The investment is part of a wider five-year £84m capital investment programme across The Maxol Group to create a network of convenience-led forecourt services that offer customers quality, value and choice on everything from fresh coffee and groceries to food-to-go on their doorstep.

A new Ultra Rapid EV Charging Hub – the second to be developed by Maxol and the second of its kind in Northern Ireland – has opened and features four high-powered 200kw ultra-rapid chargers that charge a single vehicle* in as little as 15 minutes. The chargers are powered using renewable electricity, as part of Maxol’s sustainability strategy.

Maxol Braid River offers the latest SPAR concept with a new store of 246 sq. metres. Customers can now shop for everyday grocery essentials including a greater choice of fresh, locally sourced fruit and vegetables, a wide range of dairy and chilled produce and a huge selection of frozen foods. Other new additions include a locally produced range of pre-packed butchery items and a wide selection of ready-made meals perfect for tonight’s tea.

From breakfast through to lunchtime, a brand-new Delish deli offers customers a delicious range of hot food to go – freshly prepared on-site to take-away. Also new, is an in-store bakery offering a range of pastries and sweet treats alongside the popular Barista Bar Coffee which has doubled to two units making it easier for customers to grab and go. For something colder there are two new refreshing Frozen Coca Cola and Frozen Fanta slushie machines.

Two self-checkouts have also been installed to give customers even more choice, efficiency and convenience. Non-food items available include a comprehensive range of Maxol own-brand engine oil, adblue and car care products.

ON THE FORECOURT

Car parking facilities have more than doubled to 32 spaces to provide greater customer convenience, particularly during busy trading periods. Premium Fuels have been introduced to enable customers to make greener motoring choices and Pay at Pump technology is now available at two islands, giving our fuel customers a quicker and more convenient way to pay.

Maxol’s innovative and sustainable forecourt design has been fully implemented at Maxol Braid River. Cutting-edge technology has been used to reduce the site’s carbon footprint which include photovoltaic (solar) panels to reduce electrical import requirements; solar efficient glazing; the use of LED lights; low energy CO2 refrigeration systems with doors fitted throughout the store; exhaust air-heat pump technology to reduce heating loads; and an energy management system to monitor and control the overall energy usage on the site.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Brian Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer of The Maxol Group said: “We are delighted with our latest investment at Maxol Braid River, it is now a modern, welcoming store that marks a further milestone on our journey towards becoming known for our convenience-led retail offer.

“Customers can now pop into this store to enjoy freshly prepared food to go from the Delish deli or they can do a basket shop in our newly expanded SPAR store packed with an extensive range of groceries for every meal occasion from breakfast through to dinner as well as plenty of snacks and treats.

“The in-store offer reflects the ‘Bags More’ advertising campaign we launched some weeks ago to highlight the range of goods now available at Maxol stores and Braid River is now a leading example of that in Ballymena with our partner SPAR.

“This is our second EV Charging Hub designed to offer the latest technology and fastest speed of charging available for our customers along with the continued rollout of our sustainable forecourt design. This investment reenforces our continued commitment to being a more sustainable forecourt convenience retailer offering the highest quality of facilities and products. The site is operated independently by our licensee Aramark and I wish Nicola and her excellent team every success at Maxol Braid River.”

Maxol Braid River also offers customers an ATM, customer toilets and air, water and vacuum services and operates 24/7, 7 days a week.

* The speed of charge depends on the vehicle and battery.

The post £2.35million investment transforms Maxol Braid River Service Station first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The Ticket Bakehouse opened in September 2022, with 21-year-old Maia Alouise White at the helm. With a passion for baking, she couldn’t turn down the chance to run her own business when the opportunity presented itself.

Describing the last two years as a whirlwind, Maia said it has been thrilling to see the venture take off.

“When I was younger, I always dreamt about opening my own bakery, café or patisserie. Never in a million years did I think I would be handed the keys to my very own café at the age of 21,” she said.

“It has been a whirlwind journey and I’m so grateful to be presented with this opportunity and I’m determined to make it as successful as possible. I guess being so young means I have less fear, and have more of a ‘well, what have I got to lose?’ attitude and if it doesn’t work, I’ve given it my best shot and can try something else!”

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Having loved Home Economics and hospitality at school, Maia knew she wanted to do something in this field as a career.

“I’ve been inspired by so many amazing people growing up, from my family to my Home Economics teachers, then to my college teachers and my employers over the years. They have made such an impact on my life, as well as my career, and I feel so blessed to have learned so many different skills from them all.

“I started working when I was 15 years old, and I always had a goal to save as much money as I could, as I always knew I wanted to run my own business. Starting a business at the age of 21, with already six years of experience is something that I treasure and am extremely grateful for.”

‘Something that makes The Ticket Bakehouse so unique is that I personally bake everything that’s on offer’

Maia explained that the business opportunity presented itself in a more informal way than expected, when Ballymena businessman, Ivor Christie approached her.

