Emmanuel Caribbean Takeaway

Shawn Williams owns Emmanuel Caribbean Takeaway, a London-based restaurant that has been selling authentic Caribbean and Jamaican food for five years. He has nine staff members and often offers job opportunities to young people, who Shawn finds are an asset to the organisation.

The restaurant previously used two moped bikes to make deliveries, which proved to be expensive in fuel, tax and insurance. Shawn explains that some of the younger staff members don’t have driver’s licences and therefore couldn’t drive the mopeds. Shawn began to look for a more cost-effective delivery method that could be used by all staff.

Shawn learned about the eCargo Bike Grant Fund, funded by the Department for Transport and delivered by Energy Saving Trust. He was pleased to see that funding was available to small businesses like Emmanuel Caribbean Takeaway. He applied for the fund in 2021 and received just over £1,000 towards the purchase of two Eskuta XS 250-d model ecargo bikes.

The new ecargo bikes are very popular with staff, who find them easy to ride and report that the exercise leaves them feeling both physically and mentally healthier. The old mopeds could cover larger distances faster, however the ecargo bikes can move more efficiently through traffic, which means that delivery times are reduced.

The ecargo bikes travel between 40 and 70 miles per day, and Shawn has increased efficiency by having a spare battery that can be swapped in when needed.

The cost savings are also significant. The mopeds cost over £6-£7 per day in fuel on top of expensive insurance and tax, whereas the ecargo bikes cost approximately 12.8-22.4p to charge per day*. [1]

The ecargo bikes are a selling point for customers too, who benefit from reduced delivery times and costs.

Shawn hopes that the ecargo bikes will not only help him to grow his regular customer base but will also increase the sustainability credentials of the business and give him peace of mind that he is helping to create a cleaner environment.

“eCargo bikes are a great way for small businesses to save money on delivery costs.”

– Shawn Williams, owner, Emmanuel Caribbean Takeaway

[1] Assuming, 960Wh battery, 16.7p/kWh electricity cost when charging off peak, 50-mile range and 40-70 mile estimate daily use.