AVOIDING MOTORWAY SERVICE AREAS
Having spent some time building up a collection of inexpensive eating places, mainly supermarket coffee shops, around the country, I thought I'd share them. They're often close to motorway exits. It's obviously not a complete list, and I'll be adding to it. And if anyone else knows of any good places, email them to me and I'll add them. And correct me where I'm wrong.
Asda
Sainsbury's
Tesco
Morrison's
And here's another site to look at:-
http://www.willy-gofar.org.uk/lobby.htm
And another:-
http://russelldavies.typepad.com/eggbaconchipsandbeans/2005/11/classic_cafe_pr.html
CENTRAL LONDON
Chip shop and cafe on Farringdon Rd just south of Roseberry Ave. Handy for Islington folk club.
Cat & Cucumber amd Skivers, both on Tower Bridge Rd south of the bridge.
M1
J11 Tesco.M1. A505, about 1/3 mile towards dunstable.on left after roundabout
J14 cafe in bus station; almost immediately west of motorway. Open 24 hours.
(Limited parking unless you're a bus driver)
J18 Edward's Restaurant, Crick Wharf
J21 Sainsbury's; take road towards Leicester, first left and left again onto ring road south, then left again into Grove Farm Triangle.
A1, A1M
J4 Hatfield. Tesco
Sainsbury's, Biggleswade/Old Warden
Morrison's, Stamford; east end of town.
Buckden Towers tea room just south of Huntingdon
Morrison's, Doncaster, just north of town on A638
Black Bull, Market Square, Boroughbridge
Morrison's, Boroughbridge
Asda, Gateshead Metro Centre
A2
Istead Rise/Meopham turnoff; Safeway
M3
J9 A34 Tesco in retail park.
A3
Sainsbury's, Cobham. 1 junction north of M25. East on A245, left at miniroundabout.
Ockham; picnic site off access road from M25
M4
Morrison's, Chippenham
Junction 17 Take A350 south towards Chippenham for 3 miles.
At first roundabout turn right (onto Chippenham bypass) Morrisons is immediately on left.
J32 Asda off motorway roundabout
M5
J4 caravan in first layby on right going towards Kidderminster. There's also a layby immediately after the junction on the left just before the caravan.
J9 Gateway, a mile towards Tewkesbury on right.
J21 Morrison's, a mile towards Weston Super Mare on right.
J25 A358. Go west into Taunton; Sainsbury's on the right, Asda a little further on the left.
Or go away from Taunton and there's a 24 hour cafe on the right; you'll need to go past it and turn round.
A5
The Super Sausage south of Towcester
Morrison's, Towcester
Morrison's, Hinckley (take A47 east for a couple of miles)
M6
J1 Tesco, a mile towards Rugby.
J9 Morrison's, a mile towards Walsall.
or Ikea, visible just west of the M6. Exit at J9 or J10.
J12 Transport cafe on A5 just east of junction; HUGE portions. Thick tea. Open 24 hours.
J15/16 Asda halfway along A500; visible on hill just west of A500.
J17 Waitrose a mile west on A534.
J25/26 Robinson's horse superstore on Haydock road parallel to motorway. Also a chef & brewer pub next door. Avoid race days.
J40 Safeway, Penrith town centre.
J43 Tesco just west of junction.
J44 Asda on way into Carlisle
A6
Morrisons just east of Buxton.
Gateway, Belper.
Tesco, Whaley Bridge. Also access from car park to a very pleasant walk along the canal.
A9
Tesco at Creiff junction, 600 metres towards Perth. Also Doddies Garden Centre at same junction, but heading east.
A10
Transport cafe between Buntingford & Royston.
Normal transport cafe fodder and very dense tea.
M11
A1309, Waitrose, Trumpington; just after the park & ride.
A12
Sainsbury's, Stanway.
A14
Transport Cafe, Welford exit. Standard transport cafe fodder. Big chip butties.
Tesco, Kettering
Tesco, Bury St Edmunds. A134 & A143 exit; turn towards Bury.
A21
Sainsbury's Tunbridge Wells (Kent & East Sussex Railway is across the car park)
A23
Tesco, Purley
M20
J5 Sainsbury's, Maidstone Turn right at the A26 roundabout, and it's on your left.
A25
Morrison's, Reigate
M25
Tesco, Lakeside, Thurrock
Sainsbury's, Cobham. Off A3, 1 junction north of M25. East on A245, left at miniroundabout.
Ockham; picnic site off access road to A3 south
J22 Sainsbury's, London Colney.
