With the shortlist for this year’s SLR Rewards announced, the second phase of judging has commenced. Our hand-picked panel of convenience retailing experts and insiders are travelling the length and breadth of Scotland visiting the stores that cleared the first hurdle.
But who are the people deciding on whose mantelpieces our coveted trophies will ultimately reside?
John Lee
Dr. John Lee has over 10 years of experience in public affairs and policy in both the voluntary and private sectors. A key area of his work is engaging with the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and with other key policy and decision makers. He also leads on SGF’s external communications and media relations work. He represents the convenience store sector on the Scottish Anti Illicit Trade Group, the Scottish Government Alcohol Industry Forum and the Scottish government Ministerial Working Group on Tobacco and Age-Restricted Products.
Karen Peattie
Karen Peattie is a highly respected freelance journalist, editor and PR consultant with 35 years’ experience spanning weekly and national newspapers, trade publications, consumer magazines and online media. Specialising predominately in the retail, wholesale, and food and drink sectors, she is a recognised industry expert and commentator north of the Border and is frequently called upon to judge some of Scotland’s most prestigious food & drink awards. She is currently editor of High Flyer, the passenger magazine for Glasgow Airport. She has also compiled and edited two cookbooks for the red meat industry body, Quality Meat Scotland.
Peter Steel
Peter Steel is Grocery Director at McCurrach. He joined the company in 1988 as a Territory Manager and progressed through line management, account management and marketing roles with McCurrach before being appointed as Director in 1999, when the company extended its operations into England and Wales. He has been responsible for establishing several of the existing McCurrach portfolio of major Grocery clients. In 2008, he was made Grocery Director, responsible for managing the Nestlé UK and Ireland teams and in 2014 added responsibility for overall development of McCurrach in the Irish market. Peter was appointed to the McCurrach Group Board in September 2015.
Charles Whitehead
Charles Whitehead is Client Manager at shopper insight specialist him! and has spent the last seven years working with retailers, suppliers and wholesalers in the convenience sector. Charles and the client team at him! work with top FMCG suppliers and convenience retailers, delivering detailed understanding of shopper behaviour to drive growth within their businesses.
Each year SLR recruits a team of industry experts to turn the hundreds of entries for the SLR Rewards into shortlists of three in each category.
- The team meet at a secret location in Glasgow where each entry is analysed.
- Once shortlists have been decided, an announcement is made on www.slrmag.co.uk and shortlisted retailers are contacted.
- The second phase of judging follows, with all shortlisted stores visited by judges.
- Following these visits, each category winner is chosen.
- All winners are announced on 2nd June at the SLR Rewards gala dinner, to be held at the Grand Central in Glasgow.
