LOCAL retailers from across Scotland were honoured recently 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 with a Stevenston shop picking up a top gong.

Ardeer Services picked up the Best New Store Award and deservedly so.

Owner Mahmood Saleem had wanted to expand for a long time, but was constrained by the amount of land available at the site. Unable to persuade the council to allow him to build out, he realised the only way was up. Following a huge investment and years of planning, the old shop was bulldozed and replaced with a double-storey, state-of-the-art building incorporating a 2,700 ft Nisa store and Subway, with ice cream counter, kitchen, offices, storage and car park. The in-store range has tripled, with a massive expansion across chilled drinks, food and frozen. The results, particularly the personal touches, have been the talk of the town.

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, Troon, Dundee and the Outer Hebrides.

Scottish Grocer editor John McNee said: “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.”