Trailblazer David Charman was crowned Forecourt Trader of the Year in front of more 720 attendees at last night’s premier accolades for the industry: his second time of winning this prestigious title.
His Spar Parkfoot forecourt on the A20 in West Malling, Kent, was re-launched in March after a £900,000 refurb of the 3,000sq ft store, and was also recognised for best sustainability strategy.
The BP site, complete with a jet wash hub, first won Forecourt Trader of the Year at the inaugural ceremony in 1996. Over the years Charman, the third generation to run the business, has pioneered a number of innovations, including installing an instore butchery 13 years ago, and most recently introducing hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) on pump. In his latest refit he has added a high-end deli counter, and the business’s first self-checkouts.
The 24-hour site, which has been in Charman’s family since 1948, also won the London & South East over 4mlpa category, and beat hundreds of entries to the top prize in the awards, of which Booker Retail Partners was headline sponsor.
Spar Parkfoot impressed the judges on many levels, from its stylish interior, including zig-zag aisles, and bespoke lighting and design features, to its laid back shopping experience and carefully curated food and drink range, significantly including its own-brand food which is made onsite and accounts for around 50% of the shop’s sales.
“From the outside, the forecourt looks like a smart, welcoming, but unassuming location. But as soon as you enter the double automatic doors you are hit with the wow factor,” said head judge Juliet Morrison. “There is a magnificent floral display to a vibrant run of chilled fresh produce, as well as a huge choice of own-brand food to go, and the piece de resistance, the imposing Parkfoot Butchers counter, which produces meal components and everyday dishes.
“It is no exaggeration to say that customers could carry out a weekly shop here or pop in for some special ingredient or other treat not found elsewhere in the locality. Whatever the mission, it will be an enjoyable experience, with some customers likening the site to their very own Fortnum & Mason.
“David Charman has yet again raised the bar for our industry by future-proofing this business for many years to come. While the format won’t be right for every location, it is a business that other operators no matter the footprint of the store will be able to take inspiration from,” added Morrison.
Another significant win for the night, which was hosted in a last minute change by TV presenter Dan Walker at London’s Park Plaza, was for Sej Sejpal. He was recognised in our reader voted Special Recognition category. Sejpal, owner of 60 forecourts under the Platinum Retail banner, has been in the industry over 47 years.
Having joined the sector with Elf Oil as a commission operator, Sejpal quickly went on to run multiple sites with other oil companies. In 2001, he co-founded Motor Fuel Group (MFG), now the UK’s largest independent forecourt operator with over 1,200 sites.
Sejpal and his business partner grew MFG to over 100 locations before in 2011 selling out to a management team backed by private equity. In the same year, Sejpal set about going solo and setting up Platinum Retail. He is now joined by his sons Jamie and Josh, to whom he one day intends to hand the reins.
London & South East up to 4mlpa:
Winner: Budgens Frilford, Oxford
It’s hard to think of a better spot for a rural filling station than Budgens Frilford: perched on the corner of two busy A-roads and surrounded by nothing but trees and fields a couple of miles to the west of Abingdon, Oxon, the surrounding geography makes it something of a local landmark.
The good news is that this expansive forecourt’s services and staff more than live up to its setting. Ample, well sited parking gives a good first impression, while the size of the plot both allows for the extensive valeting operations to be neatly separated from vehicle movements on the main forecourt, while also showcasing the impressive car and jet wash facilities.
Crossing the forecourt past clean pumps and dedicated AdBlue dispensers, the shop is as impressive as the filling points: a solar-panelled roof covers a well set out, tidy shop with expansive food, grocery and car care offerings, while our visit was rounded off by a naturally friendly and engaging cashier.
London & South East over 4mlpa:
Winner: Spar Parkfoot, West Malling, Kent
This 24-hour site, owned and operated by David Charman, has been described by its customers as the petrol retailer take on Fortnum & Mason, and it is easy to see why.
