OAKMERE Toyota has been honoured for an unprecedented fifth time as one of Toyota's finest retailers in Europe.

At a ceremony last week, the branch received a coveted Toyota Ichiban Award in recognition of excellent performance in sales and after sales service.

Oakmere’s success places it among an elite of just 45 businesses to have received an award – picked from among more than 2,500 retailers across Europe.

Jonathan Jarratt, Oakmere managing director, was presented with the trophy by Dr Johan van Zyl, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe, at a ceremony in Evian, France.

He said: “We were delighted and honoured to attend the awards ceremony.

"Winning an Ichiban Award for a fifth time demonstrates the commitment and consistency that all our staff show in putting the customer first in everything we do.

"Understanding how a delighted customer is central to a successful business is paramount in the way we handle every customer’s journey with us.

“We were inspired by the stories of best practice and processes that our fellow winners shared and it is clear that the one thing we all have in common is the desire to exceed our customers’ expectations.”