Shell fuels efficiency boost for Wellocks
Food supplier Wellocks has teamed up with Shell in a bid to boost its brand profile and reduce fleet costs through improved fuel efficiency.
Wellocks has been supplying premium ingredients to some of the UK’s most prestigious hotels and restaurants for more than 50 years – delivering to venues ranging from Gleneagles in Scotland to Gidleigh Park in Devon, and Emirates’ first class airlines to Old Trafford’s five-star hospitality suites.
As such, the firm is required to work to precise deadlines, with an expectation of reliability and quality throughout the year.
“When it comes to suppliers, Wellocks is really the only option,” said chef patron Steven Smith, of Freemasons at Wiswell in Clitheroe, Lancashire.
“Our relationship with Wellocks, from the drivers to the managers, ensures we can deliver the ultimate gastronomic experience each time our loyal clientele dine with us, serving them the high quality, fresh food they have come to expect.”
Maintaining an efficient and reliable delivery fleet is therefore key to Wellocks’ operations, according to finance director Michael Beech.
“We have more than 100 vehicles making around 6,000 deliveries every week, all over the UK,” he said.
“Every single one of those deliveries needs to be on time, with the ingredients in perfect condition when they get there. Our customers are premium brands, so they expect us to provide a service to match.”
The once small family business has rapidly expanded to a country-wide establishment, and currently employs over 400 people.
To keep up with the demand, Wellocks operates a series of regional hubs, supplied by four refrigerated artics. Customer deliveries are then made by a fleet of HGV and Sprinter vans, each working in a specific area of the country.
The firm said its decision to switch from a small UK-based fuel company to a relationship with Shell was in large part motivated by the ability to access more than 1,000 service stations, mirroring its own nationwide network.
“Having Shell fuel cards is far more convenient for our drivers and cost-effective for the business,” said Beech.
“There are Shell service stations wherever our drivers need them, so we no longer have to factor refuelling detours into our delivery schedules. We’ve also been able to stop storing tanked fuel at almost all our own sites.”
Wellocks is also using Shell FuelSave Diesel – which is scientifically formulated to help prevent deposits forming in the engine and improve fuel efficiency – across its entire fleet.
“The more reliable and efficient our vans are, the better our service is for customers and the more profitable we are as a business,” added Beech.
“Through using Shell FuelSave Diesel, we expect to see a reduction in our fuel costs, a decrease in maintenance expenditure and a fall in the number of vehicle breakdowns.
“With our business currently expanding, this is particularly important. The less time and money we spend on maintenance, the more we can focus on attracting and serving new customers.”
In addition to improved efficiency and profitability, Beech said the relationship with Shell would also impact positively on Wellocks’ brand reputation.
“To succeed as a business and differentiate ourselves from the competition, we have to behave like a premium brand in everything we do,” he added, “right from the quality of our ingredients through to the standard of our vehicles and the professionalism of our drivers.
“I’d much rather our customers see one of our lorries or vans refuelling on a Shell forecourt than a supermarket one.
“Besides, at Wellocks, we often talk about having a Formula One operating model: sleek, efficient and fast-paced.
“Given’s Shell’s heritage in developing quality fuels, as well as its longstanding technical partnership with Ferrari, working together is the perfect match for the perfect ingredient.”