M27
J7, Hedge End/Botley. Sainsbury's/Manks & Spencers - visible from the road - has a Chinese restaurant between them.
J8 Tesco. Go towards Southampton.
J12 (Eastbound only) Tesco. Left at roundabout and left at lights.
A27
Chichester. Tesco west of town, Sainsbury's east.
Transport cafe on Terminus Rd. Army & Navy in Town Centre (no parking but good cheap breakfasts in genteel surroundings)
Farlington, Sainsbury's
A30
Morrison's, Bodmin
Cafe 1, Industrial estate beside A30, Hayle.
A34
M3 junction; Tesco in retail park.
Sainsbury's in centre of Newbury.
Tesco at Greenham is better.
Avoid Tesco at Abingdon; it's a burger bar.
Sainsbury's on Oxford ring road (A4142) a couple of roundabouts east of A34.
Tesco just north of M42 junction.
Tesco and Sainsbury's, Handforth.
Tesco, East Didsbury.
A35
Morrison's, Bridport (west end of town)
Kilmington Chef (10m west of Bridport; looks like a Little Chef but isn't)
Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens; 9 miles down the B3157. A very nice place to eat on a sunny day.
A39
Morrison's, Bridgwater
Tesco, Minehead (opposite Butlins)
The Railway Carriage, Minehead (next to station)
Tesco, Barnstaple
Morrison's, Bideford
M40
J9 Tesco, Bicester.
M42
J4, A34. Tesco just north of the junction
A44, A46
Gateway, east of Evesham.
Also Tesco in town centre, near railway station, but you might get stuck in traffic.
A47
Morrison's, Hinckley
A48
Tesco, Chepstow
A49
Teen's Diner, Layby south of Ludlow
Haary Tuffin's, Craven Arms
Sainsbury's just north of A5 roundabout, Shrewsbury.
Lock Gate cafe, just south of Beeston
A50
Tesco, Meir Park (exit east of the tunnel)
A52
Sainsbury's near Derby County FC.
Tesco, Boston
A53
Snack Van on the Barnfields Industrial Estate, Leek
A56
Kwiksave, Rawtenstall. Behind Asda, alongside the railway station. Warm pies, pickled eggs, sausage butties, hot Vimto; paradise.
Also a cafe at the railway station; not tried it myself but I'm told it's excellent.
A57
Sainsbury's, Worksop
A58
Tesco, King Cross, Halifax.
M60
B & Q, Stockport (west); snack meals, interesting ambience.
Hobbycraft, Stockport (east); more restful ambience.
M60/M67
Sainsbury's; take A57 east and turn right under M67 at first lights.
M61
Asda, Horwich
Morrison's, Chorley town centre.
Also Tesco on A581 near Euxton.
M62
Asda, A641 coming out of Huddersfield. A bit of a drive, but an interesting selection of Indian meals which you heat up yourself with the microwaves provided.
Also Tesco on inner ring road.
Transport Cafe next to Boothferry Bridge on A614 near Howden
A64
Tesco on A1036 going into York.
Morrison's, Seamer
M74
Asda, Hamilton
A264
Crawley, Sainsbury's and Tesco (off A264)
A303
Tesco, Honiton; on the Sidmouth road.
Tesco, Andover. Follow the signs round innumerable roundabouts.
A361
Sainsbury's, Frome
Tesco, Trowbridge
A376
Tesco, Exmouth
A386
Plough Arts Centre, Torrington. Excellent meals.
Chinese and Indian takeaways next to the paperweight museum, Yelverton.
A390
Tesco, St Austell
A419
Cirencester, Tesco.
A483
Sainsbury's, Wrexham. Take A451 towards Wrexham, left at next roundabout, left at the one after, then straight on at the next one.
A489
Harry Tuffin's, Church Stoke
A splendid establishment
A505
Tesco, Royston
A522
Tesco, Brackley
A523
Tesco just north of Macclesfield.
A590
Booth's, Ulverston. Big breakfasts.
A616
Co-op, Deepcar. Take either of the Stocksbridge/Deepcar exits and follow the old Manchester Road along the valley bottom.
A619
Morrisons, west end of Chesterfield
A1066
Morrison's, Diss
A1307
Sainsbury's, Haverhill
A5190
Morrison's, Chase Heath. At the Lichfield end of the bypass.
There's also a Chinese Food and Sushi Bar at the Thrifty Foods Supermarket in Millbay on Vancouver Island, but that's probably of little relevance to most of you.
Last updated: 28 April 2006