Celebrating 20 years of industry excellence in Northern Ireland at the 2018 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards
A sell-out crowd of over 500 of the industry’s most innovative figures gathered for the 20th annual Neighbourhood Retailer Awards sponsored by RiverRidge.
Taking place in the Crowne Plaza, October 19 2018, the annual gala awards ceremony saw Northern Ireland’s top retailers recognised in some 19 categories including new for 2018 – Fresh Food Store of the Year
Milestone NisaExtra Rathfriland were the overall winners on the evening taking home gongs for Neighbourhood Store of the Year Category 4, Fresh Food Store of the Year, Store Manager of the Year, as well as the highly coveted Neighbourhood Retailer of the Year 2018.
2018 winners and finalists
Neighbourhood Retailer of the Year
Milestone NisaExtra Rathfriland
Paul Hoy (second left) of category sponsor Quick Cash is pictured with Retailer of the Year winners Ann and Tom McAvoy; (centre), Pat Leneghan (left), Head of Retail (Ireland) Nisa; and publisher of Neighbourhood Retailer, Bill Penton (right).
Lifetime Achievement
Philip Morrow, co-founder PRM
CEO of Maxol, Brian Donaldson presents Philip Morrow, co-founder of PRM with the Lifetime Achievement Award
Community Store of the Year
Mulkerns Eurospar
Terry, Adina and Mairead Mulkerns are pictured with Thomas Magennis (right); and Ibe Sesay and Yazz Zemmoura, of category sponsor Q Radio (back row).
Highly commended
Newell Stores Coalisland
Sean Boyle (centre) from Newell Stores Coalisland is pictured with host Adrian Logan and Yazz Zemmoura from Q Radio
Finalists
(L-R): Alison Strong, Hunters of Armagh; Jo Walker and Glenda Hanna, Eurospar Donegall Road; Jonathan Mitchell, Eurospar Cullybackey; Sean Boyle, Newell Stores Coalisland; Ibe Sasay and Yaz Zemoura, sponsors; Keith Tomlinson, Centra Draperstown; Darren Given, SuperValu Newtownbutler; Sue-Ellen Gorman and Alan Gilliland, Creightons of Finaghy.
Fresh Food Store of the Year
Milestone NisaExtra Rathfriland
(L-R) William Owens; Cara Murphy, from category sponsor Müller; Sarah Snowden and Aidan Fisher from category sponsor PRM.
Finalists
Finalists from Eurospar Maghera, Fulhan’s Foodhall, Hughes NisaExtra, JC Stewarts, McCool’s SuperValu Ballymoney, Nisalocal Cullybackey, and P&G Eurospar.
Neighbourhood Store of the Year Category 1 up to 1,750 sq ft
Mace Kildress
(L-R): Ciara Daly, Mace; Austin McGrath, Musgrave NI; Edel O’Connor; James Dunsmore, of category sponsor Note Machine; and Keith and Maura Dolan.
Finalists
(L-R): Patrick and Julie McConville, Nisalocal Ardboe; Kevin and Bernadette Farrell, Derrygonnelly Spar; James Dunsmore, from category sponsor Note Machine; Paul Holder, Spar Letterbreen; John Cummings, Nisalocal Cullybackey and Philip Woods, Centra Circle K, Dobbin Road.
Butcher of the Year
McAtamney’s Galgorm
Marty Donnelly from category sponsor Spice O’ Life presenting Gary Baird from McAtamney’s Galgorm with his award.
Finalists
(L-R): Ryan Tosh and Fergal McKay, McKay Family Butchers; John Carnduff, H&J Carnduff; Chris McCormick, McAtamney’s Lisnagelvin; Marty Donnelly, from category sponsor Spice O’ Life; John Henderson, McAtamney’s Ballymena; Declan Robinson, McAtamney’s Irish Green Street and Chris Cunningham, Cunningham’s Butchers and Food Hall.
Store Manager of the Year
Noel Hadden, Milestone NisaExtra Rathfriland
Owner of Milestone NisaExtra Rathfriland, Tom McAvoy accepts the award on behalf of store manager Noel Hadden from RiverRidge’s Bronagh Sproule.
