Two industry legends – Ken Kay and Sir Gerald Ronson – triumphed at this year’s Forecourt Trader Awards, with The Kay Group taking the top prize, and the Rontec boss a lifetime achievement accolade.
The ceremony, attended by 800 guests at London’s Park Plaza, saw The Kay Group’s Grimshaw Park Service Station in Blackburn winning the overall Forecourt Trader of the Year category.
The site re-opened in June last year after a multi-million-pound redevelopment that includes a three-storey building containing the company’s headquarters over two floors. This is above a spacious Londis shop, with a walk-in Iceland frozen food area and a Greggs cafe.
Its Shell forecourt also stands out with a striking staggered series of pump island canopies each held up with a single pole. And the site, one of 24 operated by the business, contains a series of environmental features such as EV charging, solar panels – capable of keeping the site off grid for many hours each day during spring and summer – and a rainwater harvesting system for the jet wash hub.
For the redevelopment, The Kay Group, which was founded by sector veteran Ken Kay, purchased adjacent land, with the designers using every square foot to ensure the forecourt included everything needed in a modern petrol station.
The well-lit and inviting property has eight pumps with two retail AdBlue dispensers. There are four jet wash bays, two vac bays, two under-canopy Shell-branded EV chargepoints capable of charging up to 400kW per hour, and more than 35 parking places.
Our on the road judge described the site as “absolutely stunning”. They said: “From its gleaming head office building/convenience store with saw-tooth window design, to its pristine forecourt, complete with a chap who walks the premises to ensure everything and everyone are okay, it ticks all the boxes and more.”
Kay’s fellow octogenarian Sir Gerald Ronson was presented with a lifetime achievement award, recognising the petrol retail pioneer’s 60 years in the industry. Sir Gerald, who accepted the award in person, was recognised for his role in introducing self-service pumps, cut-price fuel, forecourt canopies and loyalty schemes to UK forecourts.
Since the 1960s he has bought and sold more than 1,000 petrol stations. His Rontec group now has 267, making it the UK’s second largest independent forecourt business.
With a significant international property portfolio, he describes forecourt retailing as a hobby, famously setting aside two days every week to visit his commission-operated sites.
His attention to detail is legendary and has been central to him elevating the humble petrol station into a roadside retail experience.
A third forecourt operator, Nakendram Piratheepan, the founder of Sterling Petroleum, and know as Theepan, was also recognised for his contribution to the industry. He was presented with the Special Recognition Award.
A panel of judges voted for Piratheepan – or Theepan as he is widely known in the industry – who until the past couple of years kept himself under the radar, quietly growing his portfolio to 31 sites, turning struggling outlets nobody else wanted into thriving businesses.
He joined the industry in 2008 as a cashier, before progressing to store manager, and then becoming a contract manager for Rontec in 2014. He has since helped many of his employees to follow in his footsteps.
His generosity also extends to giving 10% of his company’s net profits to charity. Famously earlier this year he donated £100,000 to Pennies.
Other winners on the night were:
London & South East up to 4mlpa – Winner: Esso Northumberland Park Service Station, Haringey
Esso Northumberland Park impressed from the moment we pulled up on the clean, well laid out forecourt, which offers almost everything a modern filling station can, with EV chargers rubbing shoulders with jet wash bays, alongside laundrette machines and parcel lockers.
Those good first impressions continued as we headed inside where the neat, faced-up shop was complemented by a Greggs and a Pret, not to mention a spick-and-span loo.
Rounding things off was the customer service, with a friendly, personable cashier who served with personality and good cheer, something that was all the more impressive given we visited this Tottenham site in London during the morning rush hour.
London & South East over 4mlpa – Winner: Rontec Billingshurst
This huge filling station a stone’s throw from the A272 in West Sussex was seriously busy on the day of our visit, but the forecourt and shop were running like clockwork.
The large Morrisons Daily store felt well-stocked without being overly busy and was impeccably faced up despite the lunchtime rush, while a strong food-to-go offering is backed up by an in-store Greggs.
The loo was clearly well looked after, as was the meticulously maintained forecourt. Friendly, attentive staff sealed the deal on what is clearly a very well-run site.
Midlands & East of England up to 4mlpa – Winner: Croft Hill Garage, Leicester
This hilltop garage undoubtedly has the wow factor thanks to its distinctive oval canopy that harks back to the golden age of the motor car.
