The Barbican Centra, Newcastle, Ireland

Entry profile – ‘Best Foodvenience Store in the World’ 2026

Serving Newcastle for over 40 years, The Barbican takes its name from the historic gateway that once formed part of the town’s defences.

Located at the entrance to the town centre and at the foot of the stunning Mourne Mountains, the store is uniquely positioned to serve both residents and the thousands of visitors drawn to the area each year for its beaches, mountain trails and championship golf.

Following a £1.4 million refurbishment in May, The Barbican transitioned from SuperValu to Centra, becoming a flagship destination that combines four primary missions of ‘On-The-Go’, ‘Dinner For Tonight’, ‘Top-Up’ and ‘Alcohol’.

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Foodvenience

Centra Newcastle (The Barbican) is Musgrave Northern Ireland’s flagship convenience destination, combining market-leading foodservice with a modern convenience offer. Following a £1.4 million investment and conversion from SuperValu to Centra in 2026, the store was redesigned around four key customer missions: On The Go, Dinner For Tonight, Top-Up and Alcohol.

Our journey began by analysing customer feedback, shopper surveys, market insights, emerging food trends and competitive shops to understand changing customer needs. These insights highlighted growing demand for convenient meal solutions, premium coffee, underpinned by strong value across the store including an extensive range of core value Own Brand.

This approach informed a store design where each shopper mission has dedicated space, ranging and promotions. On The Go is driven by our deli, bakery and award-winning Frank and Honest coffee, while Dinner For Tonight offers convenient meal solutions through fresh meat, locally sourced produce, ready meals, pizzas, sides and desserts. A comprehensive range of core grocery, frozen and non-food make up our Top Up zone, complemented with a unique range of locally sourced products which celebrate the very best of local suppliers. And our Off-Licence is best in class with a range of Musgrave-exclusive wines, premium spirits, chilled beers and wines and an extensive range of RTD cocktails – all completing the menu of convenience for a one-stop shop.

The redesign has contributed to +14% sales growth and +9% basket spend growth since reopening.

Overview

Centra Newcastle is built around a clear four-mission strategy that seamlessly integrates convenience retail to meet the needs of today’s shopper. Our proposition focuses on On The Go, Dinner For Tonight, Top-Up and Alcohol, creating multiple reasons for customers to visit throughout the day.

On The Go is anchored by freshly prepared deli products, hot food, bakery and award-winning Frank and Honest coffee, serving breakfast, lunch and snacking occasions. Dinner For Tonight provides convenient meal solutions through fresh meats, ready meals, pizzas, sides and desserts, helping customers create quality evening meals with minimal effort. Top-Up caters for everyday essentials and impulse purchases, while our Alcohol mission offers a premium range of beers, wines, spirits and low-and-no alternatives for both planned and spontaneous occasions.

Our strategy was developed using customer mission insights and local shopping behaviours. What differentiates us is the integration of all four missions within a single customer journey, supported by strong own-brand products, local suppliers and innovative foodservice.

This approach supports the over-riding strategy to offer our shoppers a convenient and simple way to meet their needs – whether they are a local resident, daily tourist, golfer, or caravan park holiday maker.

Menu and signature products

Our menu is built around breakfast, lunch, snacking and dinner occasions, delivering quality, convenience and choice throughout the day. We are known for our fresh deli offering, made-to-order sandwiches, hot food, value meal deals and award-winning Frank and Honest coffee. Popular products include breakfast wraps, freshly prepared sandwiches and salads, premium coffee and our growing Dinner for Tonight range.

Our range combines familiar favourites such as Chicken Fillet Baguettes and Topped Baked Potatoes with local treats like Nugelato Ice Cream and newer options including Sourdough Italian Pizza and Clean Cut Protein Pots, reflecting evolving consumer tastes. Recent additions such as Dark Roast and iced coffee, fresh in-store bakery products including pistachio-filled cannoli, and premium meal solutions from the Donnybrook Fair range have expanded customer choice.

