| Locations: | 18 roadside restaurants |
| Often accompanied by: | Fina |
| Introduced: | 1987 |
| Removed: | 1991 |
| Predecessors: | none |
| Successors: | Little Chef |
Kelly's Kitchen was a waitress service restaurant chain. It started in 1987, and had reached 16 branches by the end of 1989.
They were developed by Norfolk House with funding from Petrofina, who were using the chain to bring more trade to their new Fina petrol stations. As this industry was already dominated by Forte's Little Chef, the Kelly's Kitchens had to be developed fast, and they quickly appeared at junctions along major A-roads.
Their aim was to be the UK's second-biggest roadside restaurant chain while promising a healthy menu and better décor. Their first branch was at Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, but the company's main target area was the South East.
The brand was purchased by Crest Hotels, a Bass company. Subsequently hotels were proposed alongside Kelly's Kitchens, which opened under the brand Highway Lodge, with many more planned. Crest Hotels were themselves purchased by Trusthouse Forte in August 1990.
Under that deal, Forte changed all these restaurants to become Little Chefs, ending the very short-lived rivalry. Forte appeared to be mainly interested in using the deal to expand Travelodge, using the land that Highway Lodge had been planning to use.
Given how quickly they had expanded, it's not surprising that Kelly's Kitchen had a number of outstanding planning applications which hadn't been followed up on. The ones which were still in the early stages were dropped in 1991 while the ones which had been finalised were included in the sale, and taken forwards. It's likely that some restaurants were changed to a Little Chef moments before they opened.
Experience
Their restaurants were all built to the same style with redbrick buildings, traditional cottage-style windows, tiled roofs which came down over the tops of the external walls, and large funnel-like chimneys. Inside it was more upmarket than most other diners, and the kitchen was designed to be in full view of the restaurant.
The menu boasted high quality meat and condiments served without additives or preservatives. Breakfast offers included muesli, Earl Grey and herbal tea. Other menu items included home made soup, vegetarian shepherdess pie, spinach and walnut vegetable lasagne, traditional English roasts and boiled egg and soldiers. Alcoholic and alcohol-free drinks were served.
Restaurateur visited one Kelly's Kitchen in March 1989, and reported that they watched all the food being placed in a microwave. They described the menu as "interesting and unusual", but felt that it was too ambitious, and the food was poor as a result.
Locations
See also: Map of Kelly's Kitchen restaurants
The following Little Chef restaurants were built in the Kelly's Kitchen style. It is likely that they started out as Kelly's Kitchen, but there is the possibility that some of them had been sold and re-branded before they opened:
- Beacon Hill (A14)
- Bickerstaffe (M58 J3)
- Black Cat (A1/A421) - Fifth branch to open
- Brentwood (A12/M25 J28)
- Broadlands (A47)
- Crewe (Barthomley) (M6 J15/A500)
- Fradley north & south (A38) - Second and third branches to open
- Lincoln (Thorpe on the Hill) (A46)
- Retford (Markham Moor) (A1/A57)
- Milton Keynes (A5)
- Ruabon (A483)
- Rushden (A45) - Fourth branch to open
- Seaton Burn (A1/A19)
- Wellingborough (A45)
- West Lynn (A17/A47)
- Wisbech (A47)
- Worksop (A57/A60)
Kelly's Kitchen had said that they also intended to open these branches, although no progress was made:
- Appleby Magna (M42/A444)
- Beckington (A361/A36, later opened as a Little Chef)
- Emsworth (A27, later opened as a Little Chef)
- Maresfield (A22/A26, later opened as a Little Chef)
- Marks Tey (A12)
- Orsett east & west (A13, east later opened as a Little Chef)
- Kilmarnock (A71/A76, later opened as a Little Chef)
Norfolk House and Petrofina had also planned these service areas. Although they didn't name Kelly's Kitchen, it's likely that they were planned with that in mind: