SPAR UK retailers have won big at the 2020 Forecourt Trader Awards, taking home a total of eleven titles. Among the winners are overall winner Hockenhull Garages' The Stage in Leicester, and Special Recognition Award winner Joe Richardson, Managing Director, Jos Richardson & Son in Yorkshire.

Acknowledging achievements
The Forecourt Trader Awards are the most prestigious event in the UK petrol retailing industry calendar, which provides a wonderful stage for acknowledging and rewarding the skills and achievements in the sector and to all those who contribute to it.

The full list of SPAR UK 2020 Forecourt Trader Award winners:

• Forecourt Trader of the Year – The Stage Service Station, Leicester, Leicestershire
• Best Car Care & Lubricants Outlet – Abbiecraig Services – Freuchie, Fife
• Best Community Engagement – Mulkerns EUROSPAR Newry – Newry, Co. Down
• Best Forecourt Innovation – SPAR Parkfoot Garage – West Malling, Kent
• Best Forecourt Loo of the Year – Abbiecraig Services – Freuchie, Fife
• Midlands over 4mlpa – The Stage Service Station – Leicester, Leicestershire
• Northern England up to 4mlpa – SPAR Townsend Garage – Warton, Lancashire
• Northern Ireland up to 4mlpa – SPAR Fortfield, – Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim
• Scotland over 4mlpa – Abbiecraig Services – Freuchie, Fife
• Scotland up to 4mlpa – Gulf Forfar – Forfar, Angus
• Special Recognition Award – Joe Richardson – Jos Richardson & Son

Judges’ praise
Speaking about the overall winner, Hockenhull Garages, the judges said:

“With its huge pear-shaped, solar panel-covered canopy, spacious forecourt and 300m2 building – encompassing a SPAR convenience store, barista coffee bar, seating area and ’healthy’ all-day food offer from Irish brand Freshly Chopped – as well as its many ‘green’ attributes, The Stage promises to stand out among today’s modern forecourt developments.”

“Built during a pandemic, this circa £2m project in Wigston is now taking ‘centre stage’ in the community. As we move through the pandemic, never has Peter Hockenhull’s vision of this site becoming a destination – the place to meet up with friends and sit in pleasant surroundings – been more relevant. A fantastic development and a very worthy winner”, they added.

A rather different retailer award, one that is voted for by the readers of Forecourt Trader – The Special Recognition Award. This award aims to highlight the person who is setting standards, blazing a trail, displaying ingenuity, success in adversity, or are in some way worthy of recognition for their achievements in the forecourt retailing sector. This year’s award went to SPAR UK retailer Joe Richardson, Managing Director, Jos Richardson & Son.

“Since Joe joined the family business in 2004, he has really taken it in a different direction transforming it from a business turning over £15m to a business turning over £50m-plus. His family believes that without his vision for the forecourt side of the business the company might not be here today and if it was, it would be a much smaller operation that likely would not pass onto the next generation”, the judges said.

Read more SPAR UK news.

About SPAR UK

The UK became a member of SPAR in 1956 when a group of independent wholesalers was granted the SPAR licence by SPAR International. There are five regional partners in the UK, Each has strategically placed Distribution Centres. A central office, located in London, provides national marketing and buying services for the group.

SPAR has led the convenience market in the UK for many years but has faced increasing competition. Always innovative, the five regional partners have continued to grow the brand. Throughout the UK, a combination of independently-owned licensed retailers and company-owned stores can be found. These include forecourts, airports, train stations, city centres, and local neighbourhoods.