Gulf Wivelsfield Service Station, based in Haywards Health, has been shortlisted for two awards at the prestigious Forecourt Trader Awards 2025.
The East Sussex service station, which is one of six sites owned by Tap Retail Limited and partnered with fuel supplier Certas Energy, has beaten competition from 375 rivals to be named finalists in the London & South East up to 4mlpa and Best Site Manager categories.
To be shortlisted is a real coup for suppliers Certas Energy and owners Tap Retail, who opened the site just 18 months ago, with new site manager Andre Salvidge taking on the role in December 2024.
Tom Buckley, co-owner of Tap Retail, said: “We are thrilled to be shortlisted for the Forecourt Trader Awards and hope to bring home not one, but two gongs!
“Since opening in March 2024, Gulf Wivelsfield has truly earned its title as our flagship store and community hub — we’ve surpassed business goals and even had a baby delivered on the forecourt!
“And our new manager, Andre, has been a real game-changer for the team — a true shot in the arm. We are enormously proud of what everyone has achieved, and winning these awards would be the cherry on the cake,” he added.
Andre Salvidge, who is married to Phil Salvage, co-owner of Tap Retail, previously worked in head office, but stepped in as a site manager to help support the fledgling team.
She said: “I’m very proud to have been nominated. I only stepped in as a temporary manager initially, but I’ve really enjoyed it and found that I can make a huge difference across lots of different areas of the site. I’ve rebuilt trust with the team, staff morale has soared, and weekly sales are looking very healthy!”
Jenny Lockwood, Head of Dealer Retail at Certas Energy said: “We’re delighted to see Gulf Wivelsfield receive the recognition it deserves and we have everything crossed that they bring home the awards on the night.
“We’ve worked closely with Tap Retail to provide them with a reliable service they can trust and it’s fantastic to see them recognised for their hard work to create a robust, popular and successful site.
“The competition is fierce, but Gulf Wivelsfield have had a fantastic year – not only trading and growing the business, but they’ve also welcomed a newborn baby to the site too – that has to be a good omen!”
Around 375 businesses entered the coveted awards which have been established to recognise excellence in everything from best in region to community engagement and sustainability.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on October 9 in Westminster, London.
For more information about Certas Energy go to certasenergy.co.uk
