Barista Bar, which marked its 10-year anniversary last year, will be an official CIYMS Rugby Club sponsor for 2026 supporting the club with the junior team’s kit sponsorship, alongside branded post-pads bringing high quality equipment to the pitch, plus an investment in pitch-side advertising.

The sponsorship, which kicked off at the start of January, is part of Barista Bar’s ongoing commitment to giving back to the local community.

Barista Bar coffee-to-go is widely available in over 460 SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and ViVOXTRA stores across Northern Ireland, many of which are often the hub of local communities and Barista Bar aims to continue these relationships, being part of many local initiatives and providing sponsorships for a number of local events and clubs.

CIYMS has been part of the east Belfast community since 1974, after moving from its city-centre home of 50 years, and has grown to provide a hub for team sports and inspiring the future sports stars from Northern Ireland.

A number of CIYMS players have gone on to play for their country at international level, playing for Ulster and Ireland, with three going on to play for the British & Irish Lions. The most recent CIYMS star, Conor McKee began his rugby career at the Club and made his debut at Ulster just last year as a scrum half.

Keavy O’Mahony-Truesdale, National Brand and Business Development Manager at Barista Bar said the new 2026 sponsorship of CIYMS Rugby Club is an important next step in their community presence, “Being rooted in community stores, it is so important to us at Barista Bar to continue and develop those relationships with shoppers, local community groups, charities and clubs and give back to those who show us so much support.”

Mark Stewart Maunder, Commercial & Development Director at Henderson Foodservice, added, “It’s great to see Barista Bar supporting CIYMS Rugby Club, particularly at junior level, where investment can make a real difference in local communities.”

David Peden, president of CIYMS commented, “CI is an ambitious family club and Barista Bar is a strong, vibrant and community focussed brand that aligns well with our club. Sponsorship is the lifeblood of any club, and we believe our partnership is an exciting move that can really benefit both parties. We are hugely grateful for Barista Bar’s support, and we are looking forward to seeing what the partnership brings in the year ahead.”

Barista Bar’s community support has been growing rapidly in recent years. The brand is a partner of Walk NI and is committed to keeping Northern Ireland beautiful and free of litter. Many of the stores that Barista Bar is available in are central in communities that are residential, urban, by the sea and in areas of outstanding beauty, and Barista Bar is committed to keeping these areas clean for all to enjoy them.

The coffee to go brand has been an official partner of the Eco Rangers since 2021, fuelling their volunteers with Barista Bar beverages during their litter picks throughout Northern Ireland, organising and taking part in numerous litter picks across Northern Ireland to date,  supporting broader efforts to reduce environmental waste and encourage more sustainable habits.

The Mallusk 5-Mile Road Race back in August saw the third year of sponsorship from Barista Bar, with the team fueling runners on the day with a complimentary drink and a Barista Bar sports bag, as well as an exciting Barista Bar Team Challenge with a hamper for the fastest team.

Last year, Barista Bar also sponsored NIPANC’s PedalThePeriphery for the third annual event, created by award-winning sisters Andrea Harrower and Cathy Booth. As well as a Barista Bar team taking part in the event, Barista Bar stations throughout NI were used to raise awareness and inspire donations, as well as ensuring the cyclists for the event had accessible pitstops to fuel up with some Barista Bar coffee.

Keavy added, “We are looking forward to seeing this partnership with CIYMS Rugby Club develop over the year and can’t wait to support the club from the sidelines.”

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The flagship development, which is part of a broader five-year investment programme, is trialling cutting-edge technology and innovation which will create the blueprint for forecourt developments across Maxol’s estate.

From the design and construction through to the site’s ongoing operations covering fuel, grocery and convenience, the guiding principle at Kinnegar is to use technology to create a measurably different service station that will enable Maxol to reduce the site’s existing carbon footprint by up to 40%.

