Fuel and forecourt retailer Applegreen is bringing its partnership with M&S Food to Northern Ireland.
The expansion will see Applegreen open new M&S Food stores in Northern Ireland - at the Lisburn Southbound service area on the M1 and the Templepatrick service area on the M2.
The two stores are Applegreen's first M&S Food stores in Northern Ireland, following a successful roll out of the concept in the Republic of Ireland.
The new M&S Food at Lisburn South opened in mid-November, while the Templepatrick store opened this week.
Applegreen will now have 21 M&S Food stores at locations across the island of Ireland, with plans to almost triple that number over time.
The company employs 269 people across its Northern Ireland operations and has three motorway service areas in Northern Ireland, as well sites at Ballymena and Hillsborough.
Applegreen also partners with other popular brands such as Burger King, Subway, Chopstix, and Greggs to offer a range of food options at its sites in Northern Ireland.
"This investment in our Northern Ireland service areas highlights our commitment to providing high-quality food and hospitality for those traveling in the region," said Caroline Cherington, Regional Operations Director for Applegreen, Northern Ireland.
Eddie Murphy, Country Director for M&S in Ireland and Northern Ireland, said the partnership with Applegreen allows the company to expand its reach and provide a convenient way for customers to pick up their M&S favourites on the go.
Applegreen opened its first service station in Ballyfermot in Dublin 1992, and now operates 592 locations at sites in Ireland, the UK and the US, employing a total of 17,000 people.
It recently unveiled plans to invest €1 billion over the next five years to expand its business in all three of its major markets. It has about 200 locations in Ireland, while in the UK, its Welcome Break business operates 59 sites, including 35 motorway service areas, and 31 hotels.
It is also planning a €85m investment to further expand its EV charging networks.
