Peacehaven businessman ‘living the dream’ with top accolade

The national awards are organised by Certas Energy’s Roadside Services division, which supports more than 400 service station sites across the UK, many of which are small, independent businesses.

Steve, who has run the business for 25 years, won the award for Star Fuel’s outstanding retail offering which has been described as a ‘true local supermarket in the community of Peacehaven’.

Sussex born and bred Steve said: “Honestly, I’m over the moon! We were delighted just to be invited to the EXPO. As a little garage on the south coast of England to be nominated and then to actually win has been surreal. We’re just the little guys but this is the biggest thing to happen to us in 25 years!

“Every day I wake up and I’m very lucky to be living my dream of running an amazing business. None of this would be possible without my wife, Lorraine and my amazing and incredibly hard-working team, in particular my right-hand man, our Area Manager, Brian McLean.”

Steve’s plans for the future include expanding the shop to offer an enhanced range of products for customers, with a focus on local Sussex suppliers.

The award was presented at a special ceremony held at Carden Park in Chester on Thursday, March 21, which gave independent service station owners like Steve the opportunity to meet their contemporaries. It was also an opportunity to learn about future renewable energy solutions, such as the launch of EvoUltra, renewable diesel for retail sites, and Evolo, Certas’s new EV charging solution.

Richard Billington, Managing Director Certas Roadside Services, said: “These awards are our way of celebrating the small businesses which show great business acumen and innovation in a tough industry.

“Being a small business owner can be very challenging and you can often feel quite isolated, so this is our way of thanking the teams that make up a network of service stations that keep our country moving.”

Steve’s award was sponsored by Petroassist. Steve was also presented with £150 Shopee voucher in addition to an Apple Watch.