Finalists
(L-R): Andrew Carey, Cable Service Station; Jo Walker, Eurospar Donegall Road; Lorcan Boyle, Milburn Service Station; Bronagh Sproule, from category sponsor RiverRidge; Hayley Hunter, Spar Ballybeen; Gerry Bennett, Maxol Spar Tannaghmore; Brian Quigg, Spar Bovally Limavady; and Martin Reynolds, SuperValu Comber.
Neighbourhood Store of the Year Category 2, 1751 – 3500 sq ft
Centra Waterloo Place
(L-R): Greg Deacon, from category sponsor Camelot; Noel Kavanagh and Siabhra Walsh, Centra Waterloo Place; and Austin McGrath, Musgrave NI.
Finalists
(L-R): Lorcan Boyle, Milburn Service Staton; Nicholas Mulholland, SuperValu Cookstown; Michelle Caskey and Cormack McGrath, Spar Maghera; Greg Deacon, from category sponsor Camelot; Kevin Finch, Milburn Service Station; Jenny Davis and Jade Goy, Spar Titanic; Paul Moorman and Emma Wray, The Co-Op Hillsborough.
Deli of the Year
Cunningham Butcher and Food Hall
Aidan Flannagan, from category sponsor Kepak presents Christopher and James Cunningham with their award.
Finalists
(L-R): Alison McDowell, Jenny Davis and Jade Foy, Spar Titanic; Bernie McKee and Cathal Grant, Milestone Rathfriland; Adrian Flanagan, sponsor; Paul Ansboro; Elaine Williams, Creighton’s of Balmoral; Beverly Atkinson, Pat Doherty, Sharon Newell, Karen Ledgewood; Pierce Kelly, Jordan Steadman, Gary McCullough and Sean Kelly, JC Stewarts Magherafelt.
Neighbourhood Store of the Year Category 3, 3501 – 7000 sq ft
Creightons of Balmoral
(L-R): Briege Finnegan of category sponsor Moy Park is pictured with Bronagh O’Hagan; Jack McCullough; and publisher of Neighbourhood Retailer, Bill Penton.
Finalists
(L-R): Debbie McGall, Martin McLaughlin and Rachael Martin, McCools SuperValu Kells; Peter McCool and Kevin Killough, Centra Phoenix; Jonathan Mitchell, Eurospar Cullybackey (rear); Gillian Wilkinson, Kelly’s Eurospar Moneymore; Briege Finnegan, sponsor; Stephen McNeilly, Twelfth Milestone (rear); Judith Pitts, Kelly’s Eurospar Moneymore; Brian O’Neill (rear) and Ashlene O’Kane, O’Neill’s Nisaextra and Dwane Hegarty and Alan Gilliland, Creightons of Finaghy.
Newcomer of the Year
Spar Madigans Court
David Atkinson (centre) from category sponsor Imperial Tobacco is pictured with Stephanie Brady, Wendy Cooke and Josie McKernan from winning site Spar Madigans Court
Finalists
(L-R): Fiona Burns and Ben Rush, Spar Grand Street; Cormack McKay and Michelle Caskey, Spar Coleraine Road; Gerry Bennet, Maxol Spar Tanaghmore; David Atkinson, sponsor; Jean Patrick and Nicole Clayton, Campbell’s Spar.
Neighbourhood Store of the Year Category 4 , 7001 sq ft plus
Milestone NisaExtra Rathfriland
Glenn McCracken of category sponsor Quorn presents the award to with Ann and Tom McAvoy from Milestone NisaExtra Rathfriland.
Finalists
(L-R): Jonathan Steadman and Pat Doherty, JC Stewarts Maghera; Neill Cooke and Paul Millar, SuperValu Eglinton; Glenn McCracken, sponsor; John Wallace, SuperValu Omagh; Paul Duffy, SuperValu Aughnacloy; Beverley Atkinson, Sharon Newell, Gary McCullough (rear) and Karen Ledgewood, JC Stewart.
