A 28-year-old man from Bristol who has visited every single one of the UK's 97 official service stations is disclosing his expert observations. Rich Cross has been visiting service stations for over a decade, and his interest in the activity is all down to one man — his father.
The 'Service Station King' used to travel with his dad during school holidays, and the pair would stop at service stations for breaks. It was then that Rich's fascination with how service station businesses work was born. Little Chef, a name which is no longer around, was one of the first brands that really piqued his interest.
Service Station Red Flags
Rich shared the most critical red flags he has observed across the UK's 97 official service stations. He said: "I don't like it when sites are too busy. If you're getting poor customer service because it's too busy, you're less likely to return. People want to be able to pop in and out quickly if they need to. If the toilets are a mess, that's a big red flag."
He added: "The condition of the road through the site is a big thing for me. It's a big topic especially for the lorry drivers, who are the most regular customers. Things like potholes are a big problem."
Service Stations That Stand Out
While it's impossible to pick a favourite among the 97, Rich does have a list of stations that have truly surprised him over the years. He shares: "The iconic one is Lancaster Services on the M6. It's got the Pennine Tower that towers above the site. Back in the day it used to have a restaurant at the top with views of Lancashire but unfortunately that's closed now."
Rich added: "You've got Charnock Richard (M6), Keele (M6) and Leicester Forest East (M1) which have bridges where you can sit above the motorway and eat your food. Some of the newer sites like Leeds Skelton Lake and Rotherham are trying to do something a bit different and blend it into the environment. One of those has a big country park behind it with a 2k walk."
The Perfect Service Station
So, what makes the perfect service station according to Rich? He explained: "A site has to have a variety of offers to cater for different types of customers. The more brands you have in the building the better, it gives people options. Clean toilet and shower facilities are also really important, as are EV chargers. You need to have plenty of them, especially as the country moves towards that revolution."
He also highlighted ease of access: "Online sites are the ones directly on the motorway that you just access via a sliproad. Offroad ones require you to come off at the junction and drive a bit. Online sites are preferred because you don't have to faff around as much."
Do the UK's Best Service Stations Live Up to the Hype?
Gloucester, Tebay, Beaconsfield, Rugby and Cairn Lodge are often named the UK's best service stations. Rich shared his thoughts: "Gloucester, Tebay and Cairn Lodge are all run by the same company, so they have the same style. They have a farm shop style with locally sourced produce and everything made freshly on the day. They are all very landscaped with plenty of green space."
"Rugby is one of the newest ones, opened in 2021. It's fantastically landscaped out front with plenty of EV charging. The site is well laid out despite being a junction site, and there are plenty of brands inside. Beaconsfield used to have the UK's only Wetherspoons. It's all about choice there, with about 15 different brands. It's the first site on the M40 when you come out of London, so it's popular for that reason. They've really invested in EV charging as well."
