Filling station sold to retailers after 55 years of family ownership

Crakehall Filling Station, near Bedale in North Yorkshire, has new owners after being operated by the Jobling family for 55 years.

It has been sold in a deal arranged by specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co.

The site has been owned by Terry and Shirley Jobling for 37 years and came to market as the couple made the decision to retire.

The business has been purchased by experienced retailers, Khizer and Nighat Khan, who own a portfolio of petrol filling stations in the area.

The pair said: “We believe the site has lots of potential and we will be looking to maximise that over the coming months.

“We have already made arrangements to bring in a convenience store/off licence with leading brands, to provide a range of products and services at affordable prices to the local community and commuters.

“We would like to thank Terry and Shirley for all their help over the last couple of months. As always, we would also like to thank Andrew from Christie & Co for his professionalism throughout this process.”

Andrew Birnie, retail director at Christie & Co who handled the sale, added, “Members of the Jobling family had originally built this forecourt 55 years ago, and so for Terry and Shirley, deciding to sell and retire was a big moment in their life.

“Several years ago, they closed the convenience shop and turned the petrol station into an automated business which allowed them to semi-retire.

“The new owners plan to redevelop and reopen the shop, which presents great scope to modernise and introduce more services.

“Khizer Khan is already in the industry and therefore is experienced in what works well and what doesn’t. In fact, he purchased another petrol station through us some years ago and has been looking for the right opportunity to expand further since then.”