Whitby Morrison facts for kids

Whitby Morrison is a family-run company in Crewe, England. They are known for building special vehicles. Many people call them the "world's leading ice cream van manufacturer." They make the cool vans you see selling ice cream!

The Sweet History of Whitby Morrison

Bryan Whitby, who was born in Cheshire, started his journey learning to build vehicle bodies. He worked on ice cream vans and narrowboats. In 1962, Bryan started his own company.

He came up with a clever idea for ice cream vans. Before, vans needed a separate engine to power the ice cream machine. Bryan found a way to power the ice cream machine directly from the van's main engine. This was a big step forward! He built his first ice cream van using this new design in 1965. This system is like the "power take-off" (PTO) found on tractors.

In 1989, Bryan Whitby's company became known as Whitby Morrison. They took over another company that made ice cream equipment. Later, in 1998, they also bought the S.C. Cummins brand, which was another company in Crewe.

In 2015, Whitby Morrison had a problem. Another company copied their ice cream van designs. Whitby Morrison won the case, showing how special their designs are.

You might have even seen their vans on TV! In 2020, two Whitby Morrison vans were on the BBC show Top Gear. In 2022, their workers appeared in the BBC show We Are England.

How Whitby Morrison Operates

A view of the Ice Cream Van stand at Crewe Alexandra F.C. stadium

The company's main workshop is in Crewe. It's close to the Crewe train station. About 50 people work there, building and designing the vans.

Bryan Whitby's son, Stuart Whitby, joined the company in 1978. He is now the managing director. His son, Edward, also works there as the operations director. This shows it's truly a family business!

Whitby Morrison also supports local sports. They sponsor a stand at Gresty Road, which is the home stadium for Crewe Alexandra football club. This stand is even called "The Ice Cream Van Stand"! They also sponsor a stand at nearby Nantwich Town's stadium.

Amazing Ice Cream Van Products

A Sprinter van on Polzeath Beach

Whitby Morrison takes regular vans and turns them into awesome ice cream vans. Their vans are sent to over 60 countries around the world! They mostly use Mercedes-Benz Sprinters or Ford Transits. These are popular vans in the UK.

The company builds about 100 vans each year. This includes new vans, converting old vans, and even restoring vintage ice cream vans.

New vans are built on a special Mercedes Sprinter chassis. This chassis meets "Euro 6" standards. This means the vans are cleaner and produce less pollution.

Many of the vans Whitby Morrison builds have an electric motor-drive (EMD) system. This system is super cool! It lets ice cream sellers turn off the van's engine when they are parked. They can then use electricity from the mains to power their freezers and other equipment. This makes the vans quieter and better for the environment.

The company is also working on vans that use a fully electric battery system. This means the ice cream machines can run without the engine at all! The first all-electric van was expected to be ready in 2019.

See also

• Wales & Edwards