LONDON, UK. August 17th, 2026 – London Van Hire is encouraging businesses supplying summer events to give the journey between kitchen, cold store and venue the same attention as food preparation itself.
The extended periods of heat have coincided with one of the busiest points in London’s events calendar. Outdoor celebrations, food markets, weddings, community gatherings and festivals continue throughout August. Among the highlights is the 60th anniversary of Notting Hill Carnival, which returns over the August bank holiday weekend.
Food Standards Agency guidance states that cold food must be kept at 8°C or below in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It recommends setting refrigeration equipment to 5°C or below to provide a margin for temperature changes. During very warm weather, that margin can be reduced more quickly when doors are opened repeatedly or loading takes longer than planned.
“Heat causes problems when transport is treated as an afterthought,” said Amit Sandhu, Director of London Van Hire.
“The van is only one part of the cold chain. Caterers need to know the temperature their goods require, load them at the correct temperature and plan each drop so the doors are not left open longer than necessary.
“That matters on an ordinary delivery. When a large event brings traffic restrictions, timed access and several unloading points into the same journey, it matters even more.”
London Van Hire recommends five practical checks before an event delivery – confirm the required temperature, pre-chill or freeze products before loading, check the vehicle’s specification, load in delivery order and plan the approach to the venue to account for road closures.
The company also recommends selecting a vehicle based on how cold the products need to be. Fresh ingredients, prepared meals, dairy products, flowers and some drinks may need chilled conditions, while ice cream and other frozen stock require a vehicle capable of maintaining much lower temperatures. Selecting the vehicle by load size alone can therefore leave the goods with the wrong temperature range.
Among the company’s commercial options, the Ford Transit LWB refrigerated van is listed with an operating range of −20°C to +5°C, up to 1,200 kg of payload and approximately 13 m³ of insulated load space. The model is offered subject to availability and is described as suitable for food delivery and catering work.
The company’s full London van hire fleet includes medium and long-wheelbase freezer-capable vehicles, as well as ambient vans and larger box vans. This allows businesses to compare the required temperature range with the space and payload needed for a particular delivery instead of choosing on vehicle size alone.
Sandhu added: “The useful question is not simply, ‘Do we need a refrigerated van?’ It is, ‘What temperature does this particular load need from collection until handover?’ Once that is clear, the vehicle, loading plan and route can all be chosen around the job.”
ENDS