Fairfax Meadow, Catering Butcher of the Year 2023, has taken delivery of its first electric vehicles from ProGreen, the sustainable vehicle hire and alternative fuels division of Prohire, the leading provider of commercial vehicle hire and fleet management solutions.
Delivered as the UK’s biggest foodservice catering butcher celebrates its 50th anniversary, the two Ford e-Transit refrigerated vans will operate within London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), delivering meat to Fairfax Meadow customers in the capital, including Browns Restaurants (Mitchells & Butlers), Drake & Morgan, Ivy Collection and Gordon Ramsay.
The bespoke vans, designed and managed by ProGreen through the production process, are part of Fairfax Meadow’s sustainability strategy. The state-of-the-art electric vehicles, supplied on long-term contract hire, including full repair and management, feature a Solomon-insulated body and a refrigeration system from GAH capable of handling chilled and frozen meat products.
The Fairfax Meadow marketing team designed an entirely new, on-brand cab and body livery for the vehicles.
ProGreen has fitted Geotab telematics to both vehicles, enabling Fairfax Meadow to monitor driver behaviour and report on CO2 savings. The systems will also allow ProGreen to provide remote fault diagnosis, tracking, and accident detention to ensure optimum performance. Prohire Training Academy ProCademy will provide full driver training.
Penny Tomlinson, managing director of Fairfax Meadow, said: “From the outset, Prohire stood out as a knowledgeable and enthusiastic EV fleet supplier. With their support, we’ve taken our first steps on the EV journey as part of our sustainability plan. The new EVs are an important part of future-proofing our business from an environmental, cost management, and customer perspective.”
Michelle Miles, head of ProGreen, said: “We’ve worked closely with Fairfax Meadow to ensure these first electric vehicles hit every aspect of their brief. Supporting a company in realising its sustainability strategy through the provision of electric vehicles is a real privilege and I’m proud of the solution we’ve delivered.
“What a way for a company to celebrate its 50th year with such a fantastic innovation. We look forward to continuing to support Fairfax Meadow in its transition to alternative fuels in the future.”
Following full site surveys at Fairfax Meadow’s London depot, ProGreen also managed the installation of the charging infrastructure for the electric vehicles by MER UK.
Headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, and employing over 90 people, Prohire provides nationwide commercial vehicle rental and long-term vehicle contract hire, fleet maintenance, accident repair management, and fleet compliance to customers across the UK.
