M6 cafe voted top of the pit stops

TEBAY SERVICES on the M6 is the most popular place for a pit stop in the UK, a survey has found.

The family-run service station in the Lake District that sells home-grown and local produce in its farm shop and restaurant achieved the top score of 90% in a survey of Which? members.

The consumer group asked members to rate the motorway service stations they had used recently, and ranked the 26 most frequently visited.

Tebay, which was the only location to get a full five-star rating, achieved the top score for both toilet cleanliness and food quality.

Others in the top five were Wetherby, A1(M) (69%), Cobham, M25 (67%), Peterborough, A1(M) (61%) and Hopwood Park, M42 near Birmingham (59%).

Which? also asked members to score service station brands, ranking relative newcomer Extra the best with an overall score of 60%, followed by Roadchef (50%), Moto (47%) and Welcome Break (47%).

An accompanying poll found eight in 10 Which? members think food and drink is significantly more expensive at motorway services than elsewhere.

The watchdog compared the cost of motorway service station basics with the closest supermarket, finding travellers could nearly halve their spending and save up to £11.47 on the same shopping basket.

Which? editor Richard Headland said: "Our research shows there's a big difference in the standards you can expect when you pull into a motorway service station.

"We also found that you can save a packet if you plan ahead and find cheaper alternatives along the route."

By Press Association reporters