Vintage Delivery Van Talk of The Town
Vintage Delivery Van Talk of The Town
‘Vegford’ is the endearing nickname given to the Bedford CF van used for Anderssons Fruit Shop deliveries by Abigail and Dan’s daughter – a jab at the vans slow speeds and of course, its cargo.
Abigail and Dan Andersson are passionate about two things: supplying the Kingaroy community with fresh fruit and vegetables, and vintage cars.
The couple have owned and operated Anderssons Fruit Shop for the past 40 years after taking inspiration from Dan’s fathers’ small business.
“Our family business started with my father-in-law, Kjeld, who sold fruit from his Esso Service Station,” said Abigail.
“He is still my go-to person for advice after all these years!”
After four decades in business, Abigail and Dan still love what they do.
“Dan and I are at work most days to make sure our town is able to have farm fresh fruit and vegetables on their table every day!” Abigail said.
The business’ success is down to the attention to customer service and community spirit Dan and Abigail value above all else.
“We have many elderly customers, and often their visits are not just about the produce, but also a social outing. For us it’s about forming relationships with them and so we’ve trained our team to chat and listen,” Abigail said.
Of course, Abigail and Dan have found a way to incorporate their love for vintage cars into their business too. “Dan and I don’t agree on much except our love for vintage vehicles and this is where the ‘Vegford’ project was formed,” explains Abigail.
‘Vegford’ is the endearing nickname given to the Bedford CF van used for Anderssons Fruit Shop deliveries by Abigail and Dan’s daughter – a jab at the vans slow speeds and of course, its cargo.
Usually parked in prime position in front of the store every day, the van also serves as an homage to another pillar of the community.
“The Bedford is nearly identical to the one our local pastor, David Bryce, used to drive around the town when we were children. In a lot of ways, our shop’s ‘delivery van’ has become a bit of a tribute to him,” Abigail said.
“It may be slow but we think the locals get a kick out of seeing the van and remembering David. It’s nice to have some homage to our past.”
With the community of Kingaroy being so close knit, it wasn’t long before the van was being recognised as the Anderssons’ Fruit Shop delivery vehicle – but Abigail felt it was missing something.
“It is like a suit without a bow tie! The personalised plates were the important last piece to finish off the look!” Abigail laughed.
“The nickname ‘Vegford’ stuck and we eventually grew to love it, so we were ecstatic to see that VEGFORD was available on the PPQ website.”
The plates and vehicle have given Abigail and Dan another way to connect with the local community.
“The plates add extra character to the personality of the van - we love them, and our customers now comment on spotting ‘Vegford’ out and about regularly.”