There was a time when a break during a long-distance motorway road trip meant either leaving the main road to find food or toilets or else managing with a sandwich and a toilet break in a garage by the side of the road. However, motorways and the places where you can stop to take a break have improved radically, so here we take a look at what has changed and what it all means.
What’s New
More and more motorway service stations are changing the way they appeal to their customers. This has involved changing the products and services that are being offered. While Motorway Service Areas still offer ‘traditional’ fast food, they also now boast a variety of coffee shops such as those you might find on the high street, as well as small grocery stores from brands such as Marks and Spencer and Waitrose, and some Motorway Service Areas even include pubs.
Hospitality and Catering News recently reported that Junction 45 of the M1 near Leeds is to benefit from a new style of Motorway Service Area. The new service area, which will be run by the Extra group, includes a food court and additional retail outlets as well as a hotel, business centre and filling station. This sort of service area is the future for this type of catering and retailing.
How It Will Benefit Everyone
The new style of motorway services, including the new one at Junction 45 of the M1, can not only benefit the scores of drivers who will pass through their doors every day, but also the local economy. The construction itself can provide jobs, while the services, once open, will provide employment within the service and retail sector for local people.
Companies that sell local produce may find themselves more in demand, and the base for local produce becomes wider if it is sold in a Motorway Service Area. This could mean businesses needing to expand and can involve the purchase of new equipment, which could be from food machinery auctioneers such as http://www.clarke-fussells.co.uk.
Hopefully, this has made you feel confident that when you are travelling around the UK motorway network, there are plenty of places to stop and find the sort of food and drink you want, as well as other services that were not previously available.
