Lessons From The World's Greatest Petrol Station

A few months ago, our family moved from East London to Northern Ireland. There are many gems in our new homeland of Holywood (not to be confused with Hollywood), but I’d like to talk to you about one in particular. A glorious place. A spiritual haven. A hotbed of hope. Somewhere that, when ridiculously over-analysed for a few minutes, offers a 10-course taster menu of professional life learnings that would be perfect for a LinkedIn blog worth reading until the end or your money back. I speak not of The Giant’s Causeway, nor the Titanic Museum. This one goes out to the Maxol garage on Belfast Road.

I remember the first time I walked into the artist formally known as Maxol EUROSPAR Kinnegar (capitals non-negotiable). It was like the first time I heard Mariah Carey. The world seemed a little brighter, the impossible felt possible. After many years in London, the idea that a supermarket-come-petrol station could be a place you actually wanted to be rather than somewhere you’d get mugged by a gang of armed 12-year-olds on a Tuesday lunchtime, was more than I’d dared to dream. But I should’ve dreamed bigger. Not all service stations were created equal. Lesson 1 (in today’s Maxol business masterclass): don’t judge a brand by its cover.

It was a wet, freezing cold Tuesday in the middle of summer. I’d entered the Eurospar universe and was immediately seduced by its selection of fresh fruit and vegetables that indicated, to my shock, that as well as being a petrol outlet, this was an actual functioning supermarket. At its local equivalent in Hackney, the closest thing you’d get to fresh fruit would be a party bag of Skittles. Lesson 2: always exceed expectations, never be constricted by genre.

But before I had time to become fully intoxicated by the possibilities of the vegetable aisle with its lanky peppers and just-ripe avocado ensemble, my gaze was drawn elsewhere. I saw a sign and it opened up my eyes. To my shock and delight, Maxol EUROSPAR Kinnegar has a deep-fried pick and mix bar. Let me break that down for you. This is a SELF SERVICE area where you pick up a pot and, with the help of tongs, fill your boots (pot) with sausages, chips, onion rings and a choice of up to three varieties of battered chicken. Picture a cross between the cinema and the afterparty of a Christening upstairs in a pub. If you need a fried food fix urgently, this is hard to beat. Like diabetes. Lesson 3: it’s not always about the content, but how you package it.

I must also speak of The Maxol Group 's bread capabilities. Noteworthy for its heft. It’s not a section, it’s an entire aisle, making the place feel less like a petrol station and more like a Kingsmill Theme Park. It’s House of Carbs. Lesson 4: whatever you’re selling, double down on options.

The problem with this much choice, however, is time. For someone like me, the Shostakovich of procrastination (other dead composers are available), a walk down the bread aisle alone can take an hour. Add to that the interaction with humans (more on them shortly) and a trip to Maxol EUROSPAR Kinnegar can quite easily become something you need to allocate a half-day for in your diary. And that’s okay. From my time in London, I’d become conditioned to believe everything has to happen at lightspeed. I used to love that pace, buzz off it even. But now, at this particular point in my life, I have no problem spending four hours buying a Kit-Kat, which works out as a very reasonable two hours per finger. Lesson 5: slow down.

In London, the function of a petrol station is simply to provide something quick and dirty for your car/mouth. In this corner of Holywood, it’s a transformative experience, like a health-spa. Perhaps that’s where they got the name SPAR from. If this place had a steam room, they could charge ￡270 for monthly membership, and I’d be first in line with my application form and flip-flops.

Speaking of de-stressing, there’s a phrase over here that I love. “Getting your head showered”. The act of doing something that takes our mind off the daily struggles. At Nike Air Maxol (yes it deserves pet-names), your head is well and truly power-showered from the moment you walk through the door, thanks to the sublime humans that work there. It’s an all-inclusive Maxoliday.

London readers, make sure you’re seated for the next sentence. Employees at The Max talk to you. They have actual conversations with you. And they listen to what you say. On Christmas Eve, Vivienne on the checkouts asked me to say merry Christmas to our daughter. In London, that’d be a coded warning of plans for an imminent kidnapping. Lesson 6: appreciate the value of engaging with your audience.

Like its American namesake, Holywood has no shortage of A-list exports. And as I walk the hallowed aisles of Mad Maxol, I sometimes think of them. I wonder: did Jamie Dornan get his tangerines here? Is this where Rory Mcllroy celebrates his golf victories? Did Snow Patrol pop in for de-icer? The answers, my friend, are blowing in the wind – something we’re blessed with every day in Northern Ireland. But what I know for certain is Maxol EUROSPAR Kinnegar is a place that inspires greatness. Like Soho House, with petrol pumps. Lesson 7: understand and maximise your appeal to influencers.

A quick note on toilets. Max of The Day has one. And not a single sign saying it’s only for customers. This is a bog for the many not the few. Find yourself in a taxi on your way home from a six-hour session, up to your neck in Vodka Red Bull, desperate for a wee? In you come, mate. Lesson 8: acts of kindness inspire customer loyalty.

SuperMax also offers an impressive selection of coal and twigs. You pay for them at the counter then help yourself from the coal and twigs section outside. These products don’t bother with fancy names. My favourite is called Bag Of Coal. Lesson 9: never underestimate the power of simplicity.

Max to the Future creates a warm, welcoming environment – much like the womb or Wetherspoons before 2pm. On most visits, you’ll overhear interesting conversations. Yesterday, the people behind me in the queue were discussing A.I’s potential impact on brand partnerships. And that’s probably because Big Max is down the road from excellent agencies such as Smarts and Ardmore Digital who I’m definitely not tagging to let them know I’ve moved nearby and am available for freelance work. Lesson 10: always find subtle ways to promote your brand.

Finally, slightly more broadly than Maxol EUROSPAR Kinnegar, is today’s Bonus Lesson : don’t sleep on Northern Ireland. There’s so much talent here, so much passion, so much bread. As an example, I was kindly invited to speak at Rapid Agency 's excellent, #rapidsessions recently, upstairs at The Ulster Sports Club. The atmosphere was incredible. It was less like an agency event, more a warehouse rave with craft beers and networking.

Quick plug. If any of this resonated with you, or you hated it so much you want to tell me to my face, I’m running a #lunchtimelearning session on March 20 at Black Box Belfast , looking at writing for brands/businesses, creative storytelling and the power of #toneofvoice. Afterparty at Maxol EUROSPAR Kinnegar, obviously.

Thank you for your custom. Don’t forget your coal.