Marks and Spencer Simply Food

Marks and Spencer Simply Food
7 more photos in the gallery
Locations:	9
Associated names:	BP, WH Smith
Introduced:	2004
Predecessors:	Scoop, T2
Successors:	none
Website: www.marksandspencer.com

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Marks and Spencer Simply Food (usually abbreviated to M&S or Simply Food) one of the newest brands to services, and they're very quickly getting rolled out at most Moto services. At some services they have turned in to mini-supermarkets, taking up a lot of shopping space and endangering some of the smaller brands.

M&S impressed Holiday Which? Magazine, who said that the stores could be "well worth driving on the motorway for alone". The first one opened at Toddington southbound in 2004, and the ones at Cherwell Valley and Donington Park have had to be extended. Everybody loves them.

Moto were also the first to find a loophole in the law which meant that by renaming the operator of some of their services to 'Moto M&S', they could advertise the new shop. Moto services which have an M&S and a Costa Coffee don't actually refer to Moto on their signs, instead they use the name 'Costa M&S'.

The link between Moto and M&S was made after Granada noted that they needed something simple to cope with sudden rushes of customers. They said they wanted a retail outlet where you can walk in and see high-quality food, amongst other things, around you. Five services were earmarked to get the new brand but in practice it took them five years to roll it out.

Welcome Break have recently partnered up with Waitrose to rival the Moto-M&S connection.

An M&S is expected to open at Winchester northbound soon.

Locations

• Baldock (A1(M)/A1)
• Beaconsfield (M40)
• Birch (M62) (westbound only)
• Cherwell Valley (M40)
• Chieveley (M4/A34)
• Donington Park (M1/A42/A50)
• Exeter (M5)
• Ferrybridge (M62/A1)
• Frankley (M5) (southbound only)
• Heart of Scotland (M8)
• Hilton Park (M6)
• Knutsford (M6)
• Lancaster (M6)
• Leigh Delamere (M4)
• Pease Pottage (M23/A23)
• Peterborough (A1(M)/A1)
• Reading (M4)
• Southwaite (M6) (southbound only)
• Stafford (North) (M6)
• Tamworth (M42/A5)
• Thurrock (M25/A13/A282)
• Toddington (M1)
• Trowell (M1)
• Wetherby (A1(M))
• Woolley Edge (M1) (southbound only)

A-road Services

• Cambridge (A14)
• Petersfield (A3)
• Popham (A303) (westbound only)
• Pyecombe (A23) (southbound only)
• Towcester (A43)

Please note that these lists are incomplete and focus largely on the a-roads already covered on this site.

Comments and Reviews

Showing the most recent responses only: for the full thread and the ability to edit your own posts, you need to view the topic in the forums.
Author: Message: Love the ducks I love stopping here with my two kids on our way up north - there's a fantastic duck pond and ample seating. But why do Marks and Spencer only allow one small plastic bag per customer for all our lunch and drinks regardless of how many its for? I realise that Britain is drowning under a sea of plastic bags, but, I can help myself to as many individually wrapped plastic forks that I like and I could buy another bag for 5p so I think there's a few double standards here! Have some common sense M and S and stop being so righteous when really you don't care that much about the environment. I will remember to bring my bag next time - and maybe my own lunch.... Posted: 18 Aug 2010, 11:46 Anonymous Great idea, we stop here all the time, and actively look for service stations with M&S simply food. With regard to complaints above, I complained to M&S Head Office re. service at Bluewater cafe and it took almost 2 months for my reply, not good M&S! Posted: 02 Jun 2010, 08:16 Anonymous the fact that I am on this website checking out where the M&S Moto is on our route, is testament to the fact that you get the best travel grub there. (answer was Exeter) Posted: 21 Apr 2010, 09:38 Anonymous Do not park here...they steal your money even after you have paid for the car park! Posted: 29 Mar 2010, 16:34 Avril Twice a year we get off the early morning ferry at Portsmouth and face a 7 hour drive home to an empty fridge. Simply Food is wonderful to quickly get a few necessary supplies for an easy supper plus breakfast - and I can rely on the quality. Posted: 03 Oct 2009, 17:09 Sue Why don't you sell your lovely cards in the Simply Food motorway stores to go with the flowers? This would be very useful!!!! I love having the low cal fooods availaable too whilst on a journey instead of the usual fast foods!! Posted: 22 Aug 2009, 12:43 Macgregors Bought a salmon sandwich at Knutsford M & S Food, but didn't eat it until my next driving break 100 miles south. It tasted old because bread was dried out, so I binned it. It was only then that I checked the packaging and realised that it had been sold illegally because it was past its Use By Date. So I wrote to M&S complaints at Waterside House, London W2, relating the incident and enclosing the proofs. That was 2 weeks ago and I've heard nothing since - very unimpressed. Posted: 01 Jul 2009, 14:49 Anonymous I'm absolutely delighted that Simply Food allows me as a vegan to eat something on the road (try finding vegan food at any other services)! The Simply Food stores give me about three or four salads and a veg samosa to choose from, which is fantastic choice compared to how much of a vegan hell the motorways have been for years... However, I'd be eternally grateful if they'd be kind enough to make one or more of their sandwiches (for instance the avocado sandwich and the bean/roasted veg wrap) available to those on a restricted diet. Sometimes it would be great to be able to grab something easy to eat and go! All it would take to make these items vegan would be to take out the butter and/or mayonnaise and use dairy-free alternatives...(and whilst you're at it, how about offering a wheat free wrap or bread choice suitable for those who can't eat wheat?!) Also, how about offering a falafel, salad, hummus and pitta combo? or something a bit spicy? Whilst I understand that most people baulk at the word 'tofu' there's the most awesome company out there providing smokey tofu, chilli jam and rocket sandwiches that I managed to get hold of at an airport branch of W H Smiths, so it is possible to make something delicious, portable, vegan and nutritious on a large scale! Soup and a microwave for customer use would also be great for those times when all you need is a hot meal...and nobody else is providing it... I travel the motorways a LOT, since I tour for a living. Surely I'm not the only vegan or person with a dairy allergy on the road?! Posted: 30 Apr 2009, 21:53 Angie Quality food, good choice of sarnies and salads, not too expensive. Plus ready meals for when you arrive at your destination. If I have a choice this is where I'll stop. Posted: 02 Dec 2008, 00:58 Anonymous Motorway food has got a whole lot better since simply food arrived. It is also handy that there is some general shopping available. Long live simply food. Posted: 30 Nov 2008, 10:17
Showing the most recent responses only: for the full thread and the ability to edit your own posts, you need to view the topic in the forums.

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With thanks to Alan Simpson and the user 'Ziathon' for the information used on this page.