With a long history in the area the Woolsey family has served its customers faithfully for generations. Originally a shop in a dwelling house opened by Ellie and Jimmy Woolsey in 1960, they subsequently opened a filling station in 1961.

In 1987 the shop moved over and opened as one site with the filling station and as the business grew, renovations were carried out in 1995, 2006 and most recently in 2025.

A £1.3 million investment was carried out last year which included an extension and refurbishment, while the store officially opened under the Centra brand.

The current shop is in its fourth generation run by the Woolsey family, with the shop now run by Don and his two sons, James and Gordon, as well as Don’s grandchildren who are also involved in working in the shop.

Having started as an independent, the family have worked with a number of well-known and trusted symbol brands over the years and in October 2024 signed with Musgrave for a 10-year contract under the Centra brand.

“The extension was a result of the new 10-year partnership under the Centra brand,” Gordon told NR. “The work started in June 2025 and was completed in May 2025.

“Some of the main elements of the refurbishment included additional space for the shop and parking, an increased product range, a specially chilled range as well as more aisle space and improved lighting for customers.

“We have also added a hot and cold deli, a Frank & Honest coffee machine, and we relocated the Post Office to the checkout area. Additionally, as a result of customer feedback, we are now open seven days a week from November last year.

“Customer feedback has been very encouraging and positive, with increased product offering and increased opening hours, the new deli and larger shopping aisles have space for wheelchairs and buggies, and the larger car park has also been welcomed.”

Now standing at almost 3000 sq ft, there are 22 staff employed, while their forecourt is under the EMO brand. This offers two pumps with petrol and diesel, while at the rear of the shop they also supply red diesel and home heating oil.

Additional features and services include a clothes bank for local charity Helping Hands, air and water and a household fuel store providing coal, blocks, sticks, gas and turf. These extensive offerings have all been greatly welcomed by the local community and it is this commitment and dedication that secured Scotch Street Filling Station the Community Store of the Year award at the 2025 NR Awards.

“It meant a lot to win this award as we invest heavily in the local community, supporting the local area including primary school, youth and community centre and community events throughout the year,” said Gordon.

“So, to be rewarded with this prestigious award was both humbling and exciting to celebrate our achievements and to share with the wider staff team.

“Staff were delighted and customers congratulated us in the days following the awards. It really helped showcase our new store and brought some further custom to our business,” added Gordon.

READ THE FULL FEATURE ON SCOTCH STREET FILLING STATION IN THE 2026 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK  HERE

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Mash Direct is entering the chilled drinks category with the launch of a new Superfood Smoothie range, inspired by the growing “eat your skincare” trend as consumers increasingly seek nutrition-led products that support everyday wellness.

The range comprises three vegetable-based smoothies, Green Goddess Cabbage Smoothie, Carrot Collagen Boost Smoothie and Beetroot Detox Blend. Each developed to align with key wellness trends while offering a convenient way to increase vegetable intake.

With ‘glow”, ‘collagen’ and ‘detox’ among the most prominent buzzwords in the functional food and drink space, the new range is positioned to tap into consumer demand for products that bridge the gap between nutrition and beauty. ¹ Fortune Business Insights highlights that smoothies are widely perceived as convenient sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and protein, making them popular among fitness enthusiasts, working professionals and health-conscious consumers. Growing awareness of lifestyle-related health concerns has accelerated demand for nutrient-dense beverages, with smoothies also supporting plant-based and clean-label diets, further expanding their appeal

The range also reflects the growing role of functional nutrition within the wellness category. Research from ²Innova suggests that fresh, natural, and unprocessed foods are highly valued with nearly half of consumers limiting unhealthy ingredients and opting for functional foods has become increasingly important, with 3 in 4 consumers taking some type of supplement. The Mash Direct smoothie range enables consumers to conveniently incorporate nutrient-rich vegetables into their daily routine, supporting more health-conscious lifestyles without compromising on taste or convenience.

Green Goddess Cabbage Smoothie reflects the continued popularity of green, plant-forward diets, often associated with “glow” and vitality-led positioning. Centred around cabbage, it delivers a fresh, crisp blend designed for everyday consumption.

