Monday 26th November 2018

Double award-triumph for Bestway Wholesale and Hooton's best-one

Double award-triumph for Bestway Wholesale and Hooton's best-one

It was a successful night for Bestway Wholesale at the 29th Asian Trader Awards on Tuesday 20th November, as Gareth and Natalie Hooton, best-one store owners, and Dawood Pervez, recently appointed Managing Director of Bestway Wholesale, taking post as of 1st December, picked up awards which recognised their success.

Gareth and Natalie’s best-one store, known locally as Hooton’s Newsagents, is based in Golborne, Greater Manchester. Gareth’s dad owned the store for 38 years and Gareth was brought up in the house next door, before he took it over with Natalie eight years ago.

The award the pair won, which was presented by Gareth Thomas MP and Umesh Parmar, Joint Managing Director Tilda, was for the ‘Food-To-Go’ category – the judges commented that hot food and fresh sandwiches area of the couple’s shop became ‘mobbed’ at lunch time during their judging visit, despite strong competition in the local area.

The judge commented: “This year’s winner has an exceptional Food-to-go offering. Open seven days a week, the store provides a full range of hot and cold food for breakfast and lunch, all prepared fresh on-site in a fully fitted kitchen from 5.30am each day. The store’s menu includes a wide range of sandwiches, pies, burgers, soups, casseroles and chilli to name a few. Revenue from food-to-go has doubled over the past year accounting for over 13 per cent of store sales.”

Gareth and Natalie are now hoping to install the new, premium silver Bestway fascia which was launched in 2017, on the front of their shop.

Pervez, who was born the same year that Bestway was founded and whom has been brought up around the Bestway business his whole life, was recognised with the Editor’s Choice Award, which ‘recognises an individuals’ exceptional contribution to the grocery industry and outstanding achievement in the independent retailing sector.”

Having studied Politics and Modern History at Manchester University, Dawood worked for Linklaters Global Law firm before joining Bestway in 2002. In 2004 he was elected to the Board of Directors of Bestway Group and since then he set up the Bestway Group Export Division, headed up various functions around the business and lead the trading Department as Trading Director, before taking on the role of Managing Director for Bestway Wholesale, which he will take up on 1st December.

His contribution to wholesale, including his position on the President’s Fundraising Committee for Grocery Aid, was recognised in the receiving of this prestigious ‘Editor’s Choice’ award.

These award wins demonstrate Bestway Wholesale and its’ new leading man’s commitment to and expertise in the retail sector. The Hooton’s win for food-to-go also goes to show how professional the best-one store standards are and is testament to best-one store owners’ understanding of and efforts to meet consumer needs – the Hooton’s are already ahead of the game in food-to-go, with an offer which includes coffee, hot food and sandwiches prepared fresh on the premises – fit to rival local competition at all day parts.

The glamorous awards ceremony, complete with an Asian dinner and live band, was hosted at the Park Plaza, Westminster, London.

If you want to join the Bestway Wholesale symbol group or retail club, then do get in touch! It could be you winning an award next time.

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