Family run business Castell Howell Foods in Wales celebrate their 30th year of business in 2018 and are about to take delivery of another 6 DAF LF230 12 tonne vehicles.
The nature of the business means that Castell Howell Foods runs a large and varied fleet of vehicles. The whole commercial fleet consists of 160 vehicles ranging from 3.3 to 44 tonnes GVW. They have been running DAF trucks since 1995 and the DAF vehicles they have currently make up 50% of the heavy commercial vehicles they have.
Competitive pricing, acceptable life costs and the fact that they are well accepted by their drivers are just some of the reasons that Castell Howell Foods use DAF vehicles. Talking in more detail about the new LF230 12 tonners, Castell Howell Foods’ Director Martin Jones said “The vehicle performance is good. They are easy to drive with a good turning circle and are the right size to maintain the payload and have good manoeuvrability”
“The engine suits our territory in Wales where there are many hills needing frequent gear changes and the trucks appeal to the drivers with good dashboard layouts”
As they have such a large fleet and have been in business for many years, Castell Howell Foods know exactly what they need when they buy new vehicles. In some respect they make life a little easier for their DAF dealership, Watts Truck & Van in Swansea. They take the time to produce a detailed specification for the team at Watts Truck & Van who then price up the vehicles and arrange delivery. “They are a good dealer” said Martin. “They are easy to deal with, reliable, helpful and their parts availability is very good”.
“We’re looking forward to the arrival of the new vehicles in our anniversary year.”
About Castell Howell Foods
Castell Howell Foods originated back in 1973 as a family farm in West Wales with a food service business running alongside it. In 1988 the focus changed from farming to food and in June of that year Castell Howell Foods Ltd was officially incorporated. Now, in 2018 the food wholesaler has grown and has its main depot in Crosshands with 4 satellite depots in Avonmouth, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Chirk and Merthyr Tydfil. It supplies Wales, the border counties and South West England, offering a vast and varied product range.
The company currently has a staff count of 750 with a turnover of £150m.
Proud of its rural roots, the supply and promotion of local produce is high on the agenda for Castell Howell Foods, but new and innovative lines from the UK and beyond are also on offer to customers. Customer service is also high on the agenda and Castell Howell will go to great lengths for their customers – if a customer can’t find what they’re looking for Castell Howell are happy to source products on request.
The Environment is important to Castell Howell Foods and in addition to their commitment to provide secure, sustainable and fair supply chains, in 2012 Castell Howell Foods was one of the first companies in Wales to sign to the WRAP Hospitality and Foodservice commitment to reduce food and packaging waste. More recently they signed up to ‘The Courtauld Commitment 2025’
Castell Howell Foods aims to offer ‘The Complete Catering Solution’ and their team of account managers are based across Wales and the West Country, building strong relationships with their customers and providing a solution to all their needs
