Guide to Brands at Motorway Services

Since the early 1990s, service stations have become dominated by high street names which are supposed to entice customers, usually provided under a franchise agreement.

Within this section you can find out more about these brands, see whether your favourite has a service station unit on your route or say what you think of some of the current brands. Note that the arrangements as to who runs them can get complicated, and is detailed on each page; on this page we are just listing which motorway operator's service areas you can find them at. Only motorway sites are referenced here.

There is a separate section for Operators.

First we are listing some of the most popular, based on the number of outlets:

Coffee and Snacks


Food


Shops


Hotels

Fuel



Branding is not a recent phenomenon: since the opening of the first services, different names have been applied to different facilities. We've listed some of the former ones to the right. By 2000, some services had been likened to shopping centres in the variety of different shops available. Most of these have since closed.

Current Motorway Brands

This is the full list of all the brands we have detailed information on (excluding some of those already listed above). Note that the operator names only tell you that brand can be found at some of their services, it does not imply that they have any arrangements with it.

Coffee and Snacks

Quick Service Restaurants

Restaurants and Pubs

Shops

Cabinets

Others

These aren't all brands as such, but are still important.

See also: List of EV charging point brands, List of services with a Changing Places facility, National Highways Information Points

A-roads Only

This shows some of the more prolific brands at A-road service areas, but doesn't attempt to list all of them.

Former Brands

These brands have previously been found in more than one location on the motorways. Non-motorway brands haven't been included.

Coffee/Snacks

Fast Food/Restaurants

Shops

Fuel

Hotels and Lodges

Others