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Food firm goes green with Lloyds Bank support
Birmingham-based food producer, Island Delight, is taking steps to become more sustainable and reduce their costs with our support.
Read time: 2 mins Added: 06/05/2022
Island Delight, which supplies Jamaican patties and ready meals to major UK supermarkets, has received a £600,000 invoice finance loan to support its ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental impact. This has included the installation of solar panels across its 15,000 sq. ft. manufacturing site in Hockley, which will help power the site and reduce their energy costs.
The firm, which employs 65 people, has also used funds to buy their first electric vehicle, which will be charged using energy produced by the solar panels. They have also added an additional three new low-emission delivery vehicles to their fleet, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of their weekly deliveries to their customer base which includes Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda, alongside independent stores.
The company already uses anaerobic digestion to produce energy from their food waste and has had a zero waste-to-landfill policy for more than 15 years.
Tony Hanley, Lloyds Bank Relationship Manager said: “Island Delight is setting a fantastic example by investing in sustainable growth. The solar panels and new vehicles will make its operations more environmentally friendly and will also help to support its ongoing growth.
“As the focus on sustainability increases, we will be working with businesses across the West Midlands to move towards a greener future together.”
Wade Lyn CBE CD DL, owner of Island Delight said:
“Doing the best we can for our community and for the planet lies at the heart of everything we do, and our solar panels and low-emission vehicles are an important part of this vision. Our sustainability journey is an ongoing process and we will continue to look at what more we can do as we move forward and continue to grow."
“The Lloyds Bank team was really supportive of the project and keen to help us. We’ve banked with them for more than a decade and having them by our side has given us the stability and confidence we need to continue investing in becoming greener.”
Wade is determined to ensure the business makes a positive impact in the local community. The team takes part in volunteering and mentoring activities in the region, with Wade himself receiving a CBE in 2013 for his contribution to the local community and supporting young people. He has also been appointed High Sheriff for the West Midlands, a role he will take up in 2023.
All lending is subject to status.