Initiatives that are being implemented in the redevelopment include the introduction of photovoltaic (solar) panels to reduce the site’s electrical import requirements; low energy CO₂ refrigeration systems; exhaust air-heat pump technology to reduce heating loads; and an energy management system to monitor and control the overall energy usage on the site.

In a first for Northern Ireland, Maxol Kinnegar will deliver the first dedicated Electric Vehicle (EV) hub complete with four high-speed chargers servicing up to six vehicles at any one time. The EV hub will provide up to 200 kW in power, the highest charge currently available to the public in NI.

On the forecourt, Kinnegar will continue to service its large customer base with advanced fuels and parking facilities, which will more than double from the current 20 to 41, to ease the flow of traffic on site even during peak trading periods.

The development will see Kinnegar’s current retail space almost double in size. Customers can expect to find a much bigger range and greater choice of locally produced food including an expanded grocery offer, a large, dedicated butchery section as well as extended fruit & veg, dairy, and frozen food ranges.

A new Daily Deli will be introduced with a self-serve chicken bar and for the first time ever, Maxol will install three self-checkouts that they anticipate will handle the bulk of in-store transactions.

The double Barista Bar coffee offer will be enhanced with a brand new seating area where customers can relax in comfort, particularly while charging their EV.

Brian Donaldson, Chief Executive of The Maxol Group said: “This is a significant development for us, and it marks an important step on our journey towards being a more sustainable business. We’re bringing together a range of technologies and innovations that will create a blueprint that we will apply across our network in larger type locations. This will deliver a positive change for our customers, the environment, and our industry.

“As well as progress on sustainability, I am delighted that we’re supporting the local community with the creation of 40 construction jobs during the development and up to 20 new jobs will be created in-store when the development is completed.

“This is the first dedicated EV hub in Northern Ireland and marks the start of Maxol developing the right infrastructure on its network of service stations to support the move to electric. We are also working hard to ensure that when the development is complete, our customers can shop locally for all their daily needs in a modern, vibrant, welcoming environment. It is exciting to bring something so transformational to the area, and I’m delighted that work is underway to make it happen.”

Mark McCammond, Retail Director of Henderson Retail, Licensee for Maxol said: “We’re thrilled to see the work underway that once complete will see our customers enjoy a premium offer both on the forecourt and in-store. The expansion of the site will be welcomed by so many who shop with us regularly and we look forward to seeing the development progress in the coming weeks.”

Construction of Maxol Kinnegar will conclude in time for a reopening in October.

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The shop layout has changed to allow for the addition of new and expanded lines including a SPAR Daily Deli which provides a wide range of hot and cold food throughout the day, including vegan and vegetarian options, to meet growing demand from customers, especially over lunchtime.

The Barista Bar which provides customers with fast, delicious quality coffee on the go has been moved to a more prominent position for ease and speed of access.  The upgrade also allows for new refrigeration and additional dairy and ‘chill for now’ space.

Maxol, Northern Ireland’s award-winning family-owned forecourt and convenience retailer, has also made some changes in the forecourt area, reducing pump islands from three to two and creating additional parking spaces to meet demand at the busiest times of the day.

With finishing touches that include new signage, new lighting and electrics, floor and ceilings, the changes are designed to enhance the shopping experience for those popping in to pick up groceries or food on the go.

Brian Donaldson, CEO of The Maxol Group, said: “We work hard to continuously develop and improve our service stations for the benefit of our customers. With demand for grocery and general shop sales growing significantly at this site during the COVID-19 pandemic we have invested to create a store that is vibrant, modern, and inviting and ensures we can offer a significantly enhanced range in a greatly improved premises. We look forward to welcoming both existing and new customers in store to enjoy everything we have to offer.

“In 2020, we celebrated 100 years of Maxol in Northern Ireland and we are delighted to continue investing in our local service station to create a network of convenience destinations that continues to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers across NI.”

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EUROSPAR Glenavy Village replaces the former SPAR store on the same site, and has almost doubled in size, offering locals a huge variety of fresh and locally sourced food for now and later, and has been described as a dramatically new supermarket experience, right in the heart of the community with up to 70 car-parking spaces.

