Mike and Tim Garner of the Garner Group are this year’s winners of the most prestigious prize in the fuel retailing industry - the Forecourt Trader Awards.
Their new forecourt development in Portsbridge, which has recently been transformed from a low-volume traditional garage business into a state-of-the-art Jet-branded forecourt operation with a 2,200 sq ft Nisa store, took top honours at last night’s spectacular awards ceremony at the London Hilton Hotel in Park Lane.
With a Brazilian World Cup theme, the evening was hosted by top footballing pundits Ray Stubbs and Mark Lawrenson, and was a sell-out with record numbers attending.
Forecourt Trader editor, and chairman of the judges, Merril Boulton, said: “The level of competition was extremely high this year, so well done to all the finalists.
“We chose Portsbridge because in a dynamic market burgeoning with new developments and potential winners, the operation at Cosham stands out from the crowd through the courage and ingenuity of a relatively small company with a small outdated site to take the gamble, and make such a statement about its future. It has made the best use of every square inch of the plot to bring its customers a fantastic facility and outstanding customer service, and has turned Portsbridge into the hub of the community. Their win is well deserved.”
Other highlights from the evening included Michael O’Loughlin, managing director of Petrogas UK, being announced as this year’s Palmer & Harvey Retailer Champion. He was chosen by the readers of Forecourt Trader following a public vote. He led the Petrogas expansion into the UK market as managing director of Petrogas UK, and his keen eye for trends and customer needs has made Petrogas a success story in the UK market.
The full list of winners was as follows:
SPECIALIST PRODUCT CATEGORIES
BEST SITE WITH A LICENCE TO SELL ALCOHOL
David Penny
Penny Petroleum
Grandstand Services
Fairmoor
Morpeth
Northumberland
BEST CAR CARE AND LUBRICANTS OUTLET
Nick Baker
NJB Services
Askern Service Station
Selby Road
Askern
BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE
Jonathan Mitchell
Henderson Retail
Carrick Milestone
Carrickfergus
BEST DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
David Court
Wyboston Service Station
A1 Southbound
Wyboston
Bedfordshire
BEST FOOD TO GO
Ilyas Munshi
Euro Garages Beehive
Beehive Trading Park
Blackburn
BEST FORECOURT INNOVATION
Mike Garner
Portsbridge Service Station
Portsmouth Road
Cosham
BEST HOT BEVERAGES OUTLET
Tracey Richards
Guys Cliffe BP Simply Food
Coventry Road
Warwick
BEST SITE MANAGER
Richard Williams
Brobot Petroleum Ltd
A38 Southbound
Egginton
BEST SOFT DRINKS OUTLET
Nick Baker
NJB Services
Askern Service Station
Selby Road
Askern
BEST TOBACCO OUTLET
Nick Baker
NJB Services
Askern Service Station
Selby Road
Askern
BEST USE OF RETAIL TECHNOLOGY
David Menhams
HKS Whitwick
Leicestershire
BEST VALETING FACILITIES
Nick Fraser
Fraser Group
Budgens of Marlborough
Marlborough
Wiltshire
REGIONAL CATEGORIES
SCOTLAND
UP TO 2.5MLPA
David Penny
Penny Petroleum
Auld Brig Filling Station
Clackmannanshire
2.5MLPA PLUS
Kanagasingam Kamalaseelan
Murco Avon
Linlithgow
West Lothian
NORTHERN IRELAND
UP TO 2.5MLPA
Ciaran Mulkerns
Mulkerns Eurospar
Newton Cloughouge
Newry, County Armagh
2.5MLPA PLUS
Danielle Hamilton
Henderson Retail Knock Road
Belfast
MIDLANDS
UP TO 2.5MLPA
Paul & Pinda Cheema
Malcolm’s Costcutter Texaco
Tile Hill
Coventry
2.5MLPA PLUS
Ilyas Munshi
Euro Garages Markham Vale
J29A M1, Meltham Lane
Chesterfield
NORTHERN ENGLAND
UP TO 2.5MLPA
Shan Sandanrajah
Woodham Services
Newton Aycliffe
County Durham
2.5MLPA PLUS
Ilyas Munshi
Euro Garages Beehive
Blackburn
Lancashire
WEST COUNTRY & WALES
UP TO 2.5MLPA
Joe Brough
Dingle Hill Service Station
Colwyn Bay
Conwy
2.5MLPA PLUS
Clive Sheppard
Chartman
The Winning Post Service Station
Exeter, Devon
LONDON & SOUTH EAST
UP TO 2.5MLPA
Mike Garner
Portsbridge Service Station
Cosham
Portsmouth
2.5MLPA PLUS
David Charman
Parkfoot Garage Ltd
West Malling
Kent
FORECOURT TRADER OF THE YEAR:
Tim & Mike Garner
Portsbridge Service Station
Cosham
Portsmouth
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