Carrot Collagen Boost Smoothie leans into beauty and wellness cues, featuring carrot as a key ingredient bursting with vitamin C and nutrients commonly linked to skin health.

Beetroot Detox Blend Smoothie aligns with ongoing consumer interest in detox-inspired products within the wellness category, offering a bold, earthy smoothie with beetroot at its core and a rich colour profile.

Clare Forster, Marketing Manager at Mash Direct said: “Consumers are increasingly looking for products that align with their health and lifestyle goals, particularly those that incorporate familiar wellness cues such as green ingredients, collagen associations and detox positioning. This range allows us to bring vegetables into that space in a way that feels relevant, accessible and rooted in real food.”

The launch reflects Mash Direct’s continued focus on innovation within the vegetable category, expanding into new usage occasions beyond traditional meals and into the chilled drinks fixture, where demand for functional, convenient products continues to grow.

Mash Direct’s Superfood Smoothie range will be available in selected retailers nationwide from 30^th March 2026, RRP £2.90.

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The plans were submitted to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council in the name of Niall Clarke Oils and relate to the current SPAR store and Circle K filling station, which operates on a 24-hour basis.

The application seeks permission for the redevelopment of the well-known and busy existing petrol filling station to include the demolition of the existing PFS and other site buildings, including the shop, and the erection of a new PFS with associated retail shop, fuel court and canopy and service yard.

In the proposed development, the forecourt would comprise of eight no. fuel pumps, with one HGV pump as existing located parallel to the road to improve manoeuvring.

The shop would be 745.6 sqm (just over 8000 sq ft) comprising a retail unit, hot food area and butchery prep with ancillary stores, offices and staff rooms, WCs and plant rooms. The retail aspect would have a total internal floorspace of 456.6 sqm, the hot food element would be 78.4 sqm and the butchery prep 52.5 sqm.

Overall, there is to be an increase in total floorspace of 106.7sqm (16.5%), with much of the increase comprising sales, circulation space, hot food, ancillary space, and a butchery prep area.

The main purpose of the store would be for fuel and ‘grab-and-go’ goods for travellers on the main network.

A total of 61 parking spaces are proposed in the application, including provision for disabled parking and electric vehicle parking, doubling the current 29 on the site.

The application seeks approval for the demolition of buildings, save for two existing blue cladding units which are to be retained.

Supporting documents in the application state the proposed redevelopment would “not result in any unacceptable impacts on the local character, environmental quality or residential amenity of the wider area and has been appropriated designed by way of a sympathetic bulk, scale and mass and materials”.

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The CMA has been investigating the proposed merger of the two bread businesses and whether it would substantially reduce competition in the supply of bread and baked goods in Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

In the interim report, the CMA states its provisional conclusion is that absent the merger, Associated British Foods (ABF) is likely to exit the Allied Bakeries business in the whole of the UK, however added there is likely to be a purchaser for Allied Bakeries assets in Northern Ireland that would continue to compete with Hovis absent the merger.

It found that the merger between the companies would not substantially reduce competition in Great Britain as competition between the two would be lost with or without the merger. However, they have provisionally found competition concerns in Northern Ireland.

Subsequently, ABF is presently running a sales process for its bakery business here in Northern Ireland, where it remains profitable, unlike the GB business.

The CMA’s interim report found that evidence shows that Allied Bakeries is a heavily loss-making business in a structurally declining market and the bakery business is not of wider strategic importance to Associated British Foods; while Allied Bakeries’ Kingsmill brand is considered to be weak compared to other brands, such as Hovis and Warburtons, and this has contributed to the significant decline in branded volumes.

“As one of only three GB suppliers with a nationwide delivery network that delivers bread and other bakery products direct to retail stores six days per week, Allied Bakeries faces high fixed costs from distribution, which has impacted profitability as Allied Bakeries’ volumes have declined,” states the CMA.

PROVISIONAL CONCLUSION

It added that the overall pool of potential purchases for the Allied Bakeries business as a whole is “likely to be limited as Allied Bakeries is loss making” with any potential purchaser requiring significant funding to absorb losses.

