FT James Hall Shell Darlington

A new Spar convenience store and Shell service station has been opened on one of Darlington’s busiest main roads by James Hall & Co, the retailer and Spar distributer for the north of England.

The new 3,000sq ft Spar store and Shell-branded forecourt is on the site of the former Haughton Road Service Station, and has been months in development after planning permission was granted in 2020.

The site features six fuel pumps, a jet wash, air and water machines, an ATM and customer parking.

Inside the store, there is a Graham Eyes butchers counter, Clayton Park Bakery deli, and a range of refreshment options including Cheeky Coffee, F’Real milkshakes and smoothies, and a Tango Ice Blast machine.

There is also a comprehensive range of fresh foods, food to go, major branded products, and beers, wines and spirits to meet customer demand.

The Mayor of Darlington, Cllr Cyndi Hughes, cut the ribbon to open the store on Thursday November 18, and said: “The significant investment Spar have put into the site and the jobs the new store and forecourt has created is a great boost for the local economy and it shows that Darlington is open for business.”

Fiona Drummond, company stores director at James Hall & Co, said: “We’re incredibly excited to launch in Darlington and bring the Spar brand to the town. While we have a strong presence of company-owned stores in the North East of the country and independent retailers under the Spar symbol, we have never had a presence in central Darlington. This was a key attraction to our investment in the Haughton Road Service Station site.

“Our modern store really does look tremendous and its location is fantastic on one of Darlington’s main gateways, with a good mix of employers and residential customers close by.”

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