In this episode of The Blend Podcast, host Mike Ruff welcomes on Tim Benson of Oldfields Garage in Herefordshire, a multi-award-winning independent garage and respected voice in the industry. Together, they explore the often-overlooked power of awards: not just as shiny trophies, but as tools to benchmark performance, motivate teams, attract customers, and raise your business profile locally and nationally.

Tim shares his personal journey from joining the family business to leading it into the spotlight, revealing how awards shaped his garage’s reputation and growth. He discusses the mental hurdle of entering that very first competition, the realities of handling disappointment when you don’t win, and the practical steps garages of any size can take to become “award ready.”

It comes ahead of Tim’s upcoming session at The Blend on Saturday 18th October titled: How to Put Yourself in the Frame: 7 Steps to Make Your Garage Award Ready. Don’t forget, tickets for The Blend 2025 are nearly gone!

The Blend Podcast is produced by Autotech Communications.