SPAR South West celebrates legacy of four family-run stores with over 200 years of combined membership

SPAR South West proudly announces the remarkable milestone achieved by four of its family-run SPAR stores, collectively boasting over 200 years of dedicated service.

Among these family stores stands the iconic SPAR Menheniot in Cornwall. The SPAR store has been part of the SPAR family since 1972. Gary Walters is not only celebrating an illustrious tenure of 40 years managing the store, but he is also the UK's longest-serving Postmaster.

The long-lasting legacy of family ownership is represented by SPAR Greenbank in Bristol, helmed by Justin Turpin and his family since 1973, alongside SPAR Loxton Road in Weston Super Mare, now owned by Mark Canniford, also a SPAR store since 1973.

Furthermore, SPAR Pelynt, under the ownership of Paul Boxall, has remained within his family since 1978, reflecting a deep-rooted commitment to local community service and excellence.

These independent SPAR stores, which are deeply rooted in their communities, have upheld the SPAR ethos with unwavering dedication and integrity. Their longstanding commitment to customer service and community engagement has earned them a huge amount of admiration and respect not only within the SPAR family but throughout the entire South West region.

In recognition of these extraordinary achievements, SPAR South West celebrated these milestones at their 2024 Tradeshow, conference and awards night, which took place on April 25th.

Speaking at the event, Mike Boardman, Managing Director of SPAR South West’s primary distributor, Appleby Westward Ltd, said: “We are delighted to recognise the hard work, resilience, and unwavering dedication demonstrated by these four SPAR retailers and stores. Independent retailers are the lifeblood of communities, and it is really important that the work they have done over the decades is acknowledged. We look forward to supporting them well into the future.”

Other SPAR South West award winners included:

- Best Convenience Store – SPAR Hogshill Stores
- Best Forecourt Store – SPAR McKinnion Ilminster
- Best In-store Display Retailer of the Year – SPAR Dash Truro
- Best Newcomer – SPAR Latestop Derriford
- Chilled Food Retailer of the Year – SPAR Holliss California Cross
- Community Retailer of the Year – Susan Connolly; SPAR Connolly Pennings Road & SPAR Connolly Pewsey
- Food to Go Retailer of the Year – SPAR Smitham Pydar
- Off License Retailer of the Year – SPAR Latestop Longhedge
- Overall Retailer of the Year – SPAR Hawtree Riverside
- Produce Retailer of the Year – SPAR Latestop Bath
- Social Media Retailer of the Year – SPAR Francis Enham
- SPAR Brand Retailer of the Year – SPAR Dash Truro

In recognition of SPAR’s national charity partnership with Marie Curie, £4,060.00 was raised for the charity on the night of the awards. Every five minutes someone in the UK dies without getting the support they need. By 2048, the need for end-of-life care will have increased by up to 25%. Marie Curie currently reaches just 10% of those people and the need for their work has never been greater, with people living longer and with multiple conditions.