| RoadChef |
|
| Locations: | 19 |
| Introduced: | 1973 |
| Predecessors: | Blue Boar, Take a Break |
| Acquired by: | Delek Group |
| Chief executive: | Simon Turl |
| Headquarters address: | RoadChef Motorways Ltd, RoadChef House, Norton Canes [Motorway Services], Betty's Lane, Norton Canes, Cannock, Staffordshire, WS11 9UX [map] |
| Phone number: | 01543 272566 |
|
Website:
www.roadchef.com |
Main Page | Photo Gallery | Map
RoadChef is the smallest of the 'big three' operators.
Company History
RoadChef set up in 1973 as a small but growing service area operator. It was a joint venture between Lindley Catering Investments and Galleon World Travel, and was known as "Galleon Roadchef" for quite a while.
By 1998 they had acquired three services from Blue Boar (including the oldest in the country, Watford Gap) and Take-a-Break's only, Strensham. Although this didn't push them too far forward on the league table, it did knock out two important names which means that today the operator is well known.
In 2003 RoadChef started sponsoring several road-based companies in order to generate publicity.
RoadChef Today
Their services usually take two forms; either small, secluded services built by RoadChef or modern open ones which have been inherited and re-built or built by them in recent years.
RoadChef were trialling the idea of a 'RoadCard', a loyalty card for RoadChef users that could be used at Stafford (South) and Strensham. This was eventually pulled due to lack of interest.
The headquarters used to be located in Barnwood, Gloucester, before moving to Norton Canes to save money. RoadChef have recently paired up with Costa Coffee to create 'RoadChef Costa Coffee'. Like other operators, they recently introduced several new brands to their services such as WH Smith and The Burger Company, despite a successful trial of McDonalds at Strensham.
RoadChef offer a free BT Openzone Wi-Fi service for all customers, something which has proven popular and was later followed up on by Moto. Following months of financial problems RoadChef were put up for sale in 2008, but after more than a year no buyer was found. The existing owner's parent company, Delek Group, are reportedly interested in buying RoadChef.
Logo History
As far as logos go, RoadChef have always stuck to writing 'RoadChef' on a sign in red. Some time around the turn of the millennium they introduced the slightly more relaxed and stylish logo (see above), and before then they used the slightly funkier '80s logo pictured to the right.
RoadChef, in line with the other operators, changed their logo so that it read 'RoadChef Costa Coffee' on the headboard on signs for their services. Part of the trial at Strensham involved making the headboard read 'McDonalds Costa', something which could soon become common at motorway services.
Facilities
RoadChef's facilities include:
General: Picnic Tables, Local Information, BT Openzone, Business Lounge, Meeting Rooms, Showers
Restaurants: Costa Coffee, The Burger Company, Wimpy, McDonalds, Costa Coffee, Soho Coffee Co, RestBite, Pizza Hut, Hot Food Company, Subway
Shops: Fonebitz, Ladbrokes, WH Smith
Fuel: Shell, BP, Esso, Texaco, Total
Motel: Premier Inn
RoadChef Services
The following sites are run by RoadChef:
Former Services
The following services were owned by RoadChef:
Unbuilt Services
The following services were planned by RoadChef but they were never built:
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: |
|
Anonymous
|
|
This company is ***P DAY TIME ROBERRY FOOD PRICE ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS MAnagers do not realised that we as customers make them have them keep their job ....The head of Clacket lane is an a****** thinking of another rise of price I get better service by the side road burger van to be honest
|
|
Anonymous
|
|
dont know how road chef still exists poor quality of food staff over worked and under paid how can they justify their priceswhen staff only get min wage i was told they had to pay staff extra for travel due to the location what crap
|
|
Alex Parsons
|
|
New Years Eve we travelled to Wales and stopped off at Strensham Southbound services. We decided to have two hot meals at the HOT FOOD COMPANY. It was instantly served- fish & Chips and Scampi & chips. I considered this a bit quick in 30 seconds but sat and tried to eat this meal. The chips were unedible and the scampi was barely warm, I eat about five peices. After half an hour I started to feel sick but continued my journey to Wales for New Year Celebrations. By the time I arrived I was extremely ill with food poisoning, (I had not eaten since the previous day ) I spent all New years eve & day violently sick and had to cut short my visit. Ironically when you go on the website to complain there is no link to do so, I am contacting enviromental health over this as it has totally spoilt my holiday. Lucky for me my relatives are Drs & nurses so all correct information and procedures were taken regarding this. Be Advised NOT to eat here if you think the food is not up to the standard it should be.
|
|
Anonymous
|
|
In response to 'adam' the coach driver;
"The staff are ignorant and thick".
