Local family forecourt business AY&Y Patel Dewsbury Ltd and family retailer Oliver Blake have transformed their forecourt SPAR stores, improving the offer for customers.

New SPAR forecourt store in Rochdale

AY&Y Patel Dewsbury Ltd have revamped their Ceylon Service Station in Rochdale with a £1.5 million complete knockdown rebuild. The site has been in the family business for 35 years. This new expansion includes a brand-new SPAR store, serviced by James Hall & Co. Ltd, and a modernised Shell forecourt. This new SPAR store has a size of 115m², catering to the local community and those on the move. The Shell forecourt features include six pumps, with V-Power fuel options, an air and water machine, ATM, and new signage.

Shaheena Patel, Operations Manager at AY&Y Patel Dewsbury Ltd, was delighted with the store. “Our Ceylon service station is something of a family favourite being one of our earliest sites and we are thrilled with the results of the rebuild.

“During the transformation, we removed the old car wash at the back of the site to increase the sales space in the new SPAR store which felt was the right direction to go. Visually the store is fantastic, and the range we have included utilises the space available to great effect.

“Overall, we are delighted and are grateful for the support we have had from multiple departments at James Hall & Co. Ltd. Together we have set Ceylon service station up for a strong future.”

SPAR independent retailer develops forecourt location

The Blake family have had their forecourt site at Long Riston in the East Riding of Yorkshire since the 1950s. After joining SPAR in 2019 in association with James Hall and Co. Ltd, the site is seeing continued expansion. Such improvement includes the investment in two walk-in cold rooms, improving product availability through greater stock holding. The store’s kitchen area will also be relocated and enlarged to further enhance the food-to-go capacity. An internal wall is also being removed to increase shop-floor freezer and grocery space.

Oliver Blake, the third generation of the family business, renewed his agreement with SPAR, happening at the same time as a switch of forecourt brand to JET. The forecourt is now in JET branding, with JET Ultra 99-octane fuel available. Two EV chargers will be added soon alongside an extension of customer car parking space that will be completed this spring.

Oliver said: “It has been a brilliant start to 2025 with our SPAR renewal and the switch to JET on the forecourt. I was delighted to welcome Rich to Long Riston and share our family story and show him around.

Source: James Hall & Co. Ltd

Read more about SPAR UK

About SPAR UK

The United Kingdom became a SPAR member in 1956 when SPAR International granted the SPAR licence to a group of independent wholesalers. There are five regional organisations in the UK, continually building the brand’s presence. A central office in London provides national marketing and buying services for the group. SPAR UK comprises independently owned, licensed, retailers and company-owned stores.