Marketing manager of the fresh food specialist Tim Whyatt said more than two tonnes of stock reached their destination.

He commented: “We knew that some of our clients might not be able to feed their customers if we couldn’t deliver their goods, so we worked closely with Dorset Police to assess road conditions and identify those customers most in need, and hospitals, nursing homes, boarding schools and hotels were put to the top of the list.

“While we were keen to maintain the high-quality service our customers know to expect, we were also conscious of the safety of our team, so our most experienced drivers volunteered to brave the snow in 4 x 4 vehicles, with a small team staying behind at the office to ensure our clients were kept up to date with progress with hourly updates.

“As a result, high-priority customers all received their deliveries. It was a real team effort. One of our directors even got up at 2am to make bacon sandwiches to keep everyone going.”

More than 200 hungry guests at the Queens Hotel in Bournemouth were thankful when Country Fare director Gavin Millward arrived with their delivery.

John Mills, managing director of Landmark Wholesale, said: “We’re delighted by how Country Fare went the extra mile to deliver fantastic customer service to those most in need, despite the inclement weather conditions.”