How a £15 shop led to a £5,000 dream holiday

This summer, we invited our Members and shoppers to embark on a Foodie Adventure, where one lucky winner could win a holiday worth up to £5,000! The entry process was simple - spend a minimum of £15 in any Central Co-op store, scan the QR code with your receipt, and you were in with a chance to win. It was the perfect way to reward our loyal customers and add some excitement to their shopping experience. All that was left to do was wait and see if you’d be the one to jet off on a dream getaway!

The winner of our exciting Foodie Adventure competition has been revealed… (drum roll please!)

Congratulations to Mark from Kettering! We caught up with him to hear all about his plans for using his incredible £5,000 Co-op Holidays voucher…

Hi Mark, congratulations on winning our Foodie Adventure competition! How did you feel when you found out you’d won a £5,000 holiday voucher?

Mark: At first I thought it was too good to be true - that it must be a scam. When I received the voucher it was an amazing feeling, we could book the holiday we’d wanted to go on for many years but it was too expensive before.

Ah amazing, that’s so exciting. Who was the first person you told? And how did they react?

Mark: I told my wife first, she could not believe it either. We’ve never won anything before.

What inspired you to enter the competition? Did you expect to win?

Mark: You have to be in it to win it! It didn’t cost anything to enter and we’re always in our local Central Co-op, I never expected to win though. 

Where do you plan to go with your £5,000 holiday voucher? Is it somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit?

Mark: We have always wanted to visit The Palm in Dubai. We’ve been speaking to the really friendly staff at Co-op Holidays who are supporting us to choose the best deal. As soon as the dates become available, we will be booking - hopefully in the next month.

Wow, Dubai sounds amazing! What kind of holiday experience are you hoping for? Relaxing on a beach, exploring a new city, or maybe an adventurous trip…

Mark: We like the option to have a relaxing day at the beach but also to explore and experience a new country that has plenty of activities to do for a family. Dubai has a bit of everything which is why we have always wanted to go.

Sounds great – a real mix of everything. Who are you planning on taking with you?

Mark: My wife and children.

What does this £5K holiday voucher mean to you?

Mark: It means we’re able to book the holiday we’ve all wanted to go on for so long. It has been really nice telling the children that we can book Dubai and looking at activities that we’d like to do while we are there.

A big congratulations to Mark from Kettering on winning his £5,000 Foodie Adventure holiday! We can’t wait to hear all about his travels to Dubai. In the spirit of adventure, did you know the national dish of Dubai is Ghuzi? This flavourful dish features roasted lamb or mutton served over a bed of rice, topped with vegetables and nuts - a true culinary delight. Here’s to Mark’s unforgettable journey, and perhaps some Ghuzi on the menu! Safe travels, Mark!