------------------
Content:
Do You Remember?
MSO Home - Brands - Do You Remember?
This section of the site takes a look at brands which can no longer be found on the motorway. Do we miss them? I'll let you decide that one.
The Body Shop
It used to be very common at Moto services, but then it suddenly died, with WH Smith taking over.
Halfords
Another one which was very common at Moto services but then suddenly died in the early millennium. It's quite surprising that it didn't last longer, after all a motoring business is one of the few things you'd expect to find on the roadside.
The Sock Shop
A small stand selling clothing which used to be found at most Moto services. Quite what the point of it was we'll never know, how often is it that people lose their socks on the motorway?
Entrempts
An original Extra waitress restaurant, now replaced by a several high street chains.
Red Hen
When Granada acquired Welcome Break, they gave all their services a Little Chef and a Travelodge, as Granada had ties with them. However, when they sold them in 1996 Welcome Break were forced to create their own replacements, hence Welcome Lodge and Red Hen. Red Hen was a sit-in restaurant and in 2004 all the outlets became Coffee Primo Lounges.
Cafe Forte & Café Primo
The early nineties name for Coffee Primo, Cafe Forte had to go when Forte and their owners Granada sold Welcome Break. Instead the name Café Primo was brought in, becoming Coffee Primo in 2006.
Delifrance
This French bakery could be found at four Extra services, as well as Tibshelf and Winchester, which were partially owned by Extra. In 2007 all Delifrance units were replaced with LP4, with the exception of Tibshelf and Winchester, which were closed all together.
Café Kenco
I don't remember this one!
La Brioche Doree
It sold French baked produce at the larger Welcome Breaks until 2001. They also made a short appearance at Lancaster.
Harry Ramsden's
This iconic fish and chip shop used to be at 30 Moto services, but as the company has slowly shrunk all the service station units have been closed. It had a waitress service at Exeter, which it kept for a while. There is still a Harry Ramsden's restaurant in the adjacent Travelodge.
It suffered the same shortfalls as many other brands: it was bought by Granada in 1999, who added it to most of their services alongside Little Chefs, then lost it when Compass and Moto split, with Compass taking most of Granada's brands. An average meal at a service station Harry Ramsdens costed the high side of £7!
Foodfayre & onRoute
Two of RoadChef's restaurants, with onRoute services approximately from 2002-2006. They now use RestBite.
Granada Country Kitchen Restaurant & Granada Shopping
Two of Granada's self-branded facilities used at their services.
Sleep Inn
Extra's hotel chain of choice, until 2008 where they were all re-branded as Purple Hotels.
The Granary, Granary Express & Food Connection
Two of Welcome Break's own-branded self-service restaurants, with the former running throughout the 90s and the latter replacing it and running until 2006, where EAT IN took over.
Rabbit
Rabbit provided a national network of cordless telephone and base stations, from Hutchinson Telecom. They had a number of units at a variety of services from all the main operators. They could also be found at town centres, restaurants and petrol stations, and they were popular throughout the 90s. Their death was obviously down to the success of the mobile phone.
Julie's Pantry
Andy remembers this one, saying that "the staff all had to wear dodgy green dungarees, and the logo was not too dissimilar to that of American burger chain, Wendy's."
AJ's
AJ's ran around 18 sites on a-roads in a similar vain to Little Chef, before they were picked up by Granada. Granada hoped that this would rival Welcome Break's use of Little Chef, but after they introduced a few AJ's to services Granada acquired, amongst other things, Little Chef and Welcome Break, so they decided to phase out AJ's and introduce Little Chef to most of their services. In 2002 Granada acquired the entire AJ's brand and changed them all to Little Chef.
With thanks to Adrian Atkins and Alan Simpson for the information used on this page.