The stars of the local retailing industry were celebrated last month at the SLR Awards 2026, with David’s Kitchen claiming the coveted Scottish Local Retailer of the Year award.
It was a night to remember at the SLR Awards last month, thanks in no small part to the madcap energy of host Grado, as the cream of the Scottish local retailing sector gathered at the Radisson blu in Glasgow to celebrate our very special industry. Food-to-go experts David’s Kitchen proved to be the hottest dish on the menu taking away a total of four awards, including the much-coveted Scottish Local Retailer of the Year title.
The event’s top gong rounded off a successful evening for the group, which saw its stunning new Bo’ness site also win awards in the Food To Go and Scottish Brands categories, as well as New Store of the Year.
SLR Publishing Director Antony Begley said David’s Kitchen had turned local retailing on its head in little more than a decade. “Predicting the spectacular rise of food to go, long before it was obvious, the chain continues its laser focus on food to go and locally sourced produce to deliver high-margin, high-turnover stores,” he said, adding that the new Bo’ness store represented “a further huge step forward”.
The Glasgow-based RaceTrack chain also enjoyed a hugely successful evening, collecting four awards. Its Strathclyde store scored a hat-trick in the Off-Trade, Smokeless Alternatives and Soft Drinks categories, while the #ThinkSmart Innovation Award went to Wishaw.
Premier New Elgin Service Station bagged a brace of awards: Forecourt Retailer of the Year and Refit of the Year. These helped propel owner SRJ Convenience, described by Begley as “one of the biggest, fastest-growing and most progressive local retailing chains in Scotland,” towards the Outstanding Achievement award.
Premier DUSA won the Sustainability Retailer of the Year category for a fourth year in a row, which is surely a record-breaking feat.
Industry stalwarts Dennis and Linda Williams of Broadway Convenience Store received the Lifetime Achievement award as they begin preparation for their retirement. The husband-and-wife duo have served Oxgangs in Edinburgh for more than four decades. Community retailers to the core, they have raised funds, organised events, provided free breakfasts and worked with local schools throughout. “A retail career they can both be proud of,” said Begley.
Visit the SLR Awards website to discover every winner in every category, find out what the judges had to say about them, and view short videos of their stores. You can also check out all the other pictures from what was a fabulous evening.
Don’t forget to check out next month’s SLR too, as we begin explaining precisely why every winner won – and how you can learn from their experience.