But it is not all glitz and glamour: a sensible layout sees parking neatly tucked in behind the shop alongside a brace of jet wash bays, while the forecourt caters to commercial drivers thanks to its dedicated AdBlue pump.
Inside, we could barely spot a single gap on any of the shelves, while the in-store Subway was bolstered by a nicely laid out food-to-go area.
The store’s tasteful modern décor extends into the pristine loos, while the cashier was not only friendly but effective, upselling us a cookie to go with our coffee.
Midlands & East of England over 4mlpa – Winner: Oversley Mill Services, Alcester
The forecourt may be huge, busy and impeccably clean at Oversley Mill Services, but it’s the store that’s the star of the show, with its herringbone flooring hinting as to what’s to come as soon as you step inside.
What’s to come is more of a small supermarket than a PFS shop, where there is all manner of grocery items, with a strong off-licence section, a huge range of soft drinks and a dedicated drinks bar with machines offering something for everyone.
The Browns Kitchen is worthy of special mention, feeling more like a small department store café than anything else, with hot food, counter service and a seating area all making this an inviting place to recharge the batteries on a long journey.
And while you recharge your batteries EV drivers can do the same with their vehicles outside, where public sockets are joined by both jet washes and a rollover car wash, and the dedicated HGV lanes ensure cars and trucks can mingle safely on site.
Northern England up to 4mlpa – Winner: Scaling Dam Services, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire
Penny on the Move’s Scaling Dam Services is a rural forecourt on the busy A171, serving a diverse customer base that includes local residents, daily commuters and significant passing tourist traffic, particularly during the peak summer season.
The site’s biggest business achievement over the past 12 months has been the complete transformation of its food-to-go offering.
A major investment programme was undertaken to revitalise the food-to-go area, including the installation of new kitchen equipment, a dedicated hot food counter and a second Costa Coffee machine.
The impact has been substantial. Hot food sales have increased by 45% year-on-year, while Costa Coffee sales have grown by a further 35%, demonstrating strong customer demand for high-quality food and drink on the move.
Northern England over 4mlpa – Winner: Grimshaw Park Service Station, Blackburn
Top 50 Indie The Kay Group bought extra land and redeveloped its Grimshaw Park head office/forecourt site into a state-of-the art development.
The forecourt area features everything today’s drivers would expect including AdBlue at the pump, EV charging, jet washes, air/vac plus plenty of parking.
Under the gleaming glass head office sits a fully-loaded, Londis-branded convenience store which includes a Greggs and an Iceland concession.
The shop utilises electronic shelf-edge labels to assist with availability levels, stock holding and waste parameters.
To speed up service during busy periods, the site has two self-service tills with one capable of taking both shop and fuel transactions.
In-store imagery features local landmarks and street names to engage with local customers and also details The Kay Group history as a local business.
Northern Ireland up to 4mlpa – Winner: Watt’s Garage, Ballyclare
This BP site projected the wow factor as soon as we drove up: with its V-shaped, chequered canopy undercarriage, and wood cladding features on the Spar store.
The theme of offering something new and interesting continues inside, with the curves of the food to go serve-over counter grabbing attention; and its pastrami rolls to heat, and chicken chilli wraps comparing with what you would expect to find in an upmarket deli.
We purchased an exceptional £4.95 honey chilli chicken salad from a selection of ready-to-eat healthy meal options in the chiller, which had seemingly been made on site.
Everything is well thought through, from the Post Office area, with its accompanying on-shelf office supplies, to the fun ‘Grab & Go, Go Go’ signage.
Northern Ireland over 4mlpa – Winner: Eurospar Wallace Village, Lisburn
This super-sized forecourt shop is hard to fault: it is a big site, with a personality to match.
It impressed our judges with personal touches including readymade overnight oats, sacks of spuds on the floor as part of the produce display, and its gluten-free fridge in its Cunningham’s Butchery.
Customers could easily do a weekly shop here, with its exceptional fresh produce, its baked from scratch bakery, which produces 15 varieties of bread, and well stocked, neat shelves. It is a busy site, but those wanting to get in and out quickly can use a bank of six self-checkouts.
A Delish 1,400sq ft food to go counter, and nicely kept toilets, cater for customers on the move. And a Post Office, which trades into the evening even at the weekend, offers a valuable service to the large housing development on its doorstep. No wonder this BP site, complete with eight fuel pumps and plenty parking, was bustling with customers when we visited late on a Sunday afternoon.
