Member Article

North East’s largest independent food service distributor goes solar

Blaydon-based Tyneside Foodservice, has installed a solar-powered electricity system to reduce its energy bills.

Embracing solar power now means that the North East’s largest independent food service distributor, which supplies frozen meals, chilled foods, desserts and drinks across the region, will reduce its yearly bill, which topped £75k this year, by 15%.

The family-owned firm, which has been established in the region since 1979, introduced several energy-saving measures after seeking advice from cost management specialist Great Annual Savings Group, which helps companies to control their variable business costs.

The measures included the installation of energy-efficient lighting at the company’s Blaydon site, as well as a new 50 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system which captures energy from the sun and converts it into green electricity.

Steve Walton, managing director of Tyneside Foodservice, said: “Although wholesale energy prices have fallen recently, the benefits generally haven’t been passed on to customers in the form of lower bills. The cost to companies such as ours can be significant so we wanted to find ways that would lessen the burden.

“We’ve worked with Great Annual Savings Group for two years now using their energy procurement, energy management and insurance services and we’re absolutely delighted with the results. We’ve reduced the amount we pay for our power and improved our carbon footprint through the installation of efficient lighting and solar PV systems.

“Overall, we’ve saved around £20,000 on our energy bills – a sum of money which has enabled us to improve our bottom line.”

Mark Jones, head of business solutions at Great Annual Savings Group, said: “We are now operating in an era where cost control has become just as important as chasing turnover and new business.

“In the last couple of years we’ve helped Tyneside Foodservice and dozens of other companies to save money in a range of areas including energy procurement, energy and water cost management, fire safety, telecoms and insurance.”

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →