The Hockenhulls are considering opening more Wrights The Bakery units, and even opening standalone bakeries, after the partnership with the brand helped drive a 70% increase in hot food sales at their flagship BP forecourt.
Father and son Peter and Joe Hockenhull had been concerned that Wrights, which has a strong following in Staffordshire and Cheshire, was relatively unknown among their customers at The Stage in Wigston, Leicestershire.
But they say their decision to replace Freshly Chopped food-to-go and Insomnia drinks with Wrights at the former Forecourt Trader of the Year site last April has been vindicated by results.
And now they are looking into introducing “slim-line” Wrights units at the three other forecourts they operate, alongside Subway concessions already in place.
Managing director Joe Hockenhull says turnover on the front of store serve over area has increased from £3,000 to between £4,500 and £5,500 a week, with a margin of more than 60%.
“It is getting real foothold now, attracting customers from across town from Loughborough to Lutterworth,” he says.
“We knew that Wrights has a great reputation for its pies and sausage rolls, but nobody had heard of it here.
“But it is a really good brand and is getting good traction now following an initial excitement which helped to get the brand name pushed out to Leicestershire.”
As well as savouries, Wrights, often seen as a competitor to market-leader Greggs, supplies baguettes, sub rolls, sandwiches, pizza, salads, cream cakes, doughnuts and cookies, hot and iced coffee, and soft drinks.
Hockenhull has been impressed with the breadth of the Wrights offer, as well as the company’s innovative touches, which include a World Cup-inspired Pie of the Match Philly cheese steak pie; and iced matcha and ice coolers.
“When you think of bakery in the forecourt space, you think sausage rolls, pies and a lot of savoury pastries. You don’t think of salads and ice coolers,” says Hockenhull.
“The big one we are pushing now, which is right on trend and flying, is the Iced Latte Matcha. The strawberry cooler and lemon cooler are also doing really well for us.”
He also enthuses about the freshness of the offer. “It’s so good, everything is fresh and piping hot, and we definitely have the best sausage roll in town,” he says.
“We get fresh sandwiches, subs and baguettes every day, and took a gamble by replacing supplies from a local supplier and Spar. It was hard to begin with, but it has paid off.
“Cream cakes, doughuts and cookies do really well. And the coffee – at £1 cheaper than a Starbucks, for example with the cappuccino at £2.25 – turned out to be a real winner, as well as the ice coolers and full range of iced drinks, especially the new matcha and iced caramel latte.”
The counter now sells around 50 coffees a day – with the Starbucks machine remaining in the shop – which is up from 30-35 a day from the Insomnia brand.
Top sellers for The Stage are: the Wrights’ sausage roll, jumbo sausage roll, bacon cob, chicken caesar salad, and cajun chicken baguette.
“The Wrights’ team are brilliant. We have a weekly call every Tuesday at 10am to discuss the update on sales, and any challenges, what they need from us, and us from them, and brainstorming, coming up with promotions,” says Hockenhull.
The Hockenhulls are the second petrol station operator to offer Wrights. MFG was the first in the sector to debut with the brand and now has 10 Wrights sites.
Wrights The Bakery, founded as a family business in Stoke-on-Trent and acquired by The Compleat Food Group in 2021, has been celebrating its centenary in 2026. It “has further growth ambitions” to introduce its concept with other forecourt owners.
The business has grown into one of the UK’s leading bakery brands, supplying a wide range of savoury pastries and sweet bakery products across foodservice, shops, and most recently forecourts.
Hockenhull expects sales will increase in the colder months when he says hot savouries and breaded lines “will really take off”, and there will be a winter soup range.
He says that he may have to boost the size of the team who run the section to six, having already increased from four. But he will wait for a year’s trading figures before deciding how to progress.
“We are really happy with Wrights. We definitely want Wrights in our other forecourts where we have Subways. I’d imagine a slimline unit, not a full bakery option, but a hot display like Rollover.
“We are even talking about operating standalone bakeries, when the time is right on the high street with the Wrights name.”
