Scottish Grocer Awards 2017 Winners and Highly Commended finalists

Local retailers from across Scotland were honoured last night at the Scottish Grocer Awards 2017.
The event, the biggest awards programme of its type in the country, is held to recognise and celebrate the very best in Scottish convenience retailing.
Held at Glasgow’s Hilton Hotel on Thursday (March 9), the show was hosted by comedian Craig Hill and saw 21 awards go to some of Scotland’s very best independent retailers, symbol stores, forecourts, employees and entrepreneurs.
This year, winners hailed from as far afield as Kinross, Edinburgh, Stevenston, Troon, Dundee and the Outer Hebrides.
The event culminated in the presentation of the Industry Achievement Award, which this year went to Simon Hannah, managing director of wholesaler JW Filshill, the company behind KeyStore.

“This is the 21st year for the Scottish Grocer Awards and I have no hesitation saying it was our best yet.
“Across the board, the standard of entries was exceptional and all of our finalists deserve tremendous credit for the work they do for the industry and their communities.
“Congratulations to all our winners, who work very hard to make convenience retail one of Scotland’s most dynamic and engaging industries.”
John McNee, Editor of Scottish Grocer

Dairy Award – Managed Store

Charles Morrish, regional commercial controller, Müller Milk & Ingredients, centre, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Scottish Grocer Dairy Award (managed stores) to Shona Cameron of Scotmid Balerno 2 in Edinburgh

Winner: Scotmid Balerno, Edinburgh

Highly Commended: Spar Tarves, Edinburgh

Dairy Award – Independent Store

Charles Morrish, regional commercial controller, Müller Milk & Ingredients, left, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Scottish Grocer Dairy Award (independent store) to Saleem Sadiq of Spar, Renfrew.

Winner: Spar Renfrew

Highly Commended: Premier Cranhill Convenience Store

Bakery Retailer of the Year – Managed Store

Angie Turnbull, Warburtons retail development area manager, centre, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Scottish Grocer Bakery Retailer of the Year Award (managed store) to Craig McAulay of Scotmid Stockbridge.

Winner: Scotmid Stockbridge, Edinburgh

Highly Commended: Spar Dalrymple

Bakery Retailer of the Year – Independent Store

John Clarke, Warburtons retail development area manager, and awards event host Craig Hill present the Scottish Grocer Bakery Retailer of the Year Award (independent store) to Dan Brown and the team from Giacopazzi’s, Sands House, Kinross.

Winner: Giacopazzi’s, Sands House Kinross

Highly Commended: Nisa Local Greens of Markinch, Fife

Tobacco Accessories Retailer of the Year

Gavin Anderson, general sales manager, Republic Technologies (UK), left, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Tobacco Accessories Retailer of the Year Award to Adeil Hussain of Family Shopper, Airbles Street, Motherwell.

Winner: Family Shopper, Motherwell

Highly Commended: Cults Stores (KeyStore), Aberdeen; Linktown Local, Kirkcaldy

Best New Store Award

Mark Taylor, sales development manager, Barr Soft Drinks, left, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Best New Store Award to Junfang Yun and Mahmood Saleem of Ardeer Services, Stevenston.

Winner: Ardeer Services, Stevenston

Highly Commended: Giacopazzi’s, Sands House Kinross; Scotmid, Broxburn

Innovation Award

Graham Clout, retail sales manager, JET, and awards event host Craig Hill present the Innovation Award to Dan Brown and the team from Giacopazzi’s, Sands House, Kinross.

Winner: Giacopazzi’s, Sands House Kinross

Highly Commended: Ardeer Services, Stevenston; McLeish, Inverurie

Post Office Retailer of the Year

Drew McBride, head of network operations, The Post Office, and awards event host Craig Hill present the Post Office Retailer of the Year Award to Khalid Sadiq, left, and Iqbal Sadiq, centre, of St Georges Post Office and Spar, Maryhill.

Winner: St Georges Post Office and Spar Maryhill

Highly Commended: Camelon Post Office and Spar, Falkirk; Biggar Post Office, Biggar

Forecourt Retailer of the Year

Cara Collins, national account manager, Costa Express, and awards event host Craig Hill present the Forecourt Retailer of the Year Award to Imran Ali of Spar Euro Garages Lomondgate.

