Operating from a quayside wholesale base and retail outlet at Shoreham Harbour, next to Hove Lagoon, the company sells high-quality, day-caught local fish and shellfish.
Brighton & Newhaven Fish Sales now runs seven Sprinters supplied by Rossetts, all of which have refrigerated conversions. The latest, a Medium-length 313 CDI model with fuel-efficient 129hp engine, represents an extension to the fleet and was commissioned to help the firm meet increasing demand from hotels, restaurants, caterers and other trade customers.
The company has been trading from its current location for more than 25 years and is co-owned by Bill Brock and Matt Leach, whose father founded the business. Charlie Brock is Bill’s son and, as wholesale manager, is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the van fleet.
‘Having landed the fish, we load our vans and get them out on the road by 6am each day,’ Brock explained. ‘It’s a multi-drop regime – we send one vehicle into London every day and make other deliveries throughout the South-East.
‘The Sprinter is comfortable and popular with our drivers. It’s also the safest van on the market, while the Mercedes-Benz badge is a by-word for quality and can only enhance our own reputation for freshness and service.
‘When you’re carrying a product like wet fish, reliability is the single most important attribute in a vehicle and that’s certainly what we get from our Sprinters. On the rare occasion that we have had a problem the dealer’s response has been very good; if Rossetts have not been able to fix it in time for use the next day then they’ve arranged a replacement refrigerated vehicle – a standard van is no good to us – so there’s been no impact on our operation.’