Essential services have also been retained including the Post Office branch which will continue to offer a range of everyday services, easily accessible for locals.

With the additional jobs created with the build, 35 local staff now work at the store, which is managed by David McFall, who has more than 14 years of retailing experience behind him.

“EUROSPAR Glenavy Village brings a local, supermarket shopping experience to build on the busy and popular SPAR which once stood on the site,” he said.

“We have built this store with the local shoppers’ missions in mind, meaning that those in Glenavy are primarily either looking for a snack, breakfast or lunch to go, or want to stock up with fresh foods and groceries for two or three days.

“We are catering to our neighbours who want reassurance that they are shopping locally, buying locally sourced products and ranges and can handily pop back in if they need to top up that shop in a couple of days’ time without having to go too far.”

The supermarket experience includes Tesco Price Match, an initiative from EUROSPAR which aims to price match big brand products to bring even more value to local shoppers. More than a thousand products are included, meaning shoppers can access top quality and lower supermarket prices on their favourite brands without having to go out of town.

The food-to-go offering has been given a major revamp and now sits under Henderson’s dailyDeli brand, offering an enhanced range of hot and cold food all freshly made in store daily.

“The dailyDeli is a fantastic food-to-go experience, bringing a full range of meal deals, plus vegetarian and vegan products and ranges to takeaway or enjoy in our seating area in-store,” David said.

“We have a Mauds Ice Cream counter, the all-new Barista Bar coffee machines, serving our popular Barista Bar brews plus new luxury hot chocolate and flat whites, plus our Kidz Zone offers Ice budz frozen drinks and Freal so our little shoppers can enjoy a fun experience when shopping too.”

Supplying a host of local fresh foods is a top priority for the supermarket, and that extends to the Brian Price Quality Meats and Butchery concession, with all meat farmed locally. The serve-over counter team is headed up by Damien McVeigh, who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to offer advice and ideas to shoppers for their products, adding that extra sense of locality and customer service.

More than 30 bays of fresh produce give shoppers an outstanding choice of fruit, veg, meat and poultry, all sourced and supplied by local producers via Henderson Wholesale’s fresh team.

The SPAR Bakery range of freshly baked treats and breads sits alongside own-brand ranges including enjoy local, The Greengrocer and The CHEF – Henderson’s handmade range of meals created by its local team of cooks headed up by Chef Carl Johannesson.

Mark McCammond, Retail Director at Henderson Group which owns EUROSPAR in Northern Ireland, said: “With EUROSPAR Glenavy Village, we are bringing a supermarket shopping experience with a range of fresh and local food and brands, at great prices which the local community won’t have had on their doorsteps before.

“The new look, feel and choice of products in the shop has been considered for the local shopper, whether they’re popping in for something for tonight’s tea or stocking up for the next few days. And they can be assured they’re getting the best value, with over 1,000 products in-store price matched with Tesco.

“It’s fantastic to see the supermarket bring such a unique proposition and services to the area, including the three-pump MAXOL forecourt alongside 70 parking spaces.

“The team will also continue their community outreach from the former SPAR store, to support local schools and organisations.”

EUROSPAR Glenavy Village has sponsored the Ballymacrickett Primary School football team’s new kits, and is also fundraising towards a new sensory room for the school. The supermarket’s staff and shoppers will also fundraise for EUROSPAR’s charity partner, Cancer Fund for Children and has raised almost £4,000 for the organisation, and the store’s former charity partner, Marie Curie, so far this year.

“Not only will the team at EUROSPAR Glenavy Village deliver for the whole community but will give back to those who need it most throughout Northern Ireland,” Mark said.

Caption: Members of the Glenavy Youth Project helped mark the official opening of EUROSPAR Glenavy Village, joined by EUROSPAR Glenavy Village’s Community Champion, Dylan McKenna and customer Advisor, Eimear McKnight

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