Ballymena service stations win at Maxol Excellence Awards

L-R: Jacquie Henry, Brian Donaldson, CEO, The Maxol Group, Nicola Farrell, Regional Manager, Aramark Ireland, Mark Cribbin, Account Director, Aramark Ireland and Kevin Paterson, Retail Manager NI, The Maxol Group. 

Two Maxol service stations in Ballymena have earned major accolades at this year’s Maxol Excellence Awards, held recently at the prestigious Merchant Hotel in Belfast.

Maxol Braid River scooped not one, but two coveted titles — the Excellence in Standards Award and Store of the Year Award — while Maxol A26 Tannaghmore proudly received the Excellence in Customer Experience Award.

Both sites are company-owned by Maxol and operated under licence by Aramark.

The annual awards celebrate exceptional performance in store presentation, customer service and local community involvement across Maxol’s extensive network. Judging criteria include rigorous audits by regional managers, head office staff, mystery shopper assessments, and evaluations of each site’s contributions to Maxol’s charity partner, Guide Dogs NI.

Double Win for Maxol Braid River

Maxol Braid River stood out in the competition by scoring in the highest percentiles for both internal audits and mystery shopper assessments. Under the stewardship of Aramark’s Regional Manager Nicola Farrell, the station has consistently delivered exemplary standards since its redevelopment in October 2023.

Community involvement also played a pivotal role in the site’s success. Braid River has actively supported Maxol’s charity partner through various local fundraising events including raffles and Christmas Jumper Days, and has extended its backing to Ballymena Rugby Club.

“We’re delighted to have received both the Excellence in Standards award and Store of the Year for Maxol Braid River,” said Nicola Farrell.

“It’s a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our team — not just to meet expectations, but to exceed them. We’re especially proud to be recognised for the second year running as a relatively new store.”

Excellence in Customer Experience at A26 Tannaghmore

L-R: Brian Donaldson, CEO, The Maxol Group, Mark Cribbin, Account Director, Aramark Ireland, Paul Rogan, and Kevin Paterson, Retail Manager NI, The Maxol Group. 

Maxol A26 Tannaghmore was honoured with the Excellence in Customer Experience Award, thanks in large part to its loyal team of long-serving staff. Known for forging genuine connections with regular customers and visitors alike, the team has become a local fixture along this key commuter and tourist route.

Staff have consistently been praised for their friendly demeanour and exceptional hospitality — making the station a trusted stop not only for locals but for international tourists as well.

“We are extremely proud to win these awards,” said Mark Cribbin, Aramark Account Director and licensee of Maxol A26 Tannaghmore.

“We work hard to provide the very best customer service for all our valued customers. As we say, every customer is a boomerang… we bring them back.”

Commitment to Excellence Across Northern Ireland

Brian Donaldson, CEO of The Maxol Group, praised the winners for setting the bar across the Maxol network.

“Our stores are truly ‘at the heart of it’— serving local communities and that’s why it’s important we hold ourselves to the highest standards and champion best practice across our stores,” he said.

“The continued success of our business is driven by the passion, commitment, and drive for continuous improvement that we see from our fantastic teams. It’s what makes us an industry-leading convenience retailer. I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Mark, Nicola and their store teams, who continue to set the gold standard across the Maxol network.”

Recognising Excellence Across the Region

In addition to the Ballymena winners, five other service stations across Northern Ireland received recognition for their exceptional standards. These included Maxol Edenderry on the Crumlin Road, and independently owned and operated stations: Maxol Clough (Henderson Retail Limited), Kenny’s Kilrea Service Station in Coleraine, Mulkerns Maxol in Newry, and Litter’s Maxol in Portadown.

As Maxol continues to raise the bar across its retail and service operations, the performance of Braid River and A26 Tannaghmore serves as a benchmark for excellence, customer care, and community engagement in Northern Ireland’s service station sector.