The CMA also notes that with the company’s Northern Ireland business largely independent of the GB business, it is profitable and considers that there are relevant differences between GB and NI that impact whether it is likely that there would be an alternative buyer for the NI business.

“The Allied Bakeries NI business represents an opportunity for other suppliers, such as those based in the Republic of Ireland, to enter or expand in NI to help overcome barriers to entry and expansion in NI, including access to distribution and the importance of the brand,” states the CMA.

“Evidence indicates that the markets for bread and other bakery products in NI are separate from those in GB,” it adds, stating that there are different consumer preferences in NI compared to GB, there are different distribution models and the competitive dynamics differ between GB and NI.

The CMA concludes provisionally that the merger between Hovis and Allied Bakeries would result in the creation of a relevant merger situation (RMS), and the creation of that RMS may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition (SLC) in the supply of each of bread, pancakes, potato farls and soda farls in Northern Ireland, but may not be expected to result in an SLC in the supply of bread or any other bakery products in GB.

This is not the final decision of the CMA, and it has invited any interested parties to make representations to them on these provisional findings no later than 5pm on Thursday 16^th April.

Responses can be submitted by email to ABFGrainProducts.Hovis@cma.gov.uk

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This was the message from the UFU president William Irvine at the association’s annual dinner.

Attended by officials including fellow Union colleagues from around the UK, DAERA Minister Andrew Muir, IFA President Francie Gorman and representatives from the wider agriculture industry, the event was held in the Canal Court Hotel in Newry.

Offering a toast to agriculture, UFU president William Irvine said he has heard the same message from farmers around the UK, that they need the government to listen.

“They need to put the framework in that allows our farm families to grow and evolve and play their full part in feeding the nation.

“This debate is not about environment versus food. It’s about growing food in an environmentally sustainable way and improving the food security position in the UK,” said William Irvine.

“We are facing and will continue to face many challenges, but I see no reduction in the passion and ambition of our farmers to continue to farm. After all, locally produced food is not only the highest quality, but also the most environmentally friendly.”

Additionally, office bearers from the UK’s four farming unions met in Newry to urgently discuss the growing impact of global instability on farm businesses across the UK.

In a joint statement, the four unions, Ulster Farmers’ Union, National Farmers’ Union, NFU Scotland and NFU Cymru, highlighted the significant uncertainty facing farmers as volatility in global energy markets, linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East, continues to drive fluctuations in the cost and availability of key inputs such as red diesel and fertiliser.

“Farm businesses across the UK are facing increasing pressure as a result of global events beyond their control,” they said.

“Volatility in fuel and fertiliser markets is creating real uncertainty at farm level, with implications for food production, supply chains and ultimately consumers. Of particular concern is the lack of transparency in how prices for key agricultural inputs are set.

“Many farmers are being asked to commit to purchases without clear or timely information, making it extremely difficult to plan and manage already tight margins. We welcome moves by regulators to increase monitoring of fuel and fertiliser markets, but more must be done to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability across the supply chain.”

The unions are calling on governments across the UK to take coordinated action, including:

• Improving transparency in the pricing of red diesel and fertiliser, including more frequent and accessible market data.
• Ensuring fair market practices, with close monitoring of supply chains to ensure resilience
• Strengthening resilience within the agricultural sector, recognising the essential role of domestic food production in times of global instability.
• Providing clarity on future policy measures, including the development and implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and its potential impact on agricultural inputs such as fertiliser.

  

Following addresses at the annual dinner from NFU Scotland President, Andrew Connon and DAERA Minister, Andrew Muir, the prestigious BT Cup for outstanding agricultural achievement was awarded to Robin Irvine. The award recognises service, leadership and lasting impact within the agri-food industry.

UFU Chief Executive Conall Donnelly said he was delighted to award Robin with the cup in recognition of his exceptional and sustained contribution to the agri-food sector over more than four decades.

“Robin also built a distinguished career in the feed industry with John Thompson & Son and later leading Fane Valley Feeds as Managing Director, serving two terms as President of the Northern Ireland Grain Trade Association, and driving safety, sustainability and innovation across the sector,” he said.

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