Today, the wait is over with the reveal of the shortlist for the Forecourt Trader Awards 2026, sponsored by Booker.
Our judges have gone through over 400 entries representing 257 sites to come up with our final selection of excellence that showcases the best in fuel retailing.
To get through to this stage is a massive achievement, with 11 industry experts first choosing their favourite entries. Each site is then visited by our trio of on the road judges who travel thousands of miles to ensure that what is claimed in each entry is reflected in reality.
Whether entering a regional, car care or best community operator category, every shortlisted site is assessed in detail.
From testing the toilets, to tasting food to go offerings, from checking forecourt bins are emptied and shelves are full, every aspect of each business is inspected by our mystery shoppers to ensure that we celebrate the very best of Britain’s service station network.
During their nationwide tour, the judges noted touches ranging from flowers and help-yourself baskets with sunscreen and sanitary products in the washrooms to bee hotels on landscaped verges, designed to highlight a commitment to nature and sustainability.
They were impressed by the remarkable efforts operators have made to transform tired or failing sites, innovative food-for-tonight offers, environmental initiatives such as solar panels as well as investment in EV charging, and the creation of genuine community hubs with parcel lockers, valeting, dog wash machines and laundry.
Of course, staff are key to any successful forecourt business, and we were blown away by meeting employees and managers who clearly take pride in their jobs, serving with a smile, ensuring shelves are tidy and products well merchandised, and going out of their way to help our roving judges find items in the shop.
One forecourt even had a site-walker, whose job it was to check up on litter, ensure nothing was out of place, and be on hand to help customers with enquiries.
Forecourt Trader editor Juliet Morrison says that the judges were given the near-impossible job of whittling down hundreds of entries to a shortlist, from which the final winners, including the overall Forecourt Trader of the Year, will be selected.
“Not only were there more entries than last year, we felt that the bar has been raised in operational excellence in the forecourt sector,” says Morrison.
“This is the best time of year for the Forecourt Trader team. We love visiting sites that we have been writing about over the past 12 months and seeing for ourselves how the sector is changing.
“This year it felt like operators were truly engaging with their customers and motorists’ needs. We’re moving into a new era of roadside retail where operators are upping their game to keep hold of customers in a highly competitive marketplace.”
The industry has a chance to celebrate the winners, and excellence in forecourt retailing, at the must-attend event at the Park Plaza in London on Thursday, October 8.
Tickets are now available to purchase here. We look forward to seeing you there.
Here is the shortlist:
London & South East up to 4mlpa
Esso Laindon Service Station, Laindon, Essex
Esso Northumberland Park Service Station, Haringey, Greater London
Park Mogador, Lower Kingswood, Surrey
Tates Morrisons, Newhaven, East Sussex
London & South East over 4mlpa
Ardleigh South Service Station, Colchester, Essex
BP Merrow SF Connect, Guilford, Surrey
Morrisons Borehamwood, Hertfordshire
Rontec Billingshurst, West Sussex
Yeoman Garage, Maidstone, Kent
Midlands up to 4mlpa
Croft Hill Garage, Leicester
Esso Stone Cross Service Station, Norfolk
Ledbury Road Services, Bushley, Tewkesbury
Midlands over 4mlpa
Oversley Mill Services - Browns Food Stores, Alcester, Warwickshire
The Highland Group, St Ives, Cambridgeshire
Ulceby Cross Services, Alford, Lincolnshire
Northern England up to 4mlpa
MFG Morrisons Amble Service Station, Northumberland
Park Scot Lane, Wigan, Greater Manchester
Scaling Dam Services, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire
Threeways Filling Station, Hull, East Yorkshire
Northern England over 4mlpa
Essar Lea Gate Service Station, Preston, Lancashire
Grimshaw Park Service Station, Blackburn, Lancashire
Jet Wheatley Hill Service Station, Wheatley Hill, Durham
Rontec Selby, North Yorkshire
Whistler Drive Service Station, Castleford
Northern Ireland up to 4mlpa
Eurospar Carrick Milestone, Carrickfergus, Antrim
Eurospar Fortfield, Carrickfergus, Antrim
Eurospar Gilford, Armagh
Eurospar Hillcrest, Portrush, Londonderry