Customer loyalty is driven by our ability to consistently provide great quality, strong value and convenient meal solutions, giving customers multiple reasons to visit throughout the week.

Daypart specific offers

Musgrave’s multi-daypart strategy is designed to meet customer needs from breakfast through to dinner. Breakfast is driven by Frank and Honest coffee, fresh breakfast rolls and wraps, and convenient grab-and-go hot food, appealing to commuters, residents and tourists alike. Lunch remains the largest deli mission, with a broad range of hot and cold options, baked potatoes, pizza and value-led meal deals. The dedicated On the Go chilled unit offers convenient pre-packed lunch solutions from local supplier Deli-Lites, alongside healthier choices including salads, protein-rich snacks and functional beverages.

Dinner for Tonight is the fastest-growing mission, increasing by more than 40% year on year. A dedicated meal-solution zone brings together fresh meat, produce, ready meals, pizzas, sides and desserts, making evening meal planning simple and convenient. Exclusive brands such as Clean Cut, The Happy Pear, Caramico and Easy Meals further enhance the offer.

Together, these propositions drive sales growth, customer loyalty and all-day engagement.

Speed, consistency and quality

Our menu is designed to deliver the right balance of speed, consistency, value and quality for today’s convenience shopper. Built around key customer missions including breakfast, lunch, snacking and dinner, it offers fresh, great-tasting meal solutions throughout the day. Popular options include breakfast wraps, full-service deli products, confectionery and protein snacks, and in-store prepared meats, mains and sides under our Good Food Locally Sourced brand.

Consistency is maintained through standardised recipes, effective production planning, specialist training and clear operating procedures, ensuring a reliable, high-quality experience across every visit. Investment in modern equipment and efficient store layouts supports fast service during busy periods while maintaining quality and food safety standards.

The range includes freshly prepared deli items, hot food, bakery products, meal solutions and award-winning Frank and Honest coffee. Seasonal innovations such as Festive Fries and premium products from the SuperValu Signature Tastes range keep the offer relevant, driving customer satisfaction, loyalty and profitability.

Variety and innovation

Over the past 12 months, Musgrave Northern Ireland has strengthened its foodservice offer by combining customer insight, emerging food trends and seasonal innovation, with Centra Newcastle serving as a showcase location. Continuous analysis of consumer behaviour and sales data has informed the introduction of healthier meal options from Clean Cut and The Happy Pear, premium food-to-go products including authentic Italian sourdough pizzas, and an enhanced Frank and Honest coffee range.

At Centra Newcastle, local partnerships with Nugelato, Whitewater Brewery and Deli Lites have helped create a distinctive and engaging customer experience. The Dinner for Tonight proposition has also been expanded through premium Donnybrook Fair products and locally sourced meal solutions such as Go Pig.

By combining trend-led innovation, including protein-rich meals, authentic Italian products from Mercato Italiano and premium SuperValu Signature Tastes ranges, with strong seasonal execution, the offer remains fresh, relevant and exciting, driving repeat visits, increased spend and sustained growth across foodservice categories.

Coffee and beverage program

Frank and Honest is Musgrave’s exclusive award-winning premium coffee brand, available in 194 stores across Northern Ireland. The strength of the brand lies in its own-brand model, which gives us full control over quality, innovation, pricing and customer experience, allowing us to respond quickly to changing consumer trends and deliver a consistent proposition across every location.

Centra Newcastle piloted a new Frank and Honest coffee dock, including iced drinks, oat milk and the new Dark Roast blend, broadening customer appeal. The coffee offer is fully integrated into our ‘on-the-go’ mission, featuring prominent link deals within breakfast, lunch and ‘add-me’ propositions to increase customer value perception and drive average basket spend.

Supported by the Frank and Honest loyalty app, targeted award-winning marketing, sustainable cups, retail range and continuous innovation (with Matcha planned for 2027), the brand drives customer frequency, strengthens loyalty and remains a key contributor to the success of our offer.

