Husband and wife retail team, John and Donna Moran recognised early on that food to go was the way forward when it comes to forecourts.

A retail powerhouse, the pair bought and established their three forecourts in the late 1990s and early 2000s and from those early days their top priority was to develop their food to go range.

“When John and I opened our first store, Moran’s Centra Strand Road, people thought we were crazy to attempt to sell hot breakfasts from a ‘petrol station’ as it was referred to,” said Donna.

“But evidentially it had taken off, so food to go is something we started from the beginning and have developed on since.”

Having made salads and sandwiches in the shops, they decided the best way for them to retain their quality was to have one central distribution hub. They built the first stage of their production kitchen in Ballykelly and the couple completed the third stage of their production kitchen a few years ago, allowing them to develop their range even further.

This development has gone from strength to strength and two significant award wins at the 2024 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards has cemented their reputation in food to go.

With their mantra ‘Moran’s Makes its Own’, taking the title of Food to Go Store of the Year has given John and Donna more drive and motivation for 2025.

“We were delighted to win this award and for the team to receive recognition for their hard work,” said Donna.

“To win the Food to Go Store of the Year again this year was the icing on the cake. It is a wonderful achievement and testament to the hard work our entire team put in seven days a week.

“I can’t praise our team enough, who start as early as 4.30am, seven days a week to ensure our customers receive fresh products in store daily.”

Judges had high praise for the SuperValu Ballykelly store, stating its food to go was “simply mouthwatering” with “fresh, innovative options presented beautifully”. They also commended the variety on offer, stating it was “exceptional” with the quality “top-notch”.

“We go to great lengths to ensure we use high quality, locally sourced ingredients and provide the freshest products to our customers,” added Donna.

“I can’t praise our team enough – there is a lot of product development and work behind the scenes to get us to where we are today.

“We have a consistent offering throughout the three stores, which is extremely important for us as a brand, to offer and maintain high-quality products we expect our customers to receive regardless of which Moran’s store they visit.”

READ THE FULL FEATURE ON MORANS RETAIL GROUP IN THE FEBRUARY-MARCH ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

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Their reputation was further cemented last month when they took home two top awards at the Neighbourhood Retailer Awards – Food to Go Store of the Year and Forecourt of the Year Category 1.

Marking almost 40 years in the retail industry, John and Donna Moran operate three very successful stores in the Derry~Londonderry area, namely Strand Road, Coleraine and Ballykelly.

And it was their Ballykelly store which secured the Food to Go Store of the Year accolade at the 2024 NR Awards, with Donna and daughter, Eimear on-hand to collect the prestigious award.

Judges praised the store for its fresh, innovative options in the food to go category, adding the variety on offer was exceptional.

Speaking to NR following their win, Donna said the award was a testament to the hard work the entire team puts in every single day and congratulated the Ballykelly team on their well-deserved win.

Another thrilling awards night was held at the Crowne Plaza Belfast, where Northern Ireland’s top names in grocery were in attendance for a night of celebration for the retail industry, hosted once again by Donna Traynor.

You can see more on Moran’s Retail Group’s award wins and all our winners in the NR post-awards supplement in out November-December issue – coming soon!

The post Moran’s Ballykelly celebrate after top award win for food to go first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.