Bell Truck and Van
Bell Truck and Van

Bell Truck and Van service and Mercedes-Benz Citan reliability form the perfect blend for Ringtons

Historic family-run tea merchant Ringtons bagged a tasty new addition to its delivery fleet, in the shape of 27 new Mercedes-Benz Citans from Dealer Bell Truck and Van.

The first Mercedes-Benz vans to joins the operator’s line-up, they are now hard at work on the famed ‘Ringtons Round’, delivering tea and a tasty range of other treats direct to doorsteps across the country.

Operations Manager Stephen Killinger says the mix of driver appeal, reliable performance and winning customer service from the Bell Truck and Van team is proving to be the perfect blend.

“The start of this process goes back to late last year,” he recalled. “We’d been having some issues with our previous vehicles and decided to look around at alternatives.

“Bells Fleet Sales Manager Andrew Scott had been in regular contact with me for at least a couple of years – to his credit, despite the fact that we showed no signs of placing an order he still took the time to stay in touch and learn about our business and our specific requirements.

“When I told him we were thinking about trying some vans from a new supplier, he wasted no time. Early in January he turned up with a new Citan for us to trial on a long-term demo. That vehicle performed so well it’s still on our fleet today.”

He continued: “We were equally impressed with the enthusiasm and professional approach of everyone at Bells – Andrew took a delegation from Ringtons to visit the Gateshead dealership site, gave us a tour of the workshops and allowed us to meet the aftersales team.

“The experience gave us all the confidence we needed to place our order for 27 vans, which will be maintained by Bells under Mercedes-Benz ServiceCare contracts. We were so impressed with the workshop facilities and promise of top-class back-up, at highly competitive rates, that we’ve also decided to hand service arrangements for some of our older vehicles to Bell Truck and Van. We're confident they will give us the level of support we need to keep our business running smoothly.”

 

Ringtons’ new vans are Citan 110 models powered by 1.5-litre Euro 6 engines and have L2 bodies – the longer of two available lengths. The PRO trimline selected by Ringtons means drivers benefit from extra features over the base model including one-touch electric windows, height-adjustable seats with lumbar support and LED interior lighting.

Like all Citans they also live up to the Mercedes-Benz reputation for safety, achieving the maximum five-star NCAP rating thanks to a whole suite of automated systems including active braking, lane-keeping and traffic sign assistance. They wear a smart livery in Ringtons’ traditional black and green colours featuring a horse and cart motif as a reference to the firm’s heritage.
 

 

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Since 1907, Ringtons has been built heart over head. This British family business has always chosen to do the right thing over the easy thing, understanding that genuine care is what makes a business worth building—and a tea worth brewing.

The story began in Newcastle upon Tyne with founder Samuel Smith and a steadfast determination to bring exceptional tea directly to people’s doors. What started with a single horse and cart has grown into a fifth-generation company with an impressive fleet of 237 vehicles. Today, Ringtons delivers fortnightly (or monthly) to over 220,000 customers across the UK, operating from a network of 20 sales offices.

Though the last horse retired decades ago, every van still carries a touching tribute: the horse and cart motif, expertly drawn by renowned artist Peter Horridge. This elegant nod to heritage balances tradition and modernity in its beautiful simplicity.

Over the years, the product range has grown to include not only irresistible biscuits, cakes, and sweets—each designed to make that tea break a little bit more special—but also a selection of Ringtons coffee. From classic blends to limited edition seasonal treats, there’s always something to brighten the day and make every moment feel like a real occasion.

But at Ringtons, tea is always at the heart of things. Freshness is an obsession: teas are sealed at source and vacuum packed to lock in flavour—a simple detail that promises every cup will be as good as the last. This is all part of the Ringtons Way: care and attention, every step of the journey, from sourcing to delivering directly on the much-loved Ringtons round.

For over a century, their iconic vans have been a familiar sight in neighbourhoods across the country. But it’s never just about what’s in the Ringtons basket. It's much more than that. It’s Janette knowing a customer likes two packs of Breakfast and one of Decaf, Dave remembering to add extra Ginger Snaps when the grandchildren are visiting, and Andy always trying to beat people to the door.

At Ringtons, tea and treats aren’t just delivered—they’re passed on personally, with care.

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Stephen Killinger added: “The distances we cover are relatively small, often only around 60 miles per vehicle per day – but there’s a lot of stopping and starting, and with each stop the lights in the cargo area are on, so the strain on batteries in particular is significant. Despite this we’ve had no problems at all with our long-term Citan demonstrator, and the new vehicles have been very well received by our drivers – I’ve had comments including ‘this is the best van I’ve ever driven’.”


Among the drivers using one of the new Citans is Jess Hall, who works from Ringtons’ site at Newton Aycliffe, in County Durham. 

“It’s a great vehicle and absolutely perfect for this job,” she said. “The driver’s seat is really comfortable and cab is well-equipped. The standard safety equipment gives a feeling of security and it’s just a really pleasant, car-like drive.”

 

Bell Truck and Van’s Andrew Scott added: “We’re delighted to have won a place on the fleet of such a well-known and highly respected operator, and will be working hard to make sure Ringtons enjoy the first-class back-up that will help keep their business moving.

“These Citans look absolutely great in their new livery and it’s really gratifying to see them out on the road.”

www.ringtons.co.uk 

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