London Van Hire is advising businesses supplying food and other temperature-sensitive goods to summer events to treat transportation between the kitchen, cold storage and final venue as an important part of the food safety process.
Sustained warm weather has arrived during one of the busiest periods in London’s events calendar, with outdoor parties, food markets, weddings, community events and festivals taking place throughout August. One of the month’s major occasions is the 60th anniversary of Notting Hill Carnival, which will take place over the August bank holiday weekend.
Food Standards Agency guidance requires cold food to be maintained at 8°C or below in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The agency recommends setting refrigeration equipment to 5°C or below to create additional protection against temperature fluctuations. In particularly hot conditions, however, that buffer can disappear more quickly when vehicle doors are opened frequently or loading takes longer than anticipated.
“Heat causes problems when transport is treated as an afterthought,” said Amit Sandhu, Director of London Van Hire.
“The van is only one part of the cold chain. Caterers need to know the temperature their goods require, load them at the correct temperature and plan each drop so the doors are not left open longer than necessary.
“That matters on an ordinary delivery. When a large event brings traffic restrictions, timed access and several unloading points into the same journey, it matters even more.”
London Van Hire advises businesses to carry out five checks ahead of an event delivery. These include confirming the required temperature for the goods, pre-chilling or freezing products before they are loaded, checking the vehicle’s specifications, arranging the load according to delivery order and planning the route to the venue around potential road closures and access restrictions.
The company also stresses the importance of choosing a vehicle according to the temperature requirements of the load rather than relying solely on its capacity. Fresh produce, prepared food, dairy items, flowers and certain beverages may require chilled transport, while ice cream and other frozen products need vehicles capable of sustaining significantly lower temperatures. Choosing a vehicle based only on the amount of available space could therefore mean the goods are transported within an unsuitable temperature range.
Among its commercial vehicle options, the Ford Transit LWB refrigerated van is listed as operating between −20°C and +5°C, with a payload of up to 1,200 kg and around 13 m³ of insulated load space. Subject to availability, the vehicle is marketed as an option for food delivery and catering operations.
The company’s full London van hire fleet includes medium and long-wheelbase vehicles capable of freezer operation, alongside ambient vans and larger box vans. This gives businesses the option to assess temperature requirements alongside the space and payload needed for an individual delivery, rather than selecting a vehicle based purely on its size.
Sandhu added: “The useful question is not simply, ‘Do we need a refrigerated van?’ It is, ‘What temperature does this particular load need from collection until handover?’ Once that is clear, the vehicle, loading plan and route can all be chosen around the job.”
