The competition was judged by a panel led by BFA President Sir Bernard Ingham, former press secretary to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and sponsored by HSBC and supported by the Daily Express.

Jack, 57, won the £3,000 runner-up prize, and after the awards, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve won this award; for myself, for McDonald’s and above all for the staff in Hamilton whose dedication and commitment to our customers have created a winning team. The fact that we’ve devoted so much of our time to working closely with the community and developing the skills of our workforce has certainly paid dividends.”

The theme for this year’s awards was `Beating the Competition` and as a result of his clear focus on customers and his commitment to building a strong team of employees, Jack has seen his level of business increase nearly ten per cent above McDonald’s national average.

Not only does he have the highest level of repeat business within the chain, one of his restaurants was the only McDonald’s in the UK not to receive a single complaint last year.

Jack started in franchising after spending 30 years with British Rail, initially serving his apprenticeship as a fitter and later becoming a planning and strategy manager in trainload freight.

Opting for redundancy rather than facing a forced move to London, Jack stayed in Scotland, lecturing for 12 months at the Caledonian University before meeting McDonald’s at a franchise exhibition. After joining McDonald’s training scheme in October 1995 he opened his original restaurant in Hamilton town centre in August 1996.

“It was hard work back then,” he says. “But I’ve always had good communication skills, and that, plus my management experience, really helped to get the business on track. However, I do believe in leading by example, and I’m as comfortable working the fry station, as I am dealing with an operational report.”

Jack is quick to praise the dedication of his 135-strong work force - which includes his wife and his son - and has invested heavily in staff training, recently achieving Investors in People accreditation within four months of his application.

He is also a firm believer in giving some thing back to his franchisor and to his fellow franchisees, and has recently sponsored McDonald’s management training courses, where he has been delighted to share his knowledge and experience.

Presenting Jack with his award BFA Director General Brian Smart said: “Jack has proved to us all that it is never too late to change – even after 30 years with British Rail.

“In spite of fierce competition and the vagaries of different eating trends within the retail restaurant sector, Jack ably exemplifies why franchising works. His optimism and long-term view has given him an edge that has allowed him to beat the competition, hands down.”