Forecourt operator BP has unveiled its first site featuring an in-store bakery (ISB) with M&S products.
The fixture is located at the Merrow BP Connect petrol station in Guildford which was recently reopened following a refurbishment designed to support customers picking up food for later.
Two fo the bays of the ISB fixture stock 16 lines of M&S ‘hero’ products such as sourdough loaves, baguettes, rolls, and pretzels, while the third bay houses croissants, muffins, and cookies under the BP-owned brand Wild Bean Coffee. The final bay has a four-tier hot unit holding breakfast ciabattas, sausage rolls, and savoury slices.
All ISB items are baked off daily on site. The forecourt also offers a range of ambient M&S bakery products along with chilled and frozen options such as garlic bread and naan bread.
Merrow is one of four BP sites to undergo upgrades, showcasing expanded premium food ranges or enhanced coffee offers and curated on-the-go options. These form part of a trial that the company said would shape the future of roadside retail with plans to extend the new formats to up to 20 locations this year.
Another refreshed store is on Pinkham Way in Barnet, just off London’s North Circular Road. It now offers a brighter, more welcoming environment with self-checkouts, an upgraded Wild Bean Café, and a new range of hot breakfast ciabattas and chilled lunchtime ciabattas. It is also stocking new heat-to-eat products including wraps, toasties, and baps, along with M&S Foods snacks such as mini sausage rolls, plus the full Wild Bean Coffee bakery range.
BP said the redesigned layout of its Pinkham Way site makes it easier for customers to shop quickly and refuel or charge comfortably – a BP Pulse charging hub was introduced there last year equipped with 300kW chargers.
Other BP locations receiving upgrades were Budbrooke South near Warwick and Poppleton near York.
“These sites mark the next step in evolving BP’s convenience offer,” commented Jo Hayward, BP’s vice president mobility & convenience UK retail. “We’ve listened to what local customers want and redesigned our stores around those insights, whilst maintaining something that is scalable and replicable.”
BP has partnered with M&S Food for more than 20 years, and now has around 300 stores at BP Connect sites across the country.
Another national forecourt operator, Park Garage Group, is also looking to introduce an enhanced in-store bakery offering at more of its sites. The Croydon-based company recently unveiled plans to extend the rollout of its Bakery 79 branded outlets across its UK estate and beyond.
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