The Texaco brand has beaten nine other suppliers to scoop the Best Branded Supplier in the Non-foods, Fuel and Drinks category of the recent Co-operative Retail Trading Group (CRTG) Charity Supplier Awards Dinner. It came in at the top of the field ahead of industry leaders that included Diageo, Imperial Tobacco, Hallmark and Coca-Cola.

Valero also made it to the final four of the Supreme Supplier of the Year category, which was eventually won by Enterprise Foods.

At an awards dinner in September in Manchester, England, the award was accepted by Valero’s Adele Shackleton, Manager National Accounts, who said, “We are very proud to receive this award, it is a real team effort from everyone within the Valero organisation and my thanks go out to all involved in running this account.”

She accepted the award from TV sports presenter Roger Black MBE.

Neil Freeman is Valero’s Account Manager for Co-operative Societies. “Part of the reason we won was because of our ability to continue to deliver through winter time when other suppliers could not. We did everything we could to keep their forecourts stocked with fuel, so their customers’ demands were met.”

Now in its fifth year, the awards evening also raises money for charity, for 2011, the charity of the year is Mencap and Enable in Scotland. Sean Toal, the CRTG’s Commercial Director, said, “We are aiming to raise £500,000 to make a significant difference to people’s lives through this donation to Mencap and Enable. There are 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK. Mencap directly support the thousands of people with learning disabilities to live their lives as they choose.”

Topics