We’re celebrating 125 years of serving Coca‑Cola in Great Britain, together with local corner shop bosses like the Bashir family.

Bay Bashir opened his first corner shop in Middlesbrough in 1998. He had a new baby and no experience of how to run a store, but he also had a dream to build a legacy for his new family. 

It was hard work – with late nights and long weekends – but over time, Bay and his family built a thriving business grounded in their local community.  

Today, Bay is the proud owner of five convenience stores across the town, which he operates with help from his sons, Max and Ellis. As he looks to the future, he is preparing to hand over the reins to the next generation.  

Max and Ellis already make their own contributions to the business: Ellis is passionate about the day-to-day running of the stores, while Max has a head for numbers and ideas on how to generate new revenue streams. 

Bay’s proud of the fact that his sons get on like best friends, and embody the values he instilled in them: kindness, generosity, and hard work. Most important for Bay is ensuring that his sons remain proud of their roots and recognise the importance of giving something back to their local community. 

This year, we’re celebrating 125 years of serving Coca‑Cola in Great Britain, together with our local independent retail partners like Bay.

Corner shops, and the “bosses” who run them, aren’t just an essential part of the Coca‑Cola system – they are a pillar of communities whose value to society goes beyond the products they sell.

That is why – to celebrate our local corner shop bosses – Bay and the Bashir family have been immortalised by talented Gen Z photographer Serena Brown, known for her work on bringing the stories of real people to the front of her camera lens. Brown produced a gallery of photos celebrating the commitment, heritage, know-how and personalities behind Britain’s corner shop counters.

Similarly, Director Ross Bolidai has produced a moving mini-documentary that looks at the Bay family story, and how our local corner shops boast a vital role within communities and in supporting fellow independent businesses throughout Middlesborough.