Motorway Services Online

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Which Magazine

Consumer magazine Which? have so far carried out four nationwide reviews of motorway services: 1986, 1991, 2006 and 2021. They are also understood to have conducted a survey in 2001, and often comment on the prices of food and fuel in services.

2021 Survey

Which? returned with a new survey which was published before the Easter bank holiday, perhaps inspired by the fact Transport Focus wouldn't be doing their annual customer satisfaction survey this year. It was compiled by surveying their members at the end of 2020.

Which? intended to rate all of the country's 97 service areas, but only received sufficient responses for 68 of them, which covered mostly England only.

Moto gave a robust response to the criticism levelled at Bridgwater, promising immediate improvements. Meanwhile, it's difficult to ignore that Westmorland did very well throughout.

The results found a significant variation across the network, with Which? receiving a lot of media coverage for their suggestion that motorists plan their journeys to find a better service area. Caution would be advised as not only were many service areas missing, but many had a very small sample size.

Ranking Service Area Operator Range & Quality of Shops/Food Outlets Prices Range of Facilities Cleanliness Convenience & Accessibility Ease of Social Distancing Customer Score
1 Gloucester Westmorland 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5 86%
2 Tebay Westmorland 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5 4/5 4/5 83%
3 Cairn Lodge Westmorland n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 69%
4 Norton Canes Roadchef 4/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 65%
5 Wetherby Moto 4/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 3/5 61%
6 Annandale Water Roadchef 3/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 3/5 60%
7 Donington Moto 4/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 60%
8 Stafford northbound Moto 4/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 60%
9 Beaconsfield Extra 4/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 2/5 57%
10 Leigh Delamere Moto 2/5 2/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 57%
11 Taunton Deane Roadchef 3/5 3/5 4/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 57%
12 Warwick Welcome Break 4/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 2/5 57%
13 Cherwell Valley Moto 4/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 3/5 4/5 56%
14 Winchester Moto 3/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 56%
15 Gretna Welcome Break 4/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 55%
16 Oxford Welcome Break 3/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 3/5 4/5 55%
17 Tibshelf Roadchef 3/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 55%
18 Corley Welcome Break 3/5 2/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 54%
19 Hopwood Park Welcome Break 3/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 54%
20 Tamworth Moto 2/5 n/a 2/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 54%
21 Telford Welcome Break 2/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 54%
22 Woodall Welcome Break 3/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 2/5 54%
23 Baldock Extra 3/5 n/a 4/5 4/5 4/5 n/a 53%
24 Northampton Roadchef 3/5 2/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 53%
25 Peterborough Extra 4/5 3/5 4/5 3/5 4/5 3/5 53%
26 Stafford southbound Roadchef n/a n/a 2/5 3/5 3/5 2/5 53%
27 Cobham Extra 4/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 1/5 52%
28 Killington Lake Roadchef 2/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 52%
29 Reading Moto 3/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 3/5 52%
30 Sedgemoor northbound Welcome Break 2/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 3/5 52%
31 Sedgemoor southbound Roadchef 3/5 3/5 2/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 52%
32 Burton-in-Kendal Moto n/a n/a n/a 3/5 3/5 n/a 51%
33 Chester Roadchef n/a n/a 3/5 4/5 4/5 n/a 51%
34 Clacket Lane Roadchef 2/5 2/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 3/5 51%
35 Fleet Welcome Break 3/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 3/5 51%
36 Hartshead Moor Welcome Break n/a n/a 2/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 51%
37 Michaelwood Welcome Break 2/5 1/5 2/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 51%
38 Strensham Roadchef 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 3/5 51%
39 Pease Pottage Moto 2/5 n/a 3/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 50%
40 Rownhams Roadchef 2/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 50%
41 Abington Welcome Break n/a n/a 2/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 49%
42 Chieveley Moto 2/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 3/5 1/5 49%
43 Exeter Moto 3/5 3/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 49%
44 Birch Moto n/a n/a n/a n/a 3/5 n/a 48%
45 Frankley Moto 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 3/5 48%
46 Knutsford Moto 3/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 48%
47 Membury Welcome Break 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 4/5 3/5 48%
48 Toddington Moto 2/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 48%
49 Blyth Moto 2/5 2/5 1/5 2/5 3/5 2/5 47%
50 Magor Roadchef 2/5 3/5 2/5 3/5 2/5 3/5 47%
51 Southwaite Moto 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 47%
52 Charnock Richard Welcome Break 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 46%
53 Lancaster Moto 2/5 3/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 46%
54 Leicester Forest East Welcome Break 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 2/5 46%
55 Scotch Corner Moto 2/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 46%
56 South Mimms Welcome Break 3/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 46%
57 Trowell Moto 3/5 2/5 3/5 2/5 3/5 3/5 46%
58 Woolley Edge Moto 2/5 n/a 1/5 2/5 4/5 n/a 46%
59 Birchanger Green Welcome Break 2/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 2/5 2/5 45%
60 London Gateway Welcome Break n/a n/a n/a n/a 3/5 n/a 45%
61 Maidstone Roadchef n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 45%
62 Watford Gap Roadchef 2/5 2/5 1/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 43%
63 Hilton Park Moto 2/5 1/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 42%
64 Keele Welcome Break 2/5 1/5 1/5 2/5 2/5 2/5 42%
65 Sandbach Roadchef 2/5 1/5 1/5 2/5 2/5 3/5 42%
66 Newport Pagnell Welcome Break 2/5 1/5 1/5 2/5 3/5 3/5 41%
67 Gordano Welcome Break 2/5 2/5 1/5 2/5 2/5 1/5 40%
68 Bridgwater Moto 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5 32%

2009 Price Study

Service stations were the subject of a quick examination of their pricing strategy in 2009.

