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Mercedes-Benz is helping one of Cornwall’s leading pasty makers prepare for its silver anniversary.
Malcolm Barnecutt Bakery celebrates 25 years in business in 2008, and is taking delivery of four new Mercedes Sprinter vans – in silver rather than its traditional red – to mark the occasion.
Vito and Sprinter vans bearing the famous three-pointed star have been used by the company since it opened its first shop at the Old Guild Hall, Bodmin, in 1983.
In establishing the business, Malcolm was following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Percy Barnecutt, who opened a bakery in Rock in the 1930s. The fourth generation is now carrying on the tradition, in the person of Malcolm’s son James, a partner in Malcolm Barnecutt Bakery.
The popularity of Malcolm Barnecutt’s freshly baked bread, pasties and confectionery led to the opening of shops in St Austell and the market towns of Launceston, Liskeard, Boscastle and Wadebridge. The Barnecutt name has also returned to Rock, with the re-opening of a shop there earlier this year.
The success of the business has been mirrored by the growth of its fleet of Mercedes delivery vans. St Austell dealer Commercial Motors (South-West) has just supplied it with three new-generation Sprinters – a 311CDI Long and a pair of 211CDI Mediums; another 211CDI is scheduled to arrive before the end of the year.
Shaw Van Conversions, also of St Austell, insulated the bodies of the new vans and fitted their Hubbard refrigeration units.
Malcolm Barnecutt also runs three smaller Mercedes Vito vans, as well as four Sprinters from the previous model range.
“Mercedes-Benz is a brand we trust,” declares Malcolm Barnecutt’s General Manager Andrew Hallett. “We also enjoy an excellent working relationship with Commercial Motors, who have always been very professional to deal with.”
Although each shop prepares its savouries and most confectionery on site, bread and pasties are produced centrally at Bodmin and transported by van to all of the outlets.
The company also operates a thriving wholesale business and it is here that the Sprinters - as the workhorses of the business - really come into their own, delivering to more than 300 customers across Cornwall, including the Eden Project and Jamaica Inn.
“We like the styling and versatility of the Sprinters, especially the new ones,” explains Mr Hallett. “They’ve come on in leaps and bounds; they’re quieter, smoother and more economical than ever. They’re also excellent to drive, particularly over a long distance, and our drivers love them.”
Like all new Mercedes Sprinters, Malcolm Barnecutt’s vans came with a Mercedes-Benz Service Package. Under this, all labour costs, materials and lubricants required in routine servicing at Commercial Motors’ workshops will be covered for five years or 60,000 miles, whichever is reached first.
Launched last year, the new-generation Mercedes-Benz Sprinter combines dynamic good looks, ‘bullet-proof’ build quality, comprehensive specification and ingenious technology. The range cost £1.25 billion (1.8 billion euro) and took a team of 400 design engineers five years to develop. The result is a triumph, a vehicle that sets new standards in terms of productivity, refinement and safety.
Highlights includes best-in-class side-loading door widths, outstanding ergonomics and comfort, a powerful and clean CDI diesel engine line-up topped by a storming 184hp 3.0-litre V6, and an advanced new version of the remarkable ESP® anti-skid system called Adaptive ESP®. |
| | | Sprinter The benchmark of its class with superb load space |
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