Latest features Britain's best roadside restaurants

Date Published:

19/01/2009

There's more to drive and dine eating than fast food and pricey coffee. Charlie Cottrell goes in search of roadside restaurants worth stopping off at

Britain's roadside eating establishments have a reputation for being underwhelming and overpriced. While our European cousins enjoy the fruits of their regional cuisine - stone baked pizzas, seafood paella and creamy tartiflette - we're left with sweaty sandwiches, microwave eggs and watery coffee.

But, like the truth, good motorway munching is out there. If you're after good food to fuel your journey check out these happy eateries.

A82 on the outskirts of Tyndrum, Perthshire
www.therealfoodcafe.com

Sarah Heward-Wolsey brought her experience as managing director of a London restaurant chain to a former Little Chef back in 2004 and transformed the Scottish stop-off into an award-winning independent café that serves food sourced locally and sustainably as well as fairtrade coffee and cracking fish and chips.

A5 between Druid and Corwen, Denbighshire
www.rhug.co.uk

Meat from the Rhug estate is so good it makes you want to weep. Their café serves organic burgers and sausages, Aberdeen angus hotpot and home made pies that have brought toffs and truckers together in mutual meat appreciation.

Junction 38, M6 Northbound
www.westmorland.com

The UK's only family run service station also boasts a fully stocked farm shop complete with butcher's counter, cutting room and cold store. The restaurant offers proper no-nonsense scran like lamb shank and hand-made scotch eggs - and in the summer months there's even a barbecue.

A1 Southbound, Dry Doddington, Lincolnshire

Jo and Jackie whip up cracking nosh to drivers heading southbound through the East Midlands. Reviewers are falling over themselves to recommend the girls' wares on trucker-food review site greasyjoe.co.uk, for great value, non-greasy food and the first class banter.

B4350: Hay on Wye, by the LLanigon turnoff

Eating well doesn't mean you have to dispense with good old British favourites. From Monday to Friday, classic roadside food gets an organic makeover at this modern snack van, giving you your fish and chip and burger fix with a side order of smugness.

A12, Marlesford, Woodbridge, Suffolk
www.farmcafe.co.uk

Paul Thomas has been dishing up fine roadside fare in his barn-like café since 2001. He sources ingredients from trusted, local suppliers and transforms them into wholesome wonders like goat's cheese and squash pie, roast vegetable salad and steamed lamb pudding. Cosy.

A460, off the Junction 10a M6 Northbound, Wolverhampton
www.essingtonfarm.co.uk

A hop, skip and a brum from the M6 is this Midlands masterpiece, offering 'pick your own' delights of soft fruits, rhubarb and vegetables. If you can't be doing with the hard graft, head to their award winning café for seasonal suppers and the Sunday carvery.

A303 on the edge of West Knoyle, Wiltshire

It might be a tarted up Portakabin on the A303, but the Willoughby Hedge Cafe is a local institution that's been drawing in regular punters for years. Dave Thomas, former regional director for Little Chef, owns the joint and employs his daughter to run the place for her cracking egg roll skills.

A4 (Bath Road), Knowl, Berks
www.squaredealcafe.com

Just off the A4, this is a truckers' stop off that's won the hearts of casual drivers as well as the kings of the road. Food is good, honest British fare. Breakfast fans will be in raptures over a menu that recreates the most important meal of the day in both plate-based and bap formats and they even serve hot Bovril.

M5 Junction 24 (Bridgwater) Taunton Road

It's no oil painting but this golden oldie has been serving up classic roadside fare since the 1940s. The family run business offers five different breakfasts as well as roast dinners, lasagne and home-made pies for travellers with a hungry tum.

See how Heston Blumenthal fares in Big Chef Takes on Little Chef

Know of a great roadside eatery? Put in on the Big British Food Map

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