Britain's Posh Service Stations Unveiled: From Cheese Counters to Underwhelming Stops

• Which? has rated the country's service stations based on various aspects including amenities and cuisine.
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Which? has revealed the best service stations in the land - and the ones that motorists might do better to avoid.

The consumer advocate requested feedback from 4,000 of its members regarding 90 of Britain’s service stations. The respondents evaluated their experiences across eight criteria such as food pricing, tidiness, and outdoor areas.

Considered an integral part of any UK journey by car, service stations offer a brew, a bite and a toilet stop but, found the research, standards can vary wildly.

The unfortunate news for UK motorists is that according to Which?, the situation remains mostly grim for those embarking on lengthy trips, with numerous service station amenities being frequently characterized as "unclean, outdated, and insufficient."

Nevertheless, there are some bright spots; Gloucester Services on the M5 stands out as it garnered the highest customer survey score of 85 percent, earning five stars across nearly all categories.

This opulent service area features a farm shop and kitchen offering local goods—such as gelato, cheese, and pastries—from over 130 nearby producers. It also includes 24 rapid-charging stations for electric cars along with a peaceful lake where visitors can relax.

On the lower end of the attractiveness scale, Moto Bridgwater in Somerset, located about an hour south of Gloucester Services on the M5, performed the poorest and ended up at the bottom of the ranking. One visitor commented that the restrooms in Bridgwater "had a strong smell of old urine."

Other gripes included inadequate parking spaces,  and cramped and overpriced facilities that 'look and feel filthy'.

In the meantime, people who were asked for their opinions on Gloucester Services gave highly positive feedback about their experiences. One satisfied client remarked that it was "far superior to all the other places I have been to."

A visitor who had been there shared with Which?, as they conducted their inaugural service station survey in four years, "If every motorway service station resembled Gloucester, I would happily pass my time at any of them."

'Gloucester is a pleasure, has great staff, nice food, a farm shop, a garden with a lakeside walk and dog walking. They deserve every success.'

The eight categories the 4,000 members were asked to comment on included food/retail outlets, shops, food and drink selection, facilities, cleanliness, convenience and accessibility and outside space.

Gloucester Services is part of the Westmorland Family, which is no stranger to positive customer responses.

It included two additional services within the top five: Tebay M6 services in Cumbria scored 77 percent, and further north, at Cairn Lodge on the M74 in Lanarkshire, the service area achieved a rating of 72 percent.

Both might have challenged for the top spot but neither fared well on price.

Located on the M6 in Cumbria, just an hour south of the Scottish border, Tebay Services is frequently regarded as one of the country's best - and has been described by some on TikTok as 'proper boujee'.

Elsewhere, motorists in need of a breather on the M6 in Warwickshire should make for Rugby’s Moto Services, which soared in the survey, with a 75 per cent score - and four stars across almost every category.

One traveller said 'Rugby is new and clean and on a nice day is perfect to break up your journey'.

Nationwide brand Moto had dismal responses generally but its success with Rugby - which opened its doors in April 2021 - means it's the first ever national company to rank so highly in a Which? survey.

Moto will still likely wince at its rankings though; the The UK's biggest service area provider secured nine out of the last ten positions in the rankings.

Other services that didn't impress include Lancaster Services on the M6, which scored just 34 per cent in the survey.

Customers grumbled that a pedestrian bridge across the motorway, with facilities on either side meant the experience felt 'crowded' and with 'poor access'.

One driver said being forced to trek over the bridge to get 'an underwhelming breakfast served in a cardboard box' wasn't ideal.

And Hilton Park, also on the M6, notched up the same score, with one motorist calling it 'dark and gloomy', while another said basic soap and hot water wasn't always available.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel said of the latest survey: 'The best service stations are a convenient pit stop with decent food and facilities, however our survey shows those are few and far between and that many services are not up to scratch.

He stated: "Inadequate amenities and exorbitant costs for meals and beverages were common grievances; however, what was most disturbing was hearing from drivers about the numerous untidy services."

'For avoiding letdowns, individuals ought to chart out their journey carefully to dodge poor-quality service stations and seek alternate spots to halt.'

The presence and quantity of EV charging stations were also significant factors this time around, with both Moto Rugby and Leeds Skelton Lake, operated by Extra, being noted for their quick and abundant locations to recharge electric vehicles.

Leeds Skelton Lake performed well overall, scoring 68% in various categories as well, notably because of its RSPB observation deck overlooking Skelton Lake.

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