Trucksmith has announced the sale of eight Renault Master LoLoader® vehicles to Paul Rhodes Bakery in London.

The Devon-based manufacturer was approached to create a bespoke version of its leading low-loading Luton that would increase the bakery’s delivery capacity and be nimble in the city.

Former Michelin-starred chef Paul Rhodes established the growing bakery business in 2003 and it is now one of London’s leading independent bakeries, supplying major hotels, restaurants, bars and delis throughout the capital, along with key events such as Wimbledon.

Paul Rhodes said: “We have a number of crucial requirements from our vans. We wanted a box van the width of a Mercedes Sprinter for ease of driving and to minimise potential damage from London’s narrow and busy roads.

“We also wanted a vehicle that would take the strain away from our drivers, and the low loading height is perfect for what we’re doing. We have also designed shelving and boxes that run on the floor to maximise load yet carefully handle the delicate products we produce.

“The result is that we can get an extra 90 boxes in the LoLoader® through its design, making deliveries more efficient – and the vans look great too.”

Trucksmith, which recently won the 2017 What Van? Converter of the Year award, customer built the vans with a reduced width compared to the normal LoLoader® specification. The design overcomes the historic issues of poor aerodynamics and handling associated with Luton vans, using innovative manufacturing methods to achieve an outstanding payload that has become the hallmark of all Trucksmith vehicles.

Simon Partridge, Executive Sales and Brand Manager at Trucksmith, said: “We have been converting vehicles for over 30 years, and while every custom build has its challenges, we’re delighted that the finished result offers such advantages for the Paul Rhodes Bakery fleet.”

Trucksmith builds the LoLoader® body on the Renault Master platform cab, and is a converter partner for Renault. Trucksmith also creates other manufacturer-approved low-loading Lutons, including the Vauxhall Movano KneeHi® and Fiat Ducato Canniloader®.