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Elliott’s Upper Crust Catering Services is a family-owned catering business based in Canvey Island. They deliver fresh foods and catering services throughout Essex and Kent. They wanted to create a large, covered space along the side of their food production factory in order to create a sheltered loading area for their specialist fleet of jiffy trucks.
The requirement
Elliott’s needed a space where the loading of vehicles could be completed under cover. Their trucks are loaded with fresh supplies every day ready for the delivery of sandwiches, so having sheltered space where the fresh produce could be protected from the elements during the loading process was essential for the operation of the business.
The canopy needed to cover a high-traffic area and not only provide cover for the trucks themselves, but also protect workers and loading trolleys from poor weather. Therefore, it was essential that the canopy projected from the building without any posts at the front edge. Any obstructions underneath the canopy would run the risk of being struck by the vehicles, causing damage to the vehicle and the canopy.
The challenge
Our main challenge was organising our working hours to avoid Elliott’s peak delivery and loading times. Working in a busy environment is always a challenge – many businesses of this nature have a commitment to their customers which means they can’t allow for down time in production.
Another challenge was the unusual angles around the perimeter of the building. We needed to work around these to effectively cover the loading area and maximise the usable space underneath.
The solution
Canopies UK visited the site on multiple occasions to advise on the best solution. We recommended our cantilevered Connekt canopy system, which projects from brackets against the building and doesn’t have any posts at the front edge – perfect for the customer’s requirements.
We overcame the challenge of working hours with a flexible work schedule that allowed us to complete the works without too much disruption to the business’s operations. Each area was fenced off to provide a safe working area and we issued Risk Assessments and Method Statements as per our usual process.
Initially, a long run of the Connekt system was installed along the face of the building. However, as the business’s requirements grew, so did the canopy. Additional sections were added to take the canopy around the corner of the building, providing even more much-needed covered space for the expanded fleet of trucks. To overcome any difficult angles, we made special brackets to link the canopy sections together, ensuring no posts were required at the front.
Results
The works were scheduled and completed on time, along with several additions to the length of the canopy. The customer is very happy with the finished installation and would recommend Canopies UK to any businesses with a similar need for a loading bay canopy.
“Canopies UK have kept our premises protected for many years with their high-quality product. The canopy has stood the test of time, all weathers and the occasional bump and scrape that is never too much trouble to get repaired quickly and efficiently. We would confidently recommend Canopies UK for their customer service and workmanship.”
Amy Elliott, General Manager, Elliott’s Upper Crust Catering Services