Shops / Shop of the Week
Shop of the week: SF Tebby & Son, Avonmouth
Step inside the reception of SF Tebby and Son, and you’ll find a welcoming environment that feels surprisingly familiar and cosy.
This feels only natural for a business that has now lasted through three generations of the Tebby family.
Founded in 1971 by Sidney Frank Tebby and his son Roger Tebby, the business was fuelled by their mutual passion for cars. Later, Roger’s son Luke Tebby came on board.
is needed now More than ever
Initially, the garage was based in Highland Square, Clifton, but it relocated to Avonmouth in 2021. This move was driven by the need for a larger space that better met the business’s needs.
Now the shop is situated behind a red brick wall on Portview Road – a street that showcases the curious contrast between the industrial and residential character of Avonmouth.
SF Tebby & Son is now located in Avonmouth, just off the Portway – photo: Joana Santos
Jack Bryant, the workshop manager, explained that at the time of the move, there was a real concern about retaining the loyal customers they had acquired over the years in Clifton.
With this in mind, they launched a free collection and delivery service where they pick up and drop off the client’s car free of charge once they finish the work.
Jack said: “We’ve retained quite a lot of customers from that area, and then the ones that are happy to drive down here, we do have courtesy cars as well”.
The move enabled the business to expand, and it now accepts more commercial work from local businesses.
Jack explained the business’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and become more environmentally friendly.
They have just been awarded ‘Eco Garage of the Year’ by the Independent Garage Association, which is a clear source of pride for them.
The garage on the outskirts of Bristol has a long and proud history – photo: Sam Gibson Photography
As they move towards a greener future, they’ve installed solar panels, which Jack said power the whole business in the summer months.
In other measures, they have ditched single-use seat covers and floor mats that are used to protect the car’s interior.
They now use reusable fabric ones. All the tyres are recycled and reused on things like road surfaces. Old car oil is refined and turned into new oil.
He went on: “Before the technicians were using paper job cards where they’d handwrite everything, whereas a couple of years ago, we went to all tablet-based.
“They’ve now got a tablet each, and it’s all electronic, they can make notes on there. And we’re trying to slowly go into a paper free business.”
The shop has a small showroom with some cars for sale – photo: Joana Santos
In terms of services offered, the garage provides, among other things, MOTs and repairs, with a strong emphasis on advanced diagnostics. This aims to resolve issues on the first attempt, ensuring customer satisfaction and fostering trust.
Jack said: “It’s not a guessing game anymore. You need to be sure of what’s wrong with someone’s car before we tell them, and they spend a certain amount fixing it, only to find that it hasn’t actually been repaired.
“It’s that kind of first fixed mentality. We really want to be sure that when we are advising, it is going to fix the issue. We’re focused on what we tell you; it will be the figure.”
Main photo: Joana Santos
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