And coach drivers are intellectual powerhouses?
The cashier may have doubted your credibility due to the amount of coach drivers who abuse this privilege.
|
|
Anonymous
|
|
??????????my mother worked for road chef for 10 years when she passed away she had a pension???with the company still not had any cash not even a letter to say sorry your mother as passed away in my eyes this company stinks
|
|
adam
|
|
as a coach driver who once stopped at tibshelf services, i was refused a free meal even though i had passengers on board, i was requestin the forms to fill in for a coach card and the cashier didnt believe i was a coach driver. i never use roadchef services and vow never to again. the staff are ignorant and thick.
|
|
Anonymous
|
|
My husband and I had a most unsatisfactory stop at Annandale on the M74. We arrived after a long drive from Kent and needed a meal (around 7.00p.m.)
Most of the extremely limited menu was "off". The only non-chip meal was sausage and mash. The sausages were poor quality, the mash would have disgraced the worst kind of school canteen 20 years ago and the only vegetable available was tinned baked beans.
Breakfast the following morning was similarly awful, consisting of greasy food, leather-like bacon and eggs turned over into an unappealing white mess.
We were staying at the Premier Inn on site. All other Premier's I have visited have been excellent. There is no way I'd ever book another overnight stay at this serv;ice area.
|
|
Znord737
|
|
Ref my previous blog re RoadChef and their slowness in payment !
I am pleased to say that this week they paid up, that was not before the Directors were advised to expect a visit from the High Court Sheriff the next day to seize whatever assets they had.
Within two hours their outstanding debt was in the Bank .
Needless to remark they are now blacklisted as a Purchaser from the Company concerned with the debt!
|
|
Znord737
|
|
To those who have commented about RoadChef -
Agree , hope whoever takes them over , I hope someone does and makes a better job of it than they did -
The expression "Carpet Baggers" springs to mind. This in no way reflects in anyway upon the Service Area's Staff who have worked diligently long and ardous hours well and above the call of duty.
They have had some financial problems and by all accounts these have got worse now .
Various sources on the Web have commented that megabucks have been syphoned off apparently before the Bank Crash Here .....by the Owners "Delek" who reside in Haifa . This has left the UK Organisation with ultra severe cash flow problems.
The whole Company is now up for Sale through Rothchilds Private Bank. There is a short list of three prospective purchasers who are carrying out due diligence searches before they put in their offer to purchase. I trust they do their searches well and realise that they dont own any properties, they are all leased for 50 years or more on peppercorn rents .
Give a thought to all the RoadChef suppliers who have had to wait 4 to 6 months to get paid, some I might add are still waiting and waiting and waiting . CCJ's mean nothing to RoadChef.
I hope they dont go into Receivership as a lot of small business suppliers will take the brunt and possibly end up never getting paid .
|
|
Barry
|
|
This company should be closed down. They are just robbing the motorist and taking advantage of the monolopy that prevails on motorway petrol stations and cafes. Their petrol price is no less than highway robbery and then when you buy stuff from the shop they charge such outrageous prices that they would even make Harrods seem cheap! If there was anywhere else to buy then i am sure the public would avoid buying anything but of course as there isn't then they are able to get away with it. It's time this government looked at this situation of motorway monoploys and allowed some competition against this sort of robbery. I bought a TV Choice magazine at the Clackett Lane services and found when i got home that it was last week's out of date copy !!!! Where does there blatent robbery stop !!
|
|
| 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. | | |
Main Page | Photo Gallery | Map
With thanks to the users 'sockin' and 'Roadhog_001' for the information used on this page.
