Rich Cross, known as the 'Service Station King', has spent over a decade visiting all 97 official service stations in the UK. Now, he is sharing the biggest warning signs to watch out for.
Service station red flags
Speaking to SMC Coach Hire, Rich highlighted several red flags. 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 also noted the condition of the road through the site as a major concern, especially for lorry drivers who are the most regular customers. 'Things like potholes are a big problem,' he added.
Service stations that stand out
Rich has a shortlist of stations that impressed him. He said, 'The iconic one is Lancaster Services on the M6. It has 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.'
He also mentioned Charnock Richard (M6), Keele (M6), and Leicester Forest East (M1), which have bridges where you can sit above the motorway and eat. Newer sites like Leeds Skelton Lake and Rotherham are trying to blend into the environment, with one having a country park behind it with a 2k walk.
The perfect service station
Rich described the ultimate service station experience: '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. Ease of access to the site is also a hot topic. Online sites, directly on the motorway via a sliproad, are preferred over offroad ones where you have to drive a bit to get there.'
The UK's best service stations
Gloucester, Tebay, Beaconsfield, Rugby, and Cairn Lodge are often cited as the UK's finest. 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 a different setup, offering locally sourced produce made fresh daily. They are well landscaped with plenty of green space.'
'Rugby is one of the newest, 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, with many 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 invested heavily in EV charging as well.'