Scotland up to 4mlpa – Winner: Balfron Service Station, Balfron
Highland Fuels turned a Ford dealership into a stunning petrol forecourt, complete with Morrisons store in the small village of Balfron in Stirling.
The oil company says its biggest business achievement has been becoming part of the community – opening a modern site in a very rural setting offering customers the ability to do a full shop as well as providing fuel for the local area where there are limited options. The site also offers customers local account facilities and accepts bunkering cards, in an area where this had not been available before.
Highland describes local feedback to the site as “incredible” and feedback from our judges was good too. They complemented the site on its spacious forecourt, very well stocked Morrisons, with lovely cakes from the local bakery, and incredibly helpful staff.
Scotland over 4mlpa – Winner: MFG Broxden, Perth
Broxden Services is described as “a true one-stop destination” offering a wide range of facilities designed to meet the needs of both locals and passing trade.
The site provides two complementary bakery offers – Greggs and Stephens Bakery – alongside a Subway outlet, giving customers a varied food-to-go selection.
The toilets have recently been improved, enhancing customer comfort and convenience.
On the forecourt there are two power foam jet washes, and a new air and vacuum combi unit. In addition, there is a locker hub with a range of parcel services and comprehensive HGV facilities to support commercial drivers.
EV charging is available and the site has been future-proofed with infrastructure to support the installation of additional EV chargepoints as needed.
West Country & Wales up to 4mlpa – Winner: Rhydymwyn Service Station, Mold
Rhydymwyn Service Station is a forecourt that everyone would love to have on their doorstep: whether to meet friends for a coffee in the outside café area; to top up on local cake, condiments and other treats; or to use a well-tended toilet while filling up with petrol or using the onsite Post Office.
Our judge was met by two very friendly staff who clearly had a rapport with regular customers, and welcomed first-timers like us.
It was the closest that a forecourt – and a busy one at that which had a constant stream of motorists filling up – could get to giving a warm hug. Wooden shelves and baskets, faux flowers in the toilet, and a well-thought through outside seating area with picnic tables, lights, mirrors, plants and motoring paraphernalia, such as empty Castrol oil barrels, made for a wonderful experience.
West Country & Wales over 4mlpa – Winner: Ascona Machynlleth Service Station, Machynlleth
Our judges felt that Ascona sites excelled this year on our on the road tour of the West Country and Wales shortlisted forecourts, and this was the best we saw. This Texaco/Nisa Local, opposite Machynlleth train station, was presented supremely well, and was spotless with nothing out of place.
Its banks of chilled and frozen food cabinets, and its large fresh food and vegetable offering, using wooden display units, impressed. The spacious shop feels like a high-end supermarket, and the forecourt itself, with a rollover and jet wash bay, was as spick-and-span as the interior of the shop.
It had a welcoming feel, with something for everyone from an M&M’s sweet dispenser, to a seating area to enjoy a Starbucks coffee, or Rollover hotdog or West Cornwall Pasty Co treat.
Best alternative fuels outlet – Winner: InstaVolt’s Winchester Superhub, Winchester
When we visited InstaVolt’s Winchester Superhub on a wet Sunday morning in July the site, the UK’s largest ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging hub, had a respectable amount of trade.
There were some 17 cars being charged, and many customers were using the impressive Starbucks onsite cafe, as well as the standalone toilets, complete with baby changing: all overseen by a 24/7 security/help hut.
The company says that every charge at the site is zero carbon, with the 44 ultra rapid 160kW chargers powered by energy sourced from a field of on-site polar panels, wind turbines and battery storage. Signage in the impeccably kept toilets boasts that the site saved 94.66 tonnes of carbon dioxide from its solar generation in a year.
Thoughtful touches include a children’s play area, picnic tables, a ‘doggy hydration station’ with outside tap and bowl, and a defibrillator. And going the extra mile on the environmental front, the site features a log shelter for insects, five bat boxes, and wildflowers planted to attract thousands of bees.
Best car care and lubricants outlet, sponsored by CDG – Winner: Park Thieves Lane, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Car care can often be something of an afterthought for forecourt operators, but not so at Park Thieves Lane, where drivers will find everything they need to look after their car short of a replacement head gasket for a 2005 Subaru boxer engine.
A wide range of Shell Helix oils of all viscosities is prominently displayed, flanked by all manner of fuel additives and a vast array of valeting products, plus kit to help you out in an emergency such as automotive fuses and tyre inflator aerosols.