A £900,000 refurbishment of the 3,000sq ft shop earlier this year, has given the site the aesthetics of an upmarket foodhall – which when we visited was selling barbecue meats marinated inhouse, Hugh Lowe strawberries, the brand used by caterers at the Wimbledon tennis championships, and Taittinger Champagne Millesime at £62.99 a bottle. Meanwhile, an in-house butchers, deli and food to go counters had an impressive display of food made on site.
The busy BP forecourt is impeccable too and boasts an impressive jet wash hub, and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) on pump, in a move to encourage sustainability.
Midlands and East of England up to 4mlpa
Winner: Ledbury Road Services, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
This stylish and beautifully presented site could be described as a mini Tebay Services, in terms of range and ambience, but on a tiny footprint.
Our judge only intended to buy some customary snacks, but came away with a dog bowl, a pot of local honey, and also a homemade Apricot Almond Flapjack, a Black Pudding & Apple Sausage Roll, and a freshly ground espresso coffee.
On the tourist trail on the A438 in Bushley, near Tewkesbury, it clearly knows its market with a mix of lifestyle products such as gardening gloves and hanging basket feed for the locals, as well as metal wall art for tourists.
Midlands and East of England over 4mlpa
Winner: Budgens Huntley Services, Huntley, Gloucestershire
Our on the road judge could not stop saying “wow” when visiting this Valero/Budgens site, which was treated to a show-stopping £1.1 million redevelopment last year.
Highlights included an internal laundrette with a door into the shop, banks of chillers in black to match the décor of the shop, a beer and wine cave, and Cook and Hedonist Bakery freezers.
This shop went the extra mile, with an exceptional toilet, and even a free filtered drinking water machine. It was hard to fault both inside and outside, where there is a new jet wash as squeaky clean as the rest of the site.
Northern England up to 4mlpa
Winner: G&E Murgatroyd Spar Bowness, Windermere, Cumbria
This James Hall & Co new-to-industry site, which opened in July 2024, has achieved its goal of catering for the booming tourist trade visiting the Lake District as well as the people who live nearby.
The excellent forecourt standards have made it a very popular place to refuel while its modern Spar convenience store stocks a comprehensive range for visitors to the area and locals alike, including a wealth of lines from local suppliers.
Growth for the store has been driven by excellent availability coupled with exemplary store standards, while the forecourt has benefited from the addition of AdBlue.
Northern England over 4mlpa
Winner: Eden Service Station, Malton, North Yorkshire
JRS Services has successfully transformed an empty field into a thriving petrol filling station with BP-branded fuel and a 3,000sq ft Spar-branded store. It’s an impressive site with plenty of parking.
The company’s dedication to sustainability is evident across Eden Service Station, where it has installed 220 solar panels on the canopy and shop roof. At full capacity, these panels are expected to offset up to 28% of annual on-site energy consumption.
The store has the Clayton Park Bakery as its food-to-go option with JRS Services the first independent to offer the brand.
Northern Ireland up to 4mlpa
Winner: Spar Mallusk, Newtownabbey
At Spar Mallusk the forecourt operation is managed with a strong focus on maintaining high standards of safety, cleanliness and customer service – which was clearly evident to our judges.
One of the site’s biggest achievements has been the successful launch of Northern Ireland’s first Barista Bar Drive Thru, which significantly enhanced the overall customer experience on site.
The drive thru has improved site footfall, created new employment opportunities and increased basket spend, as customers often pair their coffee with in-store purchases. The success of the drive thru has laid the groundwork for further innovation across the site.
Northern Ireland over 4mlpa
Winner: Centra Dunman, Cookstown
The owners of Centra Dunman say their most precious commodity is their staff who always go above and beyond to ensure every trip to the site is a good one.
Standards are high across both the spotless forecourt and the top quality convenience store.
A member of staff is assigned to ensure the forecourt is spick and span every day and they even employ a handy man to deep clean the pump islands and cut the grass on a weekly basis.
HVO has recently been added to the forecourt and electric chargepoints will follow. Meanwhile, inside the store, shoppers can find a quality deli and a Nugelato ice cream franchise.
Scotland combined up to and over 4mlpa
Winner: Ravenspark Filling Station, Irvine
This 24-hour site reflected the demands of the modern motorist, with pay at pump, jet washing, three parcel lockers – with Amazon, Inpost and Quadient – and what was the first Praveen Kumar takeaway service to be introduced.
