10 Dec Driving Sustainability and Performance: Noble Foods’ Journey with Gray & Adams and Sunswap

Noble Foods, the UK’s leading egg packer, handles around 30 million eggs each week, supplying major retailers including Tesco, Co-op, Asda, and Sainsbury’s. With its own brands, The Happy Egg Co., Purely Organic and Freshlay Farms Golden Yolkers, widely recognised on supermarket shelves, Noble Foods has a reputation for quality and reliability. Maintaining this level of service across nationwide distribution demands a fleet that is both robust and future ready.

For almost 20 years, Noble Foods has partnered with Gray & Adams for trailer solutions, starting with field trials and later moving to a fleet of double-decker trailers. Mick Tucker, Divisional Transport Manager, recalls that previous trailers ran for 13 years before replacement, a testament to Gray & Adams’ build quality. Today, the fleet handles nearly a tonne per pallet, combining farm collection and distribution work, while embracing alternative fuel and electric vehicle initiatives as part of a 2.5-year project focused on fleet optimisation and sustainability.

A key element of this project has been collaboration with Sunswap, whose purpose-built Endurance electric transport refrigeration units deliver the same performance as diesel without any need for fuel – or emissions. Following successful trials in Southampton and Scotland using just 30% of battery capacity under worst-case scenarios, Noble Foods integrated the units into Gray & Adams trailers, timed to be ready for peak demand over Christmas. Tucker notes, “Without Gray & Adams’ support, we wouldn’t have been able to make the progress we have on fleet electrification and sustainability. Their standardised, adaptable designs made the integration straightforward, paired with their experience and willingness to explore new solutions have been crucial.”

The first batch of solar-equipped trailers has already delivered measurable benefits. Aerodynamic improvements, reduced diesel usage from the tractor, and lighter refrigeration units have improved efficiency, while galvanised chassis and twin evaporators promise long-term reliability of up to 12 years. Sunswap’s cloud-connected systems allow predictive maintenance, ensuring high performance and minimal downtime.

Alastair Gough, Head of Business Development at Sunswap, highlights the importance of Gray & Adams’ collaboration, “We value our relationship with Gray & Adams. Their willingness to champion innovative products that they know will support and benefit their customers is what helps drive the industry forward”. Looking ahead, Sunswap plans to expand its zero-emission refrigeration solutions across Europe, while Noble Foods continues to prioritise electrification, sustainability, and operational efficiency.

For Noble Foods, Gray & Adams is more than a trailer manufacturer, it is a long-term partner supporting innovation, reliability, and sustainability. The combined efforts of Gray & Adams and Sunswap demonstrate how thoughtful engineering, collaboration, and forward-looking technology can transform fleet operations, delivering environmental benefits without compromising performance.