When an invitation to visit head office is issued, most people would start looking at car sharing or train timetables to work out how to get there – but a group of Ashford workers decided to get on their bikes and cycle to Ardo UK Ltd’s headquarters in Belgium.

The journey saw three intrepid colleagues set out from the firm’s offices and cold store at Charing for a bike ride of nearly 200 miles, pedalling their way to Ardo Group HQ in Ardooie, Belgium, via the French factory at Violaines. The Ashford trio, Marketing Director Simon Baxter, Technical Director Darren Schlosser and Dry Store expert Marcus Lilly, were joined by colleague Sue Moreton, Product Improvement Manager, for the first leg, a 33 mile ride to Dover.

Once on the other side of the Channel the three men – aided by another colleague, technologist Emma James driving the support vehicle with a supply of food and water – covered around 75 miles to meet their French counterparts at Bethune near Violaines. The spirit of entente cordiale saw the French and English meet up with their Belgium workmates at Ardooie, some 75 miles from Bethune, followed by a group sightseeing pedal around the Flanders countryside.

Simon Baxter said after the trip: “It was a great way to bring people from the three sites together and we’re now planning to do something similar next year. We’ll probably dividing the groups in to ability and distance to get tempt Ardo employees to take part.

“Everyone was very welcoming and we enjoyed great hospitality. I’d like to say thanks to Emma James, we couldn’t have done it without her behind the wheel of the support vehicle.”