The Indian meals, available from 12-9pm on the day we visited, were a sight for sore eyes after our long journey through Scotland, and we were impressed with the quality of the dishes, which the operator also offers to deliver to locals via Just Eat.
With a well-stocked 2,700sq ft shop and so many services, it was no surprise that the 15 car parking spaces were busy when we visited Highland Fuels’ immaculate forecourt.
West Country and Wales up to 4mlpa
Winner: Hawtree & Sons Riverside, Gillingham, Dorset
Given its relatively isolated location on the A30 in the Dorset countryside, it would make sense for Hawtree & Sons to turn their Riverside filling station into something of a hub for locals as well as passing travellers, and that’s precisely what has been done.
Sleek, modern valeting bays with eye-catching motorsport liveries give a strong first impression, while past these sit a picnic area, with parcel lockers, a bank of laundrette machines and a dog-washing station tucked neatly to the side of the wood-clad forecourt shop.
‘Shop’ is probably underselling things bit, as in truth this Spar-branded store is closer to a small supermarket, with extensive grocery offerings, locally sourced fresh produce and an inviting food-to-go section, all complemented by staff who are both impressively welcoming, and seem genuinely glad to be working there.
West Country and Wales over 4mlpa
Winner: MFG Creekmoor, Poole, Dorset
MFG’s Creekmoor site in Poole sits on a busy roundabout joining three busy dual carriageways, and this bustling location is echoed by the busy forecourt itself.
Valeting operations sit to the left of the forecourt entrance, with EV charging tucked around to the side of the shop and parking to the front. A steady stream of vehicles filled up at the five pump islands on the morning of our visit, while the vast shop’s glass frontage flooded with the store with light, and offers all the conveniences customers might expect from a small supermarket.
Extensive food-to-go offerings are bolstered by an on-site fast-food restaurant, and while the sheer busyness of the site might have led to an impersonal experience, the friendly staff instead cemented a very impressive forecourt experience.
Best alternative fuels outlet – sponsored by Gadjet
Winner: Gridserve, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
Tucked away on an industrial estate just off the A1(M), this electric forecourt with office pods, a convenience store without staff, and 36 charging bays is a progressive look to the future.
For motorists charging their vehicles on the high-power CCS and CHAdeMO connectors, there is free wifi, a water bottle refill station, shower facilities, a Costa Coffee and Little Fresh shop powered by Amazon Just Walk Out tap and pay technology.
The two-storey building has a huge upstairs seating area, with screens to learn about transitioning to EV. And outside it has the less futuristic, but welcome picnic seating area.
Best car care & lubricants outlet – sponsored by CDG
Winner: PGG Thieves Lane, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
This modern forecourt’s comprehensive amenities make it a good stop-off for motorists, while those in need of car care and oil products will be superbly catered for.
A comprehensive range of Shell Helix oil sits next to a large selection of bulbs, fuses and air fresheners, complemented by phone chargers, learner plates, jump leads, fuel additives and tools.
You could stock a small garage from the vast number of products on offer, while the huge range of car-cleaning products offer everything the home valeter needs, and commercial drivers are catered for by AdBlue, and associated products, all presented neatly and logically, and backed up by knowledgeable staff.
Best community engagement – sponsored by Essar
Winner: Tout’s Cleeve, North Somerset
Tout’s Cleeve is a flagship store for the family firm, but it’s also something of a local hub, engaging closely with the Somerset community it sits in, sponsoring the local cricket club, contributing to Cleeve’s village magazine, and hosting a free annual food festival.
As if that weren’t enough, Tout’s staff regularly engages in fundraising initiatives and support local food charities, while recently hosting a sculpture to promote the latest Wallace and Gromit film.
Staff regularly volunteer for worthy causes, while Cleve maintains close engagement with customers via social media and an extensive mailing list. A commitment to local food suppliers is among the strings of Tout’s community bow, making the firm’s Cleeve forecourt a worthy winner of this worthy award.
