Cumbria has the best service station in the North of England for the second successive year after James Hall & Co. Ltd secured another victory at the 2022 Forecourt Trader Awards.
Following the success of SPAR Maryport in the 2021 awards, it was the turn of SPAR Whitehaven and its Shell forecourt to take the crown at the glamorous celebration event held in London.
Opened in July 2021 at a cost of £3m, SPAR Whitehaven relocated from its position on Richmond Hill Road around the corner to the larger adjacent site on Main Street to better serve the community of Hensingham.
Like Maryport, SPAR Whitehaven is now a store fit for 21st century convenience shopping and the modern SPAR is one of James Hall & Co. Ltd’s new generation company-owned stores.
Highlight features that resonated well with the Forecourt Trader judging panel included the Graham Eyes butchers and Clayton Park Deli with serve-over counter.
Customer refreshment options also wowed with the store’s Cheeky Coffee station, its popular F’Real milkshakes and smoothies concept, and its Tango Ice Blast machine.
Judges were also impressed by the store’s position as a community asset where customers can get everything they need all under one roof, served by an experienced, warm and friendly team.
SPAR Whitehaven won in the category of sales ‘Up to 4m litres per annum’, and outside the store, the forecourt at offers a fantastic range of services including eight pumps, an air and water machine and an ATM.
In the sales category of ‘Over 4m litres per annum’ for the North of England, there was a win for JET’s flagship service station at South Killingholme in North Lincolnshire.
James Hall & Co. Ltd services the SPAR store at JET’s refinery on behalf of its key retail partner after a complete knockdown and rebuild of the service station in 2021, also at a cost of £3m.
Fiona Drummond, Company Stores Director at James Hall & Co. Ltd, said: “To come away with a second consecutive win in the Forecourt Trader Awards is an amazing feeling, and it rewards all the hard work put into the launch of SPAR Whitehaven from right across our company stores division.
“The store and forecourt truly are a community asset, and the range is exceptional. However, it is a credit to Store Manager Sharon Ramsden and her brilliant team on the ground for maintaining the excellent standards set that have helped us achieve this award.
“The JET refinery service station really is an impressive rebuild and it is worthy of its award. It is a fantastic partnership development between colleagues at James Hall & Co. Ltd and our valued partners at JET, and this only added to a celebratory occasion.”
James Hall & Co. Ltd is SPAR UK’s primary wholesaler and distributor for the North of England. The company serves a network of 600 independent SPAR retailers and company owned SPAR stores six days a week from its base in Preston, Lancashire.
You can find out more about James Hall & Co. Ltd at www.jameshall.co.uk.
Recent Comments