The UK’s largest independent fresh produce supplier, Fresh Direct is now operating more than 75 refrigerated vehicles from Petit Forestier, the majority of which have been supplied in full livery on a long term contract hire basis. The vehicles, most of which are Mercedes or DAF, have been specified for Fresh Direct’s totally chilled distribution application and are used to deliver fresh produce sourced from around the world to the company’s customer base throughout the UK.
The single-temperature vehicles, which range from 3.5 tonnes to 18t, operate out of Fresh Direct’s main site and warehouses in Bicester as well as its sites in Manchester and Glasgow. This includes a daily-consolidated delivery service to the central warehouses of pub and restaurant groups and direct deliveries to end users.
Fresh Direct’s customer base include pubs, restaurants and hotels, ranging from the largest mainstream groups to the top five star establishments and independents; airlines, college and conference centres, sports stadium and major event caterers. The company’s own produce specialists travel around the world visiting and working with growers overseas to source fresh produce that meet customers’ pre-determined specifications. The current product range comprises over six hundred varieties of fresh produce including fruits vegetables, salads, herbs and mushrooms.
Fresh Direct chairman, John Harris said: “We find Petit Forestier very flexible in their approach. They are able to provide us with the appropriate vehicle specifications on favourable contract terms and we have been able to exchange vehicles mid-contract on occasions as our needs have changed. Unlike most traditional contract hire companies, Petit Forestier is a fridge specialist and has the scale and vehicle resources needed to offer such flexibility. They also have the breadth and depth of national coverage that we rely on.”
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