Location: New Hall Lane is a major gateway into Preston. The area has recently been the subject of a massive redevelopment scheme.

Forecourt: The site is easy to find on a very busy road thanks to an illuminated pole sign. It’s an impressive forecourt that looks brand new. It’s well laid out with plenty of parking and space to move around.

Pump signage highlights the availability of Shell’s premium V-Power brand. Fuel prices appeared to be very competitive.

A big canopy over the pumps narrowed to provide cover between the pumps and the shop a simple but effective idea.

The site also offers Shell’s fuelService assistance for disabled drivers. This won the Best Oil Company Initiative category at last year’s Forecourt Trader of the Year Awards.

There are two spacious jet wash bays.

Shop: There’s a big Nisa Local sign above the entrance, then there are Greggs and Costa Express logos to the right of that. Underneath is a smart, modern sign depicting ’free atm, toilets and wifi’. A-boards out the front advertise ’Moo 2 you’ handmade ice cream and an ’Unmis-Steak-able’ savoury and soup deal at Greggs. Brightly coloured window decals highlight Greggs as well as the fresh food to be found inside.

Inside, it looks good with an open ceiling to the roof with lights and pipework showing.

On the run to the till you have ice cream, then hanging bags of sweets, then loads of protein bars and huge tubs of Muscle Fuel powder, then the usual confectionery countlines.

There’s a good grocery range, including lots of Nisa’s Heritage own brand. I was very impressed with the fresh fruit and veg range. It was well presented and all looked appetising.

Dotted around are lots of Price Smash and £1 Wow deals on big name brands including Walkers crisps, M&Ms and Snickers. There’s also a brilliant free-standing egg-shaped Kinder egg display which is sure to catch consumers’ eyes.

If you want a snack, this is the store for you. The range is amazing but the freshly prepared subs and salads area was a bit disappointing as there were big gaps in the display.

A ’Welcome Coffee Lovers’ section houses two Costa Express machines with snacks (biscuits and flapjacks) in between. There was an offer to buy a regular or large Costa drink and get a flapjack or muffin for 69p.

A comprehensive soft drinks range leads you to the Greggs. I went to the counter and asked for the soup but was told it had finished for the day. However, the assistant did try and tempt me with a hot pastry instead.

There’s a clean and tidy eating area for anyone wanting to take a break and ’eat-in’.

The customer toilets are excellent.

Prognosis: The Top 50 Indie Brookfield Group re-opened New Hall Lane Services earlier this year following a major redevelopment. The original service station was built in the 1960s and the overhaul was needed to bring it up to Brookfield’s high standards.Meanwhile, there’s the prospect that the Co-op Group’s deal to buy Nisa could change things in-store. Interesting times ahead.

Diagnosis: This is a fine looking site. The forecourt is excellent and will apparently be enhanced soon by the addition of EV charging points.

The shop is stocking everything today’s consumers will be expecting from a modern c-store except alcohol.

The Brookfield Group doesn’t stock alcohol for religious reasons. It’s something I fully understand but I wonder whether all their non-religious shoppers will? It also doesn’t have the lottery, something again today’s shoppers have come to expect.

FORECOURT

24-hour
Atm free-to-use
Air/water
Flowers
fuelService
Jet wash
Parking
Shell V-Power
SHOP
24 Hour
BWS
Car care
Chilled foods
Cigarettes & tobacco
Confectionery
Costa Express
Crisps
Food-to-go
Fruit & veg
Greggs
Heritage own brand
Lottery
Pet care
Promotions
Snacks
Soft drinks
Stationery
Toilet

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