T he words ‘I don’t think we’ll need to stop on the way’ make my heart sink. It’s one of the first things, as a passenger, I ask about ahead of a journey.” Mattie, 38, is a self-proclaimed motorway services superfan.
His favourite is “without a doubt” Cobham on the M25, which he claims is the perfect size: “It’s not too big (you don’t want it to feel like a Westfield) but also it’s not too small (the tiny ones are the worst – barely any choice). It has everything from a Pizza Express to Greggs, a Nandos, a McDonald’s, a Leon and even a Wetherspoons!” The weird and wonderful world of motorway services is ripe for frivolous patter in offices and pub gardens. But while many of us remain dubious over the state of our roadside offerings, there are some who can’t get enough of them.
Take Rich, 26, known as the “Service Station King” – a delivery driver who contributes to the website Motorway Services Online . Undoubtedly Britain’s biggest pit-stop enthusiast, he visits sites across England, Scotland and Wales and posts any updates on the website and his Instagram . “I used to travel with my father who’s a truck driver as a young lad and we pulled into services for regular scheduled breaks; I got a fascination from there,” Rich tells me.
Rich traces his love for roadside facilities back to a particular diner chain, once something of a motorway juggernaut. “Little Chef was a brand that created fond memories, getting that lollypop at the.