Winner: Spar Euro Garages Lomondgate

Highly Commended: Earlston Co-op, Berwickshire; JET Maybole, Ayrshire

Confectionery Retailer of the Year

Sandra Fisher, sales and marketing director, Golden Casket Group, and awards event host Craig Hill present the Confectionery Retailer of the Year Award to Pamela Provan and Amanda Duncan of Barassie Day-Today, Troon.

Winner: Barassie Day-Today, Troon

Highly Commended: Cults Stores (KeyStore), Aberdeen; Lifestyle Express Rutherglen

Best Soft Drinks Outlet of the Year

David Dick, field sales manager, Coca-Cola European Partners, left, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Best Soft Drinks Outlet of the Year Award to Martin Lightfoot and Natalie Lightfoot of Londis Solo Convenience, Baillieston.

Winner: Londis Solo Convenience, Baillieston

Highly Commended: Clydebank Co-operative Kilbowie KeyStore, Edinburgh; McLeish, Inverurie

Licensed Retailer of the Year

Neil Taylor, wholesale channel controller for Whyte & Mackay, left, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Licensed Retailer of the Year Award to Ryan Harley and Onker Singh of Maxwells, Pollokshield.

Winner: Maxwells, Pollokshield

Highly Commended: Day-Today@Jamil’s, Renfrew; Giacopazzi’s, New Road Milnathort

Beer and Cider Retailer of the Year

John Barton, national account manager, Carlsberg UK, left, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Licensed Retailer of the Year Award to Onker Singh and the team from Maxwells, Clarkston.

Winner: Maxwells, Clarkston

Highly Commended: Day-Today@Jamil’s, Renfrew; One Stop Stoneyburn, West Lothian

Responsible Retailer of the Year

Darren Attwell, regional business manager, Imperial Tobacco, left, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Responsible Retailer of the Year Award to Sukhi Sangha and Jarnail Sangha of Day-Today Lochside, Ayr.

Winner: Day-Today Lochside, Ayr

Highly Commended: Day-Today Maryhill, Edinburgh; Premier Mo’s Convenience Store, Blantyre

Independent Retailer of the Year

Graeme Fraser, regional development controller, Booker Wholesale, and awards event host Craig Hill present the Independent Retailer of the Year Award to Mo Razzaq and Roxy Razzaq of Family Shopper, Blantyre.

Winner: Family Shopper, Blantyre

Highly Commended: Spar JET Maybole, Ayrshire; Nisa Local Pinkie Farm Convenience Store, Musselburgh

Community Champion Award

Bep Dhaliwal, trade communications manager, Mars Chocolate UK, left, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Community Champion Award to Asif Akhtar and Abada Akhtar of Smeaton Stores, Kirkcaldy.

Winner: Smeaton Stores, Kirkcaldy

Highly Commended: Uig Community Shop, Isle of Lewis; Best-One@Brownlies, Biggar

Tobacco Retailer of the Year

Adam Cann, regional manager North, British American Tobacco UK, left, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Tobacco Retailer of the Year Award to Israr Ahmed and Mohammed Sarwar of Pricekracker Dundee.

Winner: Pricekracker, Dundee

Highly Commended: Pricekracker, Alyth; Day-Today@Jamil’s, Renfrew

Chilled Retailer of the Year

Julie Nisbet, managing director, McIntosh of Strathmore, left, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Chilled Retailer of the Year Award to Claire Buchanan and Joanna MacLeod of MacLennans, Isle of Benbecula.

Winner: MacLennans, Isle of Benbecula

Highly Commended: Nisa Local Pinkie Farm Convenience Store, Musselburgh; Scotmid Balerno, Edinburgh

Employee of the Year

Eleri Roberts, business development manager, Camelot, left, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Employee of the Year Award to Joan Clark, Cranhill Convenience Store.

Winner: Joan Clark, Cranhill Convenience Store

Highly Commended: Heather Jamieson, Best-One@Brownlies, Biggar; Carol McClurkin, Day-Today Lochside, Ayr

The Entrepreneur Award

Jonathan Sykes, divisional manager North, field sales – North, JTI, left, and awards event host Craig Hill, right, present the Entrepreneur Award to Harris Aslam of Eros Retail.

Winner: Harris Aslam, Eros Retail

Industry Achievement Award

Karl Hayes, managing director UK and Ireland, Loch Lomond Group, left, awards event host Craig Hill and Scottish Grocer editor John McNee, right, present the Industry Achievement Award to Simon Hannah, managing director, JW Filshill.

Winner: Simon Hannah, J W Filshill