“The opportunity to open The Ticket Bakehouse was so random. Our boiler broke and the boiler repair man was Ivor, who has a reputation for being an absolute gentleman. He got chatting to my mum, who explained that I loved to bake and straight away he said ‘a baker? Would she like her own café?’

“My mum thought it was a joke, but it turned out that his son, Robert Christie had bought a stunning old building at the railway station in Cullybackey and thought a café would do well there.”

Maia said she later met with Ivor to discuss the business opportunity and said that committing to opening the café was “the best decision” she had ever made.

‘THE PERFECT LOCATION’

Situated in the train station’s old ticket office, the beautiful building has wonderful character and history, with Maia describing it as “the perfect location”.

“Robert and Anne Christie, my lovely landlords, spent two years renovating the building, whilst keeping its character and preserving the stunning features of the station,” she said.

“The beautiful building is listed, meaning its traditional charm still exists, which is something I love and think this is a huge part of my unique selling point.

“Another thing that makes The Ticket Bakehouse so unique is that I personally bake everything that’s on offer. I serve everything from breakfast to brunch and lunch, along with an array of delicious baked goods and freshly ground coffee.”

Maia admitted there were some challenges when opening the café, most notably having to overcome her own fears.

“I had never done anything like this before and I really had to find my voice and gain confidence as running a business can be tough.

“I had issues with suppliers and delays with equipment arriving, which resulted in a later opening, but everything worked out well in the end, and in the process, I was able to learn how to tackle obstacles which I never would have had to face had I not taken this on.”

‘JUST GO FOR IT!’

One of the most important aspects of opening The Ticket Bakehouse for Maia was the assistance from the Go For It programme, which she described as being “so valuable”.

“There’s so much that goes into opening a business and the planning takes forever. But the Go For It programme was really helpful when I was trying to wrap my head around the logistics of everything that was needed to launch the business.

“I was given a business advisor and they helped me produce a business plan which supported me with forecasting, budgets and deadlines. It’s so valuable to have something solid and professional for when I need it. I can keep this for the rest of my career and continue to build on it as the business grows.

“Because I had never done anything like this before, I found my business advisor really helpful and his knowledge was a great confidence boost for me.”

The Ticket Bakehouse opened in September 2022, approximately 18 months after Maia’s initial conversation with Ivor. Grateful for the confidence Ivor, Robert and Anne had in her, she said it was an exciting time working on the plans of the café.

“I began working on the kitchen plans with my dad at our kitchen table about four months before I opened, drawing up sketches of how the space could be best utilised. Looking back that was such an exciting time, and it all came together so quickly.

“I had all sorts of ideas about the aesthetics and what sort of atmosphere I’d be creating for people. My mum and grandparents got so excited about the interior and the design of the café.”

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Breathing new life into an old building is sure to attract lots of attention and Maia said the response from the local community has been “amazing”.

“The community have been so supportive of the café – the response has been amazing. There are local customers that I see maybe three or four times per week and that to me is just incredible.

“The local Facebook group also shares my page and promotes the café and I just think that’s so lovely.

“Seeing an old building come to life is so exciting, especially to the people that live in the village, and a few have said ‘I always would have loved to have seen a café in the building to bring it back to life instead of it lying empty’.

“There is nostalgia for the older generation that used to stand there as a child and buy their train ticket from the very hatch that I serve my coffee through, and it makes me smile to hear their stories of how they remembered the place going back generations.”

‘The community have been so supportive of the café – the response has been amazing’

Maia added that while it is a daunting experience taking on a new business, she said the satisfaction it brings is “priceless”.

“It’s not easy, it takes up pretty much your whole life and all your energy, so be prepared to give it 100%.

“If you have a business idea and you think ‘I’d love to give this a shot’, my advice is to take it to the Go For It team. They can help you wrap your head around how to launch a business and help you figure out if your business idea is viable. No matter what age you are, you just need to be fearless, weigh up the pros and cons and then just jump right in and go for it!

“My main piece of advice is make sure it’s something you love. There is no point creating something that will wear you out, you need to be happy in your job as we spend most of our lives working, so why should we do something we don’t enjoy!”

FAMILY

With an “endless list of people” to thank for her journey, Maia said key to her success is her family.

“Thanks to my mum, dad, granny and grandpa for their advice and endless support – my grandpa is now a fully qualified kitchen porter! Thank you to Neil Campbell my joiner and friend, his work is incredible, and the building wouldn’t be the way it is without his amazing craftsmanship. His personalised mug is staying in the café for good.

“I am indebted to the whole Christie family. These people are one of a kind and I’m so grateful for their unwavering support. I think every house Ivor has serviced a boiler in has been told they must visit the café or else!”

Extending a “huge thank you” to her customers, Maia said they “keep the whole thing going” and she really appreciates “seeing new and returning faces”.

