Applegreen M1 Southbound in Northern Ireland was hailed as Forecourt Trader of the Year at last night’s prestigious annual awards at the London Hilton on Park Lane.
Myleene Klass, singer, pianist and model was the glamorous host for the event which was attended by a record crowd of over 850.
The award was presented to Applegreen chief operating officer Joe Barrett and UK managing director John Diviney by Forecourt Trader editor Merril Boulton, who described the site as a stunning operation located on a very busy tourist route from Belfast City.
“This is a site with the wow factor, and the highest-scoring operation across all the regional entries in this year’s awards, with its striking design, full of innovation and flair. M1 Lisburn was designed to be bigger and better than anything that Applegreen had done before. It has a total floor area of 1,560sq m, 300 customer seats, and a third of the building dedicated to customer circulation.
“More importantly it is run to the highest standards, offering a range of food and beverage options; seating and informal rest areas and meeting spaces offering free wi-fi and charging points. Applegreen describe the site as a game changer in forecourt convenience. It is certainly a standout winner at this year’s awards!”
Diviney said: “It’s a fantastic service station and there’s been a huge team behind it, putting it together from design to development to operation. I’m absolutely thrilled for all of them and they really deserve this award.”
Barrett paid tribute to the contribution of partner brands, and added: “The most important thing for us is that our customers love it. Every time I go to one of our service stations children are playing in the play areas, people are enjoying the experience, and the low prices for food and fuel.
Diviney added: “It’s a sign of what’s to come for Applegreen in the UK. This is a start. The UK consumer will be able to get used to facilities like this on the roadside.”
The site also won Best Food To Go in the specialist categories – as well as great fuel and shop offerings, M1 Lisburn is home to six food offers: Greggs, Lavazza, Burger King, Subway, Chopstix and Applegreen’s own brand, The Bakewell.
List of winners:
SPECIALIST PRODUCT CATEGORIES
BEST CAR CARE AND LUBRICANTS
Nick Baker
Jet Abbeyside Service Station
BEST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Adele Brown
Eurospar Glenwell
BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE
Nick & Jonathan Fraser
Budgens Three Mile Cross
BEST DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
Joe Richardson
Glews Services
BEST FOOD TO GO
John Diviney
Applegreen M1 Southbound
BEST FORECOURT INNOVATION
Nick Baker
Jet Abbeyside Service Station
BEST FORECOURT LOO
Vicky Hennessy & David Penny
Sadberge Filling Station
BEST FORECOURT TEAM
Matt Westlake
Bodmin Moor Services
BEST HOT BEVERAGES OUTLET
Ranjan Sinnathamby
MFG Glasgow Airport
BEST SITE MANAGER
Joanne Walker
Eurospar Carrowdore
BEST SOFT DRINKS OUTLET
Idris Patel
Woodman Service Station
BEST VALETING FACILITIES
Mohran Yogaraj
MFG Skyway Filling Station
REGIONAL AWARDS
NORTHERN IRELAND
UP TO 4MLPA
Paul Patterson
EUROSPAR Maghaberry
4MLPA-PLUS
Jonathan McCullagh
Classic Service Station
SCOTLAND
UP TO 4MLPA
Jean Watkins & Maria Smith
Aikenhead Road Service Station
4MLPA-PLUS
Mahmood Saleem
Jet Mascot Ardeer Service Station
MIDLANDS
UP TO 4MLPA
Tom Dant
Spar Bilsby
4MLPA-PLUS
Michele Lawson
Spar Fairfield
NORTHERN ENGLAND
UP TO 4MLPA
Robert Eggo & Angela Prescott
Spar Roe Lane Service Station
4MLPA-PLUS
Kristian Harrison
Laceby Lodge Services
WEST COUNTRY & WALES
UP TO 4MLPA
Jessica King
Crossways Service Station
4MLPA-PLUS
Matt Westlake
Winning Post Services
LONDON & SOUTH EAST
UP TO 4MLPA
Alan Spackman & John Dowling
Hopcroft Holt
4MLPA-PLUS
Nick & Jonathan Fraser
Budgens Three Mile Cross
MOTORWAY
John Diviney
Applegreen M1 Southbound
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
Ken Kay, Kay Group
OIL COMPANY INITIATIVE
Highly recommended: Certas Energy
Winner: Shell
FORECOURT TRADER OF THE YEAR
Applegreen, M1 Southbound
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