SPAR retailer Peter McBride made an MBE

Veteran SPAR retailer Peter McBride has received an MBE for his services to the economy and to the community in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland in the 2023 New Year Honours List.

McBride, managing director of the McBride Retail Group, is one of Northern Ireland’s most successful independent SPAR retailers. The group runs 11 SPAR stores in Fermanagh, Tyrone and Armagh.

His stores have raised significant sums for charity over the past 30 years, supporting both a number of local projects and larger initiatives for UK-wide organisations, such as current SPAR NI charity partner, Marie Curie who received a cheque for £6,995 from the stores’ Blooming Great Tea Party campaign in June.

Commenting on the recognition, Tobias Wasmuht, managing director of SPAR International said: “Peter is a true SPAR ambassador internationally, a great retailer, a leader for the independent retail sector, and a local champion for the communities he supports. On behalf of the fellow board members of the International SPAR Guild of retailers on which Peter has served since 2019, I extend our appreciation and heartfelt congratulations to Peter and his family.”

McBride celebrated 30 years as a retailer this year, and Henderson Group, the SPAR NI distributor, honoured him with a special lunch celebration at Lough Erne Resort & Spa.

“Peter is one of our most respected retailers. He is well known throughout all the communities he trades in because he gives so much back to them too,” Patrick Doody, sales and marketing director at Henderson Group, has commented then.

“We were delighted to honour Peter and mark the hugely positive contribution to both his local community and to the wider industry here over the years.”

McBride Retail Group has celebrated the anniversary with staff, shoppers and local communities in September with family days, new charitable initiatives and a host of giveaways and promotions throughout all stores.