Aviemore receives a welcome jobs boost with the opening of a new BP service station with M&S Simply Food store today.
The joint BP and Marks & Spencer development on Grampian road has created 16 new posts.
It will offer motorists a wide range of M&S food alongside BP’s own Wild Bean Café drinks and hot food.
Despite only officially opening today, the pumps were brought into early use at the weekend to cater for the thousands of bikers who were in town for the popular Thunder in the Glens Harley Davidson rally.
Approximately £2million has been spent on the development.
The store offers motorists the chance to fill up their shopping baskets at the same time as they fill up with BP’s fuel. There is a toilet accessible to disabled people, a baby changing-room, onsite parking and ATM facilities.
Brian Shirley, BP district manager, said: “The new store and introduction of the M&S Simply Food range means we have been able to create 16 new jobs for people in the local area.
“It’ll be open 24/7 providing customers with four grades of fuel, as well as a selected range of Marks & Spencer’s high quality fresh, innovative food alongside the best of BP fuels and our very own Wild Bean Cafe.”
The first customers at BP on Grampian Road will also receive a range of discounts and a free “bag for life” to help their future shopping.
Thunder in the Glens, focussed on Aviemore and Grantown, had faced the prospect of a fuel shortage for hoards of Harley Davidson owners converging on Speyside from around the world.
The ongoing refurbishment of BP’s recently acquired Aviemore filling station had left the village dry of fuel for several months.
But the operators won a race against time to get the pumps up and running.
They were brought into play especially for the bikers’ big weekend – August 25-26-27 – but cease operation at 6pm that Sunday to enable completion of the work over the following 48 hours.
