Find out how we reduce food miles

Planning efficient loads prevents wasted fuel, which minimizes environmental damage and improves operational efficiency. So, when our distributor Bidfood schedules weekly collections on the back of normal daily customer deliveries, it means their drivers are not running back to the depot with empty vehicles. This is known as 'backhauling'.

Bidfood backhauls with four of our suppliers: New Forest Foods, Vegetarian Choice, Mr Whiteheads – all based in the New Forest – and Red House Foods in Wiltshire.

If Bidfood did not collect from these companies, vehicles would return to the depot site in Salisbury empty with a total of 4,192 empty vehicle miles (6,747km). If suppliers then delivered to Bidfood and returned empty they would effectively double the empty miles.

Working with Bidfood means Education Catering reduces food miles through its reduction of 8,385 miles (13,494km) of transport mileage, saving 4,409 litres of fuel each year – a significant environmental advantage.