Technology & Operational Excelllence

Loyalty

We drive customer loyalty through the Frank and Honest Coffee App, which rewards repeat purchases and encourages frequent visits. In July 2026, the rewards programme was enhanced, with customers now receiving a free coffee after collecting six stamps. This change delivered strong results, increasing app scan rates by 22% and reward redemptions by 38%.

The app provides a simple, seamless digital loyalty experience, making it easy for customers to earn rewards while strengthening their connection with the Frank and Honest brand. It also supports product innovation and new launches, including the Dark Roast blend, helping to drive awareness, trial and repeat purchase.

Beyond rewards, the app plays an important role in customer retention and visit frequency. As the coffee category continues to grow, it remains a key driver of repeat business, engagement and long-term loyalty, supporting sales growth and our ambition to deliver a market-leading coffee experience. Looking ahead, discovery work has begun on a Centra app to further extend customer reach and engagement.

Online Ordering and Delivery

Musgrave launched online ordering and home delivery in July through partnerships with Just Eat, Uber Eats and Snappy Technologies. The service operates from 7am to 11pm daily and supports all customer missions, including breakfast, lunch and evening meals.

A successful two-month trial across three stores generated over £26,000 in sales, attracted 1,110 new customers, with an average basket of £25.50, demonstrating encouraging customer demand. Building on this success, the service has been rolled out to a further 18 stores, with plans to extend availability to additional locations, including Newcastle, and grow current sales participation of 2%.

Supported by targeted social media and aggregator promotions, online ordering complements our mission-led strategy by providing customers with greater flexibility and choice. As consumer shopping habits continue to evolve, home delivery plays an increasingly important role in strengthening customer loyalty, extending our reach beyond the physical store and supporting future foodservice growth.

Operational Excellence

At Centra Newcastle, operational excellence has been built into the store design from the outset. The layout creates a seamless workflow from preparation to service, with dedicated production, hot food, coffee and grab-and-go zones that maximise efficiency and enhance the customer experience.

Modern, fit-for-purpose equipment supports the foodservice offer, enabling consistent product quality and fast service during peak trading periods. Strong production planning ensures excellent availability, freshness and minimal waste throughout the day.

People are central to our success. Every colleague completes a structured six-week onboarding and accreditation programme delivered by specialist trainers, supported by food safety certification and ongoing compliance audits. This ensures teams have the skills and confidence to consistently deliver high standards.

In April 2026, Newcastle became the pilot store for Musgrave’s Winning Store Programme, designed to simplify operations and improve performance. The programme delivered a 3% increase in availability, a 5% reduction in labour hours and a 24% reduction in backstage stockholding, supporting sales growth, profitability and customer satisfaction.

Social Media Engagement and Influence

Social Media Presence

Social media is a key extension of our offer, helping us connect with customers, build loyalty, drive store visits and showcase Centra The Barbican. As a leading store within our Social Media Champions Network, colleagues completed dedicated training in video creation and social media best practice, enabling them to create engaging social media content. By featuring store colleagues and local stories, they bring both the Centra brand and store personality to life.

Our strategy is built around three pillars: food leadership, value and community connection. Colleagues feature in content showcasing new product launches, including Baked Potatoes, Dinner Made Easy, off licence, and value, giving customers a genuine view of the people behind the business. The store relaunch further strengthened awareness and reinforced the store’s role within the local community.

Since January 2026, our local Facebook and Instagram pages have generated 500,000+ reach, 894,000 impressions and 35,600 engagements, with a 4.0% engagement rate. TikTok content has achieved 205,000+ views.

The store also plays an active role in national campaigns, including Made for Dinner, Love Local, partnerships including Jim Moore as part of the store launch and value. National activity is geotargeted to support local stores, extending reach while maintaining local relevance. The SocioLocal platform enables central marketing to support stores with additional national campaign content and promotional activity. This integrated approach has contributed to Musgrave receiving industry recognition including Best Use of Social Media at the NI Social Media Awards and Best Marketing Campaign at the Belfast Telegraph Grocer Marketing Awards for Love Local? So Do We.

