CO2 savings. ProGreen has also provided training to drivers, and will offer an ongoing maintenance service.
“Our family business has a long commitment to protecting our planet, and these new vehicles are a positive next step in our approach to reducing our impact on the environment,” said Bettys product director Paul Farr.
Other bakeries that have also added electric vehicles to their fleets recently include Warburtons and Wenzels the Bakers.
Bettys was a finalist for Craft Bakery Business of the Year 2023, with its parent company also owning tea and coffee brands Taylors of Harrogate and Yorkshire Tea produced in the adjacent factory site.
In its most recent accounts filed to Companies House, group turnover of £260.6m was reported for the year ended 31 October 2022, marking a 3% increase from the previous financial period, although operating profit fell by £1.6m to £10.3m.
The group added the first all-electric van to its fleet in 2019, and has installed a total of ten 7kW charging points in car parks for use by customers and employees.
Bettys told British Baker it did not currently have plans to expand its café estate but would be looking to increase visitors at existing branches along with sales via its online delivery service, Bettys by Post. ”Our ambitions focus on keeping the customer centre stage and doing what we do well even better,” added the company.
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