Eurospar Mallusk, Antrim
Watt’s Garage, Ballyclare, Antrim
Northern Ireland over 4mlpa
Centra Dungiven, Derry
Eurospar Hardford Link, Newtownards, Down
Eurospar Wallace Village, Lisburn, Antrim
Spar Cohannon, Dungannon, Tyrone
Scotland up to 4mlpa
Ascona Refinery Service Station, Grangemouth, Stirlingshire
Balfron Service Station, Stirlingshire
MFG Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire
MFG Morrisons Earlston Service Station, Berwickshire
Ravenspark Filling Station, Irvine, North Ayrshire
Shell Co-Op Maybury, Edinburgh
Scotland over 4mlpa
MFG Broxden, Perth, Perthshire
MFG Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire
Park Forfar, Angus County
West Country and Wales up to 4mlpa
Ascona Caersws, Powys
Ascona Crossways, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire
MFG Shepton Mallet, Somerset
Overbrook Service Station, Gloucestershire
Rhydymwyn Service Station, Mold, Flintshire
West Country and Wales over 4mlpa
Ascona Green Garage, Bush Hill, Pembrokeshire
Ascona Machynlleth Service Station, Powys
MFG Creekmoor, Poole, Dorset
MFG Wellington, Somerset
Best Alternative Fuels Outlet – Sponsored by Gadjet
Morrisons Borehamwood Service Station, Hertfordshire
Morrisons St Albans Service Station, Hertfordshire
Rontec Kingscroft, Leatherhead, Surrey
Winchester Superhub, Hampshire
Best Car Care & Lubricants Outlet – Sponsored by CDG
Ascona Refinery Service Station, Grangemouth, Stirlingshire
MFG Wellington, Somerset
Park Thieves Lane, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Tinkerbell Service Station, Barford St Martin, Wiltshire
Woodman Service Station, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Best Community Engagement – Sponsored by Essar
Eurospar Hardford Link, Newtownards, Down
Ledbury Road Services, Tewkesbury, Worcestershire
Mulkerns Eurospar, Newry, Down
Sewell on the go Chanterlands, Hull, East Yorkshire
Spar Malone Road, Belfast, Antrim
Ulceby Cross Services, Alford, Lincolnshire
Best Customer Service
Ballinluig Services, Pitlochry, Perthshire
Eurospar Gilford, Armagh
Eurospar Hardford Link, Newtownards, Down
Eurospar Knocklynn, Coleraine, Londonderry
Ledbury Road Services, Tewkesbury, Worcestershire
Rhydymwyn Service Station, Mold, Flintshire
Woodman Service Station, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Best Food-to-Go and Coffee Outlet – Sponsored by Rollover
Eurospar Gilford, Armagh
Morrisons Borehamwood Service Station, Hertfordshire
Mulkerns Eurospar, Newry, Down
Oversley Mill Services – Browns Food Stores, Alcester, Warwickshire
Spar Route Service Station, Ballymoney, Antrim
Ulceby Cross Services, Alford, Lincolnshire
Best Forecourt Team – Sponsored by Jordon Group
Ascona Machynlleth Service Station, Powys
Creightons of Finaghy, Belfast, Antrim
Eurospar Carrick Milestone, Carrickfergus, Antrim
Eurospar Glenwell, Glengormley, Antrim
Ledbury Road Services, Tewkesbury, Worcestershire
Shell Co-Op Maybury, Edinburgh
Best Forecourt Loo
Essar Lea Gate Service Station, Preston, Lancashire
Park Mogador, Lower Kingswood, Surrey
Ulceby Cross Services, Alford, Lincolnshire
Best Forecourt Innovation – Sponsored by Spar
BP Merrow SF Connect, Guilford, Surrey
Coneygarth Services, Northallerton, North Yorkshire
Ledbury Road Services, Tewkesbury, Worcestershire
Park Garage Group Park & Charge, Croydon, Surrey
Ulceby Cross Services, Alford, Lincolnshire
Best Motorway Services Outlet
Shell Beaconsfield Motorway Services, Buckinghamshire
Shell Cobham Motorway Services, Surrey
Rontec Magor, Caldicot, Gwent
Best Site Manager – Sponsored by PriceEasy
Lois Dant, Ulceby Cross Services, Alford, Lincolnshire
Farwa Iftikhar, Shell Co-op Maybury, Edinburgh
Danielle Martin, Eurospar Gilford, Armagh
Samuel McCann, Spar Malone Road, Belfast, Antrim
Keith Sharp, Raven’s Budgens Abridge, Essex
Best Soft Drinks Outlet – Sponsored by CCEP
Grandstand Services, Morpeth, Northumberland
Overbrook Service Station, Gloucestershire
Park Rushden, Northamptonshire
Park Thieves Lane, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Ulceby Cross Services, Alford, Lincolnshire
Woodman Service Station, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Best Valeting Facilities - sponsored by LKQ and Euro Car Parts
BP Triangle Junction, Hull, East Yorkshire
Childerley Gate Service Station, Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire
Hawtree & Sons Riverside, Gillingham, Dorset
Loddon Bridge Service Station, Reading, Berkshire
Oil Company Initiative – Sponsored by ME Group
Certas FuelSense
MFG Murco Connect
Shell UK OneApp