Best customer service – sponsored by BAT
Winner: Woodman Service Station, Leeds
At Woodman Service Station, they believe that exceptional service is not left to chance; it is built through continuous training and development. They invest in their staff to ensure that every customer encounter is positive, professional and empathetic. Training covers handling more difficult customers and assisting any vulnerable people.
Woodman’s investment in training was evidenced by our judges who were impressed with the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff at the counter. Their willingness to engage in chat and answer questions about the products was a standout factor and definitely made their visit a positive one.
Best food to go and coffee outlet – sponsored by Rollover
Winner: PGG Rushden, North Northamptonshire
The proof is in the pudding, or should we say the donuts and pastries in the case of PGG Rushden. When we visited this flagship site owned by Park Garage Group, its Bakery 79 food to go concept was going down a treat.
It was a bold move to replace Greggs with the homegrown alternative, but the brand looked impressive in situ, with a serve-over counter and plenty seating, alongside a Rollover display and Starbucks coffee machine.
The customers seemed happy with the substitution, with one of them on the day we visited enjoying a break as they waited for a load of washing from one of the three external laundry machines.
Uniformed staff were friendly, recommending their favourite treat, and keeping the area clean and uncluttered.
Best forecourt innovation – sponsored by Spar
Winner: Ledbury Road Services, Tewkesbury, Worcestershire
This recently opened Total Energies site on the A438 in Bushley, near Tewkesbury, is a masterclass in design - fitting big personality into a very small space.
One of our judges exclaimed: “This is just the best site I’ve seen. Proof that you don’t need a big forecourt to be an exceptional filling station.”
The checkout cannily doubles as a serve-over bakery counter with homemade sausage rolls and cakes, and an old fashioned cart adds farmshop ambience as well as acting as an effective merchandiser for an ample display of ambient fresh produce.
Rustic wooden floors and stylish carpentry and lighting, together with a modern run of refrigeration, with more fresh produce, sandwiches, drinks and snacks, completed the top end look.
Best forecourt loo – sponsored by Jordon Group
Winner: Budgens Huntley Services, Huntley, Gloucestershire
If anyone wants to know how to make a good impression with their toilet, they should pay a visit to Huntley Services on the A40, eight miles from Gloucester. The Gardner family have thought of everything to turn what can feel a utilitarian space into one which is welcoming, and more than that a place where customers will be happy to spend time.
It has a fashionably black sink, toilet, and handrails. There is stylish lighting and speakers so that the radio is pumped into this space as well as the shop.
This toilet does not only have an upmarket brand of liquid soap, it has hand lotion too. And there was a bottle of air freshener to hand, which explained the beautiful lavender smell in the room.
Best site manager – sponsored by Lumina Intelligence
Winner: Louise King at Frasers Budgens Three Mile Cross, Reading, Berkshire
Our rush-hour stop at Three Mile Cross saw us experience the busiest site we visited in all of our awards judging, with a thriving series of valeting bays echoing stream of vehicles parking at the four pumps islands to fill up.
The shop was similarly thriving, and we had to weave in and out of customers in the aisles, but as we did we saw both well-stocked shelves and comprehensive product lines, as well as staff who deftly worked their way between those visiting the store as they stocked and faced up shelves.
The result was a shop that presented itself well despite hordes of hungry travellers doing their best to deplete the shelves, while the multiple till points were staffed by cashiers who took the time to engage with customers, maintaining efficient friendliness despite the bustling nature of the site. Combined, this forecourt represented a hugely impressive operation, and one that could only be achieved with exemplary management.
Best soft drinks outlet – sponsored by CCEP
Winner: Moto Sawtry, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
It is clear when you visit Moto Sawtry’s forecourt store, which opened on the A1(M) in March, that it prides itself on its extensive soft drinks range.
It has banks of impeccably faced-up chillers devoted to the category, using gravity fed shelves with built-in dividers to maximise display space. An extensive line-up hit around 130 soft drink skus when we visited, with a strong emphasis on motorists’ favourites sports and energy.