Bakery of the Year
Newell Stores Coalisland
Philip Campbell from category sponsor Cuisine de France is pictured with representatives from Newell Stores Coalisland
Finalists
(L-R): Jessica Keown and Tanya Kinnin, Miestone Rathfriland; Jenny McQuillan and Briege Ashley, Co-Op Old Park Road; Robert Houston and Rose McDonald, Greens of Lisburn; Frank Hagan (rear), The Fiveways NisaExtra; Philip Campbell, sponsor; Lucy McCormack from the Henderson Group representing Eurospar Crossmaglen; Una Donnelly; Christine Williams and Bronagh McHugh, Donnelly’s Bakery.
Forecourt of the Year Category 1 (with c-store up to 1,750 sq ft)
Applegreen M1 Southbound
(L-R): Bill Penton, publisher of Neighbourhood Retailer; James Widdowson, from category sponsor Point Four; Mark Hammond and William Page from Applegreen M1 Southbound.
Finalists
(L-R): Christina McNally, Don Woolsey and James Woolsey, Scotch Street Filling Station; Jordan Porter and Sean Flynn, Sion Mills Service Station; James Widdowson from category sponsor Point Four; Gerard Boyd and Sally Boyd, Centra Junction 1; Philip Woods, Centra Circle K Dobbin Road; Kevin and Bernadette Farrell, Derrygonnelly Spar.
CTN of the Year
Spar Parkgate
Diane and William Bill from Spar Parkgate accept CTN of the Year award from Andrea Keers (centre) of category sponsor JTI.
Finalists
(L-R): Dale, Aaron, and Michelle Beckett, Vivo Ballyrobert; David and Wendy Cooke, Vivo Donemana; Sinead Rainey, Darren Rainey (rear) and Peter McCormick (rear), Vivo Essential Toomebridge; Andrea Keers, sponsor (front); Noel Kavanagh jnr., Centra Waterloo Place; Don Woolsey, Nathan Woolsey (rear), Pauline Woolsey, James Woolsey and Christine McNally, Scotch Street Filling Station.
Forecourt of the Year Category 2 with C-store 1751 sq ft plus
Creightons of Balmoral
Derek O’Reilly of category sponsor O’Reilly’s Wholesale presents the award to Andrew Porter (left) and Michael Smyth (right) from Creightons of Balmoral.Derek O’Reilly of category sponsor O’Reilly’s Wholesale presents the award to Andrew Porter (left) and Michael Smyth (right) from Creightons of Balmoral.
Finalists
(L-R): Niall Kirkpatrick, Centra Portglenone; Jonathan McCullagh, McCullagh’s Spar; Robert Irvine (rear) on behalf of Emo Express Aldergrove; Derek O’Reilly, sponsor; Mark Hackett on behalf of Emo Express Aldergrove; Peter McCool and Kevin Killough, Centra Phoenix and Steven Wilson (rear), Ivan Wilson’s Mace.
Off Licence of the Year
Lusty’s Centra Larne
Scott McCormack, from category sponsor Findlater & Co presenting Sandra Mogey from Lusty’s Centra, Larne with the award.
Finalists
Pictured here are finalists from Lilley’s Centra Drumlyon, Crawford Maghera, Spar Madigan’s Court, Mulkerns Eurospar, SuperValu Eglinton, and the The Fiveways NisaExtra
Pharmacy of the Year
Kennedy’s Pharmacy
Anita and Patrick Kennedy, from Kennedy’s Pharmacy are pictured with Emma Dickson of category sponsor Ireland’s Wedding Journal (left).
Finalists
Maria Logan (left) of Hamill’s Pharmacy is pictured with Emma Dickson (right) from category sponsor.
Best Customer Service of the Year
Centra Claudy
Neighbourhood Retailer’s Nicholas Avis, representing category sponsor ABM presents the Best Customer Service Awards to Josephine and George Gormley from Centra Claudy.
Finalists
(L-R) Lexie Beatty and Chloe Haveron, Beatty Spar; Samuel Smyth, Smyth’s Eurospar; Karen McClarnon and Alan Gilliland, Creightons of Finaghy; Nicholas Avis (rear), sponsor; Eimear and Paul Moran and Moran’s SuperValu and Jonathan McCullough, McCullagh’s Spar Classic Service Station.