Online Trends and Influencers

We are seeing a significant shift in customer behaviour, particularly among younger consumers who increasingly discover food and beverage trends through social media. Customers now expect us to react quickly to viral products, seasonal and emerging food trends, while still delivering quality, convenience and value. At Centra The Barbican, we use these insights to keep our offer fresh, relevant and engaging.

Our approach combines trend monitoring, customer feedback and sales analysis. We actively track Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, alongside supplier insights and industry trends, to identify opportunities that resonate with customers. This enables us to quickly introduce products and concepts that create excitement and encourage repeat visits. The LA Trend and 3 for £21 Wines, capitalised on value-driven purchasing behaviour using trending social media sounds. We also respond quickly to viral products gaining traction online, ensuring customers can discover the latest products in-store while they are generating social buzz.

Influencer partnerships further extend our reach and bring national campaigns to local audiences. Working with trusted personalities including Pete Snodden and Jim Moore, we supported campaigns such as Starter Main Flame which tapped into the growing popularity of outdoor dining and food-focused social content and Made for Dinner, developed in response to demand for convenient meal inspiration. Community-focused initiatives including Love Local with Vicky Aiken and Centra Run Together helps connect the brand with local interests and audiences. By combining colleague-generated content, influencer partnerships and national campaign support, we can respond quickly to trends while maintaining local authenticity and relevance.

Performance

Since reopening in April 2026, Centra Newcastle has established itself as one of Northern Ireland’s leading convenience destinations. The store has exceeded expectations, delivering sales growth of 14% versus last year, with a record trading week surpassing the previous record by 25%. Customer footfall has increased by 5% and average basket spend by 9%, reflecting the strength of both the retail and foodservice offer. Customer satisfaction remains high, with 93% satisfied overall, a Net Promoter Score of 78%, and 87% stating the store is significantly better than before the redevelopment.

A mission-based strategy has been central to this success. The On-the-Go and Dinner for Tonight categories have both grown by more than 40% year on year, supported by a compelling range of fresh food, quality coffee and convenient meal solutions. Increased visibility and adoption of own-brand products has also delivered strong results, with participation increasing by 20 percentage points.

Operationally, Newcastle was selected as the pilot store for Musgrave’s Winning Store Programme, helping identify efficiencies, simplify processes and improve performance. These improvements have supported business case targets while enhancing day-to-day operations.

Social media engagement has further accelerated growth, contributing to more than 30% growth in key categories, including Health and Ready-to-Drink alcohol. It also supported the successful launch of Frank and Honest Dark Roast, which has achieved over 20% participation. Combined with strong community involvement and consistent execution, Centra Newcastle continues to set benchmarks for growth, innovation, operational excellence and customer experience across the Musgrave Group.

Company Overview

Musgrave is Ireland’s leading food retail, wholesale and foodservice business, serving customers across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Spain. Established in 1876 by brothers Thomas and Stuart Musgrave in Cork, the company remains family-owned and has grown into one of Europe’s largest family-owned businesses, with over 150 years of heritage and more than 44,000 colleagues across its operations. Musgrave feeds one in every three people on the island of Ireland each day through a portfolio of 19 market-leading retail and wholesale brands.

Its portfolio includes Centra, SuperValu, Mace, Frank and Honest, Daybreak and Musgrave MarketPlace, supporting thousands of independent retailers, local producers and suppliers. Guided by its purpose of “Growing Good Business”, Musgrave combines commercial success with a strong commitment to sustainability, innovation and community development.

In Northern Ireland, Musgrave operates the Centra, SuperValu, Mace and Frank and Honest brands, working with over 250 local suppliers. Centra Newcastle, known as The Barbican, is a flagship concept store showcasing the future of convenience retailing through innovative foodservice, digital technology, sustainability initiatives and a relentless focus on customer experience.