Thwaites Brewery Unveils New Distribution Fleet Featuring Exclusive Design

Lancashire-based brewer Daniel Thwaites has today unveiled its new look fleet of distribution vehicles as part of a wider £750,000 investment programme.

The new fleet of eight 26 ton MAN delivery lorries was officially launched by Daniel Thwaites Chairman Ann Yerburgh at the Thwaites’ distribution centre based at Blackburn’s Shadsworth Business Park. The vehicles display a new Thwaites logo on the curtain sides featured within an exclusive, specially commissioned illustration depicting the story of Thwaites brewery.

The black and white illustration by celebrated artist Bill Sanderson features real brewery employees including head brewer Steve Fielding, the famous Thwaites Shire Horses and head horseman Charles Beardmore. All other characters featured are either current employees or connected with Thwaites in some way.

The illustration is in a scraperboard style, a specialist technique for which artist Bill Sanderson is renowned and which he has used working for Thwaites in the past. His drawings have featured in a wide variety of projects in Britain, Europe and the USA. He was one of the team of artists and illustrators who contributed a stamp design to the Royal Mail Millennium celebration and is still regularly commissioned by the Radio Times, who were one of the original magazines to use his work over thirty years ago.

Chief executive Rick Bailey said: “The illustration is part of a bigger exercise across the business to lift our image.  However, it goes to the heart of what Thwaites is about and captures our proud heritage and values.  As a family company it was also important to us to include real people from our business who make us what we are.”
“It celebrates the things we are famous for such as the warm welcome we extend to our customers, the crafted quality of our beers, our rich Lancashire heritage and at the centrepiece to the design, our award-winning Shire Horses and draymen, who continue to be as important to the brewery now as they have always been.”

The new Thwaites logo is based on vintage designs and similar to the logo used in the late 19th Century. In addition to appearing as the only outstanding colour feature on the curtain sides of the delivery vehicles, the new logo will appear on bottles of ale, in pubs and at the Penny Street brewery.  The new logo replaces the previous design which has been used for much of the past decade.

The new 34ft MAN trucks feature automatic gearboxes which will reduce fuel consumption and make for easier handling by delivery drivers. The vehicles are also Euro 5 making them the most environmentally friendly trucks delivery trucks on the road. They also use EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) systems over the more traditional Adblue diesel fuel additive, which will help to reduce Thwaites’ carbon footprint even further.

Thwaites has invested £750,000 on the delivery fleet and a new cold store, which will keep cask ales at the perfect temperature and ensure that Thwaites beers are delivered to the customer in perfect order.