Ilminster services
A303 Southfields Roundabout, Ilminster
(also accessible to traffic on the A358)
Signposted from the road.
TA19 9PT
(Google Maps link)
Single site located at a junction.
The shadow of one of Little Chef's most popular restaurants now has its Burger King only.
Facilities
Catering: Burger King Motel: Travelodgebook Forecourt: Shell, Select, deli by Shell, Costa Express, Air1 AdBlue
Contact Details
Address:
Horton Cross
Ilminster
Somerset
TA19 9PT
- Grid reference: ST342153
Trivia and Design
Inside the former Little Chef, stripped out.
The A303 has several signposted 'local facilities', including some signed from the opposite side of the roundabout.
It is located on the A358, but not the major road that leads to Taunton - that is a fourth (of five) exit from this roundabout. The roundabout is called 'Southfields' (nicknamed 'Horton Cross'), but 'Ilminster' is the name promoted by the facilities.
It is one of few A-road services to have motorway-style 'Tiredness Can Kill' signs on each approach to it, suggesting there is a history of fatigue-related problems here.
Shell operate the filling station.
History
It opened in 1989 as a Happy Eater. The restaurant is positioned in the corner right next to the roundabout, while the forecourt is higher up, closer to the entrance.
This restaurant became a Little ChefHistory and Burger King in 1996. In 2002 it was promoted to Little Chef Choices, which saw it gain a Harry Ramsden's and Caffe Ritazza. These were removed and Coffee Tempo! joined instead.
In 2012, the restaurant was one of several to receive a thorough refurbishment, gaining a Good to Go in the process. As one of the more profitable sites it lasted until January 2018, when the new owners' rights to the name expired. The signs were taken down and the restaurant continues as EG Diner.
The Future of Ilminster
The EG Diner closed on 31 October 2018 and it was thought at the time that the Burger King would close too so that work could commence on redeveloping the building into a KFC Drive Thru which was expected to open in January 2019. However, the Burger King stayed trading beyond this date and is currently the only trading unit in the building with the former restaurant area being closed off and laying empty.
In September 2019, it emerged that due to difficulties with Euro Garages changing the trading class on the building from A3 to A3/A5 and amendments to the original site plan for the new KFC Drive Thru that the previous opening dates and redevelopment plans were scrapped. The new site plans and trade class change were approved in July 2019.
The services will now undergo its refurbishment in October 2019 and will reopen with a Burger King Drive Thru, Greggs and Sainsbury's On the go.
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| Stoke-sub-Hamdon (westbound, 9 miles) Cartgate picnic area (10 miles) Townsend (eastbound, 11 miles) | Services on the A303 |
Exeter (M5 south via Honiton, 31 miles) Taunton Deane (M5 south via Taunton, 14 miles) Bridgwater (M5 north, 16 miles) |
| Podimore (11 miles) | Euro Garages services | Sourton Cross (A30, 61 miles) |