Recent additions to the range over the summer included Red Bull Summer, Pepsi Strawberries ‘n’ Cream, Lime Coke, Monster Rio Punch, and Lucozade Ice Kick. And its three-item meal deal includes virtually all 500ml/600ml drinks to make it easier for customers shopping the offer.
As well as a four to six weekly promotional cycle on soft drinks, the business puts its Costa Express machine to work offering one day of free coffee to truck and van drivers.
Best sustainability strategy – sponsored by Allwyn
Winner: Spar Parkfoot, West Malling, Kent
Spar Parkfoot has sustainability running through its business from using eco-friendly cleaning products to clean the forecourt and shop, to a borehole to avoid using municipally-sourced water.
It encourages shoppers to take away coffee grounds from its hot beverage machines to use as fertiliser on their gardens. And it urges motorists to switch to using hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in their vehicles rather than diesel, by having the greener fuel on pump.
It boasts a robust recycling programme, and uses LED lighting, light timers, doors on fridges, and solar panels to provide 12% of its West Malling site’s electricity consumption.
And staff are on board taking part in tree planting and local clean-up events, as well as promoting local products to customers.
Best forecourt team
Winner: Eurospar Hillcrest, Portrush, Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Last year Eurospar Hillcrest’s team received 2,400 pieces of positive feedback from customers detailing their experiences on the site.
The team prides itself on putting customers first, but alongside that the team is dedicated to maintaining high standards which it achieves through operational efficiencies.
Knowledge is shared throughout the team to ensure members are confident and well informed enough to work competently across the business.
Such teamwork is vital as sales fluctuate massively at Hillcrest thanks to the brisk tourist trade from Easter to September.
Best valeting services – sponsored by LKQ and Euro Car Parks
Winner: Budgens Frilford, Oxford
Frilford’s valeting operations could be best described as ‘if you build it, they will come’. The site started with one rollover car wash some years ago, and in 2022 a second plus two jet wash bays were added to cope with increasing customer demand.
That also proved insufficient for customer demand, and the site’s valeting offer now comprises four jet wash bays in addition to the rollovers, with the investment reaching maturity within just two years. Frilford even has its own borehole to reduce demand on local water supplies, while prices have been kept as low as £2 for two minutes of jet-wash time.
Valeting is now a firm customer draw for the Frilford filling station, which is also a popular location for local car clubs. The site’s large footprint allows valeting operations to be kept separate from the main forecourt, easing traffic flows while also allowing the wash facilities to be easily seen from the main roads the site adjoins. Our visit saw a thriving operation, with the valeting area as clean, tidy and well organised as it was popular.
Best motorway services outlet
Winner: Shell Cobham, Cobham, Surrey
While it would be easy to be swayed by the sheer scale of Shell’s Cobham site, which is the UK’s largest filling station, size isn’t everything in this business, and a motorway services forecourt has to do more than just boast a dizzying number of pump islands.
That’s very much the case at Cobham, where a spotless forecourt apron is echoed in the high standards of neatness and tidiness the shop embodies, while a huge range of product lines and extensive food-to-go offerings are backed up by friendly, knowledgeable staff.
This is the seventh year in a row Shell Cobham has taken our best motorway services gong home, which is both a record for a Forecourt Trader award, and richly deserved.
Best oil company initiative – ME Group
Winner: Valero Energy
Valero, the first new fuel brand launch in the UK in over a decade, has quietly grown to over 40 service stations since launching at Ascona’s flagship forecourt in Pembroke, West Wales, in 2023.
Since then the American headquartered company has also taken on sites with big players SGN Retail, Park Garage Group, and MPK Garages, establishing itself as a viable alternative to the leading forecourt brands, complete with a fuel loyalty card.
By the end of this year it plans to grow to 90 locations in the UK, expanding on its concentration of sites in South Wales, the Midlands, Northern Ireland, and the North West, South West and South East of England.
It says that one operator who had invested in a shop refit on signing up to the brand saw a 126% uplift in fuel volume after making the switch.
To expres interest in next year’s awards visit: https://forecourttraderawards.co.uk/live/en/page/registered-interest?utm_source=fct-website&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fcta-2026&utm_content=article
