| Blue Boar | |
 | |
| Locations: | up to 4 |
| Introduced: | 1959 |
| Removed: | 1998 |
| Predecessors: | none |
| Successors: | Roadchef |
This is the former operator of Watford Gap services For the services on the A45, see Services on the A45.
Blue Boar owned the first service area at Watford Gap on the M1. They were offered it as compensation for the reduced traffic on the A5, where they ran a petrol station, which was bypassed by the opening of the new motorway. The company was named after the lake behind one of their petrol stations (at Dunchurch), where a local legend says that a blue boar lived during the time of Robin Hood. The company had a number of garages and restaurants across the area. The original Blue Boar Café took its name from the junction of the same name on the A45, which is still there as a Little Chef today.
At the time, Watford Gap became popular and famous amongst travellers and party-goers. It is still known nationally and nostalgically as 'The Blue Boar'. Until 1965 it featured a waitress restaurant, this was scrapped in favour for a self-service one.
In 1998 Blue Boar sold their business to Roadchef, who later bought Take a Break, as part of their plans to enlarge their company and become 'the UK's fastest growing motorway services operator'. Roadchef have since refurbished all of Blue Boar's sites.
Locations
The following services were owned by Blue Boar:
- Annandale Water (A74(M))
- Northampton (M1)
- Stafford (South) (M6)
- Watford Gap (M1)
They also planned the following unbuilt services:
- Catherine-de-Barnes (M42)
- Gaydon (M40)