It’s not just car drivers who are catered for, though, with dedicated HGV products such as in-cab kettles and heavy duty gloves. An unquestionably well displayed and thoughtfully stocked range.
Best community engagement, sponsored by Essar – Winner: Ledbury Road Services, Tewkesbury, Worcestershire
Reading the back story of Ledbury Road tells a tale not just of community engagement, but of thinking of those in need despite the chips being down for oneself.
Because while many retailers would be understandably focussed on dealing with the matter in hand when a lightning strike frazzled all on-site electrics, the team at Ledbury Road had the thoughtfulness and presence of mind to donate their perishable stock to the Salvation Army.
Away from emergencies, a focus on local suppliers, not to mention sponsorships and donations, puts Ledbury Road very much at the heart of the community it serves, a sentiment that is extended by the recent addition of an on-site café.
The ‘please take one’ basket in the pristine loo, meanwhile, offered everything from free sanitary products to sunscreen; given the heatwave that was present on the day of our visit, this latter item clearly shows that community engagement is very much a living project at Ledbury Road.
Best customer service, sponsored by Brinks – Winner: Eurospar Knocklynn, Coleraine
As soon as we arrived at Eurospar Knocklynn a member of staff was helping a customer with the self-checkout. We decided to put him further to the test by asking him to identify which of the ice-cream scoop counter flavours would be suitable for someone with a nut allergy. He helped immediately and gave us alternatives. As we were leaving the Maxol site, that same member of staff was helping another customer find a newspaper with the same ‘no bother’ attitude.
He was not alone in his helpfulness, and customer engagement. A woman working on the food to go counter was laughing with a customer, and another staff member walked us to the toilet when we asked where it was, while the butcher asked us where we were from.
The site, including the toilets, was spotless.
Best food to go and coffee outlet, sponsored by Rollover – Winner: Mulkerns Eurospar, Newry
It is not very often that you find a full-blown restaurant-style carvery in a forecourt. But this is something that Mulkerns Eurospar has obviously built a reputation for with a queue of more than 20 customers waiting to be served an all the trimmings turkey, ham, beef, or pork roast when we visited on a Sunday afternoon in August.
We were offered the “Rolls Royce” version with turkey and ham by our very friendly server, who was slicing the meat in front of customers. He gave us a very generous portion, for the reasonable price of £9.95, which we enjoyed in the comfort of our car. It was so big, in fact, that we couldn’t finish it.
There were other takeaway options from the run of food to go, including black pudding and chilli cheese sausage rolls, crispy chilli chicken, Asian noodles, couscous, and a choice of sandwich fillers.
The toilet, a very important factor in food to go outlets, was very well kept as well.
Best forecourt team, sponsored by Jordon Group – Winner: Creightons of Finaghy Eurospar, Belfast
A flamboyant flower market stall style display of bouquets and plants at the entrance of Creightons of Finaghy sets the tone for this exceptionally well-tended and beautiful site.
Fully faced up shelves, a lovely smelling outside toilet, and a landscaped garden continue the theme.
Everything is immaculate, matching the special attention to detail with the shop’s decor, with feature floor tiling and a wooden backed hot drinks area.
Staff at this BP forecourt were friendly, quietly getting on with their work while happily helping us to find multiple items in the store.
Best forecourt loo – Winner: Ulceby Cross Services, Alford
Even in 2026, petrol station loos can be something of an embarrassment – not because people are shy about bodily functions, but because of the state of some roadside conveniences can make them anything but, well, convenient.
Ulcelby Cross shows it doesn’t have to be that way, with five individual cubicles each, with vinyl prints of local attractions. They were arranged in a neat row that you’d be more than happy to find in a nice restaurant.
They include a larger than average facility for baby changing and wheelchair users. For a store of its size the number of public conveniences exceeds the norm.
Best forecourt innovation, sponsored by Spar – Winner: Coneygarth Services, Northallerton
A gym at a petrol station is a novel idea but one that is working incredibly well for Coneygarth Services.
The idea for the gym came from observing professional drivers and long-stay customers using the site. With more than 200 HGVs parking overnight at Coneygarth Services on busy evenings, many drivers were spending extended periods with very limited access to fitness or wellbeing facilities.
The forecourt’s solution was the development of a fully equipped, modern gym facility featuring both cardio and strength-training equipment, designed specifically to be accessible and practical for HGV drivers, staff and the wider public.