“It’s so exciting to see what will happen next! The possibilities are endless, and I can’t wait to see what’s to come.”

The post Just the Ticket for Maia! first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Ballymena BID maintains three further defibs in the town (at the Front Page, Wallace’s, Cameron’s) bringing the new addition to a total to four – which enormously helps the BID’s commitment to improving all aspects of life for people working, shopping and living in the town. There are a further 15 in the town, which is thought to be the most in any town in Northern Ireland.

Sinead, who owns Dunclug Spar, unexpectedly took ill in Ballymena town centre on 28^th October 2020. She collapsed with Sudden Death Syndrome, a diagnosis that can often come all-too-late for those who are not near a defibrillator when their heart stops with no warning.

Thanks to the paramedics who arrived on the scene with a portable defibrillator, Sinead’s heart was able to be shocked twice, saving her life.

During her long road to recovery, Sinead reflected on her experience and was inspired to install an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) at her family’s popular shop, Connolly’s Spar & Off Sales, in case anyone else found themselves in the same terrifying situation.

The fundraising efforts included a 12-hour ‘spinathon’ by family and friends, where they raised over £7.5k, which was five times what they needed to buy one unit, so they ended up purchasing a total of five to be stationed around the town.

GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION

Chair of Ballymena BID Stephen Reynolds said: “We are so very grateful to Sinead and her fundraising team for thinking of others during a personal crisis.

“Sinead and her husband are much-valued members of our local business community, and we are very grateful for this generous contribution.

“We also want to extend our thanks to Mid & East Antrim Borough Council for providing the casing and housing for the defibs, and to thank the Department for Infrastructure for allowing BID to position the defib in the very central location in the town.

“Ballymena BID is committed to raising awareness of where all the defibs are located and to maintaining their upkeep, so they will be ready and close at hand should they be needed in an emergency. We have also committed to annual training for any staff member in the town who wishes to be trained in the use of this fantastic equipment.”

‘Ballymena BID is committed to raising awareness of where all the defibs are located and to maintaining their upkeep’

Sinead said: “We were overwhelmed with support from both the Ballymena BID and indeed the local community, and we are so delighted to see this defibrillator installed right in the centre of the town, outside the old Bank of Ireland building beside the Harmony Hub, close to where my own incident happened two years ago.

“The others are located at; SureStart Playgroup, Healthy Kidz in Portadown, All-Saints Youth Club, Geraldine Donnelly School of Irish Dancing the fifth is installed outside our store and all are available to the community 24/7.

DEFIBRILLATOR LOCATIONS

“Working to make this happen has changed my outlook on the terrible incident that almost cost me my life. I can walk past these now with both pride and optimism, knowing that should anyone else suffer the same problem, help is literally at hand,” she added.

Ballymena BID is delighted with Sinead’s contribution to the health and safety of the town and proud of her courage and hard work to help other people. The organisation is keen to publicly thank her and to raise awareness of where all the defibrillators are located.

If you want to know where your closest defibrillator is located and if it is emergency ready, visit www.defibfinder.uk This is a national map of all registered defibs.

The post Ballymena BID gives heartfelt thanks to shop owner for life-saving equipment first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The roles include permanent positions across a wide range of functions within the business, including operations, production, engineering and apprenticeships.

Speaking about the opportunities, Gary Leslie, Director of Operations, Moy Park said: “We are thrilled to be able to welcome new team members into Ballymena as our live processing line restarts. This brings with it fantastic career opportunities as we continue to invest in our people and facilities to deliver high quality, sustainable food.

“We have roles available across our operations with positions for people whatever stage they are at in their career journey. Recruits will benefit from a competitive package and the wealth of training and career progression programmes we have in place.”

With the company strengthening its operations in Ballymena, Gary says the news is also a welcome one for its farming partners.

“We’ll be working closely with our farming and supply chain partners as customer demand for our products grows in future. We’re proud of our strong agricultural heritage and the commitment of our farmers to our high standards across animal welfare and environmental sustainability.”

The post 150 jobs available as Moy Park realigns Ballymena operation first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The roadshow, which celebrates the Moy Park brand, saw employees at the company’s headquarters in Craigavon treated to a day of food, freebies and fun with special competitions and giveaways, as well as an all-important lunch, featuring Moy Park branded products.

Ellen Wright, Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Moy Park, explains: “The Good Food Roadshow has been really well received now at both Craigavon and Dungannon and we can’t wait to continue the Good Food Roadshow by visiting the Ballymena site in November to thank our employees for all their hard work on our Moy Park branded products – bringing them to our stores and dinner tables across the UK and Ireland.

“We are very proud of the Moy Park brand and the quality of products within the range. The Good Food Roadshow gives us the perfect chance to show our appreciation and give back.

“There was something for everyone to try, from Chicken wraps to the new Buttermilk Chicken Burgers and tempura chicken stir fry.”

The post Moy Park roadshow returns with visit to Craigavon HQ first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.