This summer, Styles Farm, based in Rodhuish, Minehead, Somerset, achieved a remarkable milestone: their innovative solar-powered ice cream van sold an unprecedented 300,000 cones. Founded by David Baker, the luxury ice cream maker introduced the world’s first solar-powered ice cream van to combat the environmental impact of traditional vans, which rely on running their engines constantly to power ice cream machines, creating excessive smoke and pollution.
David’s sun-charged van operates entirely on solar energy, delivering cold treats while protecting the planet. The unusually sunny weather—record-breaking spring sunshine and one of the warmest Julys on record—enabled the business to push sales to new heights. Since February, their solar panels have generated over 33 million watts, producing about 30% of the power needed for ice cream production. Inspired by this success, David is expanding solar installations to his production dairy, aiming to generate up to 80% of its energy sustainably.
“We’ve had an exceptional year,” he explained, citing 160 shows during the five-month season where the vans can churn out up to 500 ice creams per hour. While acknowledging that weather patterns may vary next year, David remains optimistic and committed to innovation. The solar vans can operate continuously for four days at large outdoor events, providing power to freezers, ice cream machines, and even coffee makers, with a short recharge period required afterward.
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David’s journey began in 1988 on an Exmoor farm, making ice cream from a neighbor’s milk. His vision for a solar-powered van was initially met with skepticism in 2016, leading him to design and build the vans himself over two years. Now, three of these vans are active, pioneering sustainable food service on the move.
Beyond mobile vending, the company plans further sustainability steps including expanding solar energy use in their factory and exploring water recycling. Adding coffee and crepe machines to the vans shows a commitment to enhancing customer experience while maintaining environmental responsibility.
“It’s massive fun,” David said, celebrating the enthusiasm of his team and the joy of pushing ecological boundaries in a traditionally energy-intensive industry. With a current electricity bill of £72,000 a year, he anticipates reducing it to approximately £10,000 through solar power adoption—demonstrating that green innovation can also make solid business sense.