And it has paid off with truck parking revenue up by 6% since the gym opened, and a large number of the local community utilising the space.
Best motorway services, sponsored by Booker – Winner: Rontec Magor, Caldicot
It is no mean feat to topple Shell’s Cobham Services from the pedestal of being the top motorway services site seven years in a row. But this is what Rontec Magor has achieved, thanks to its run-like-clockwork, but friendly, all-encompassing 24-hour forecourt at J23 on the M4, in Caldicot, Monmouthshire.
The Esso/Shop’n Drive site, while much smaller than the former winner, packed a punch with a food-on-the-move range with plenty options for our healthier lunch, with sushi, pasta bowls, and displays of single apples and bananas.
Four Costa Express machines, and a separate payment kiosk for the West Cornwall Pasty Co hot food display ensure nobody is waiting for refreshments, which can be enjoyed in a window seating area with plug points, or on an outside picnic bench.
Staff, one of whom was vacuuming leaves on a spotless forecourt, and another recounting to us how her husband has worked at the site for 23 years, were approachable and genuinely seemed happy in their work.
We found the toilets to be immaculately clean, featuring local artwork en route. There is a free ATM, and stocks of chilled and grocery essentials.
While a busy site, we were not kept waiting and felt relaxed, refreshed and uplifted after our brief stop off.
Best site manager, presented by Forecourt Show – Winner: Shell Co-op Maybury, Edinburgh
Shell Co-op Maybury in Edinburgh sits on a very busy road junction and is therefore a bustling site.
However, with Farwa Iftikhar at the helm, the forecourt and the shop are kept in excellent condition – clean, tidy and with great availability.
And despite how busy Shell Co-op Maybury is, Iftikhar and her team have also achieved significant growth in shop and fuel sales. This was achieved by improving product availability, strengthening promotions, increasing upselling and making sure the store always looks full, fresh and inviting for customers. When the Forecourt Trader judges visited, it definitely ticked all those boxes.
Finally, as it is a 24-hour site, Iftikhar also instigated more checks to ensure standards remain high at all times.
Best soft drinks outlet, sponsored by CCEP – Winner: Woodman Service Station, Leeds
Woodman Service Station is no stranger to the Best Soft Drinks Outlet Award thanks to its best-in-class execution of the category.
Soft drinks account for 40% of shop sales and therefore demand close attention.
Availability is critical to the success of the category, and shelves and chillers are checked and replenished regularly throughout the day to ensure they remain full – even on the hottest of summer days when demand is through the roof. Woodman’s ethos is that a well-stocked display creates a strong “full shelf” impact, which encourages higher sales.
You would be hard pushed to find a better range of soft drinks than at Woodman Service Station. As well as the big brand sellers such as Red Bull and Coke, the forecourt is quick to respond to trends, especially social media-driven demand, ensuring its range stays relevant to a wide customer base.
Best valeting facilities, sponsored by LKQ and Euro Car Parts – Winner: Hawtree & Sons Riverside, Gillingham, Dorset
The Hawtree brothers are known for having a passion for cars, and so it should be no surprise that they have developed a valeting business at their Murco forecourt in Gillingham, Dorset, worthy of the prize in this category.
Marketed on site as ‘The Paddock Dorset’s premier jet wash’ the three covered bays for the Adriateh equipment, in striking red and black colours, is turning heads. TikTokers have been giving additional unexpected exposure. And when we visited on a Sunday in July just before midday there was a small queue to use the valeting service.
The business itself is using social media to get attention for the hub; its Ready2wash app; and its two recently added dual-purpose blow drier and high-powered vacuums, also from Adriateh.
The spotless valeting area complements a dog wash machine and two laundry units on site, turning the forecourt into a cleaning centre.
Oil company initiative, sponsored by ME Group – Winner: Shell
Shell is the deserved winner of this category, which recognises initiatives by oil companies to enhance their retail operations. Its OneApp integrates EV charging, conventional fuels, a loyalty scheme, and payments in a single app. It creates what Shell calls a “seamless forecourt-to-digital experience” for both consumers and business customers.
Before releasing OneApp, Shell had separate apps for EV and fuel customers. The challenge was to come up with a way to allow retailers to cross-merchandise and cross-sell between the two groups of drivers, without disrupting the existing app-based loyalty programmes.
Shell certainly delivered this, with a single customer identity achieved across fuel and EV, greatly simplifying things for retailers, while boosting opportunities for them to generate extra business.
