SPAR King’s Crescent reopens with new look celebrating local team members’ long service

Alongside the £260,000 refurb, store manager Kerri Monnelly, who has managed the store for seven years, is celebrating nine long-service team members who, between them, have 185 years of customer service at the store between them.

Team members Graham Scott, Liz McIntyre, Jennifer McKay, Karen Gibson, Michelle Rea, Kirsty Burrows, Joyce Berryman and Raymond Moore, were recognised during the official reopening of the store alongside three generations of one family which includes Kerri, who started working at the store in 2019, alongside her sister Sonya, inspired by their parents.

Dad, Raymond (Moore) and Mum, Joan, who recently retired, began working at SPAR King’s Crescent in 1989, while Kerri joined in 2019 and Sonya in 2022. Kerri’s daughter Tia has also worked in the store since 2024, and have all played a huge role in serving shoppers, supporting the local community and encouraging the store team over the years.

Kerri commended her colleagues’ local expertise and commitment to the running of the store, saying; “We are very lucky to have such committed colleagues, not only for us as a team, but for our shoppers who are so used to seeing the same friendly faces day after day, when they visit our store. It is a privilege to be part of three generations who have given so much to this store, and to see my daughter join the family legacy recently.

“I am very proud to recognise my family, our long-serving colleagues and our entire team, who have worked to ensure our shoppers have not felt too much disruption while we worked to improve their local store with even more to offer under one roof.”

New services

The improvements to SPAR King’s Crescent include upgrades to the recently introduced butchery from Stanley’s Butchers, plus an all-new SPAR Bakery concept, refurbished Post Office and new self-check-outs to improve shoppers’ journey through the store.

The new bakery will offer shoppers freshly baked goods throughout the day, including small baguettes, cinnamon swirls, chocolate twists and other sweet and savoury treats, complementing the popular Barista Bar coffee to go offering.

Alongside the new additions, shoppers can still find an unbeatable range of everyday essentials and fresh and locally sourced products under the own-range SPAR brand plus local favourites, such as Beatty’s Potatoes, delivered straight from the fields surrounding Newtownabbey.

George Rankin, Retail Director at Henderson Group, which owns the store added; “SPAR King’s Crescent has been part of our estate for over 31 years, and while we have made multiple small upgrades over the years, we are delighted to invest over a quarter of a million pounds into the store which provides so much for the local community.

“This is reflected not only in our range of fresh and locally sourced products and a breadth of offering that ensure every day quality and value, but also local people who have been serving their friends and neighbours for a significant period of time, committing to excellence as part of the King’s Crescent team.

“We are very proud to honour the committed colleagues who have given so much to King’s Crescent over the years. Our people make our stores what they are, and SPAR King’s Crescent has a team that engages with many local charities and organisations to support their work in the local community.”

Cash for good causes

Having been at the heart of the local community since the ‘90s, the store team supports the people and places that make the area so special, including young people from King’s Park Primary School, St. James Primary School, 1st Cloughfern Scouts and Rathfern Junior Hill Wardens.

SPAR King’s Crescent donated £2,500 to Rathfern Community Regeneration Group to support their groups and activities, and has met with Cloughfern Women’s Group and Chichester Court and Milibern House residents, bringing them new SPAR bakery and fresh meal products to sample.

Kerri finished; “Our shoppers are our community and we continue to support where we can. Our team also organises regular litter picks to keep the area clean, while donating to Newtownabbey Foodbank at Abbot’s Cross Presbyterian Church. We were also delighted to donate products for a BBQ fundraiser for a local family, whose son, Kingsley, was recently diagnosed with cancer.

“It is this kind of community outreach that sets our store apart. We live and work in the area, we know what matters to our neighbours and we’re passionate about supporting them.”