Which? criticised Reading, where five popular snacks cost over £10, making it the most expensive service area. At Happendon, it came to only £7.

2006 Survey

The 2006 survey carried out by Holiday Which? magazine was one of their most thorough studies to date. It looked at a good chunk of the motorway network and rated each service area out of five.

Moto were their favourite operator, with their M&S Simply Food stores receiving particular praise. They described Gordano as being "as good as a local curry house" and liked the Scottish-themed products at Gretna Green. Hamilton was praised for its tourist information, and Stafford northbound did well.

Trowell, Magor and Bothwell were severely criticised, but Cullompton came last.

Service Area Operator Rating
Tebay Westmorland 5/5
Gordano Welcome Break 5/5
Stafford northbound Moto 5/5
Hopwood Park Welcome Break 5/5
Cherwell Valley Moto 4/5
Exeter Moto 4/5
Lancaster (Forton) Moto 4/5
Leigh Delamere Moto 4/5
Norton Canes Roadchef 4/5
Oxford Welcome Break 4/5
Sedgemoor southbound Roadchef 4/5
Southwaite Moto 4/5
Stafford southbound Roadchef 4/5
Telford Welcome Break 4/5
Toddington Moto 4/5
Woolley Edge Moto 4/5
Abington Welcome Break 3/5
Burton-in-Kendal Moto 3/5
Cardiff West Moto 3/5
Corley Welcome Break 3/5
Donington Park Moto 3/5
Frankley Moto 3/5
Gretna Welcome Break 3/5
Hamilton Roadchef 3/5
Heart of Scotland (Harthill) BP Express 3/5
Heston Moto 3/5
Killington Lake Roadchef 3/5
Knutsford Moto 3/5
Leicester Forest East Welcome Break 3/5
London Gateway Welcome Break 3/5
Membury Welcome Break 3/5
Michael Wood Welcome Break 3/5
Northampton Roadchef 3/5
Pont Abraham Roadchef 3/5
Reading Moto 3/5
Swansea West Moto 3/5
Taunton Deane Roadchef 3/5
Thurrock Moto 3/5
Warwick Welcome Break 3/5
Watford Gap Roadchef 3/5
Woodall Welcome Break 3/5
Bridgwater Moto 2/5
Cardiff Gate Moto 2/5
Charnock Richard Welcome Break 2/5
Chieveley Moto 2/5
Hilton Park Moto 2/5
Keele Welcome Break 2/5
Newport Pagnell Welcome Break 2/5
Sandbach Roadchef 2/5
Sarn Park Welcome Break 2/5
Sedgemoor northbound Welcome Break 2/5
Severn View Moto 2/5
Tibshelf Roadchef 2/5
Trowell Moto 1/5
Magor First 1/5
Bothwell Roadchef 1/5
Cullompton McDonald's 1/5

1991 Survey

The 1991 report by the Consumer Association sampled 55 service areas, of which only 14 were approved. It severely criticised Farthing Corner, where there was a 20 minute wait for food. Charnock Richard and Strensham also fared badly.

Hartshead Moor was recommended for its "attractive site and pleasant restaurant". Tamworth, South Mimms, Newport Pagnell, Michael Wood and Stirling were all praised, while Pont Abraham was the best in Wales. They said that every service area had strengths and weaknesses, with prices and traffic noise being the main issues.

The detailed analysis was unlikely to have been published.

1986 Survey

The 1986 report by the Consumer Association did not name each individual service area, although it did call out Killington Lake as their favourite, calling it "a pleasant and relaxing stop". They also spoke highly of Keele. Granada were "reliably" good while Trusthouse Forte and Welcome Break had the "best food".

They said things had improved based on their previous experiences, but it was still hit-and-miss.

In addition, they assessed the restaurants as follows:

There was a follow-up survey in August 1989, which again praised Killington Lake.

1980 Survey

Holiday Which? visited a number of service areas in spring 1980, giving them a star rating out of 3. They were generally critical, calling them "far from appealing", but added that motorists "may be pleasantly surprised" by the improvements over the previous 20 years. Most Motor Chefs performed well.

Service Area Operator Rating
Corley Motor Chef 3
Charnock Richard Motor Chef 3
Gordano Motor Chef 3
Woodall Motor Chef 3
Keele Motor Chef 2
Newport Pagnell Motor Chef 2
Scratchwood Motor Chef 2
Frankley Granada 2
Rothersthorpe Blue Boar 2
Strensham Kenning 1
Watford Gap Blue Boar 1
Hilton Park Top Rank 1
Sandbach Roadchef 1
Knutsford Top Rank 1