Bedford CA Ice Cream Van Lyons Maid

Lyons started to make ice-cream in 1894 using the turbine bowl method. When refrigeration was further developed after the First World War production increased and automation helped to bring the product to a wider market.

Unlike America, ice-cream in Britain was a seasonal phenomena with fluctuating sales depending on the weather pattern. With use of frozen carbon dioxide Lyons were able to ship their ice-cream from the Cadby Hall factory, by train, to most parts of the UK setting up cold stores at several rail-heads.

Ice-cream sales continued to grow and new hand-held products were introduced such as the frozen ice-lolly. As with the other parts of the Lyons group expansion of market share was all important and many smaller, regional ice-cream businesses were purchased which included, among others, Eldorado, Neilson's, Midland Counties, Walkers Dairies, Tonibell and Bertorelli.

This not only increased Lyons' market share of ice-cream, but brought into the group new, local production facilities thus saving expensive refrigerated transport costs.

In the early 1960s the most popular light commercial vehicle was the CA. The Bedford CA had a 90 inch wheelbase , quite small by todays standards , so they launched a 102inch version which was designated the CAL. Hence the CA became known as the CAS.