Sutton Scotney services
| Sutton Scotney | |
| Roadchef | |
 | |
| Road: | A34 between Winchester and Whitchurch MAP AND DIRECTIONS |
| Address: | Little Chef By-Pass Sutton Scotney Winchester Hampshire SO21 3JY |
| Signposted from the road? | Yes |
| Opened: | 1986 |
| Previous operators: | Welcome Break, Granada, Little Chef |
| Grid reference: | SU458399 |
| Services type: | Two sites located between junctions, with no public connection between them. |
| Visit Sutton Scotney/Roadchef's official website Little Chef Wiki | |
For years it was just an oversized Little Chef at the bottom of the A34, but Sutton Scotney is now a standard Roadchef facility and their only appearance on an a-road.
Contents
Facilities
Catering: Costa, McDonald's, Costa Express, Krispy Kreme, Typhoo Shops: WHSmith Main Amenities: Jackpot £500, Picnic Tables, Showers Motel: Days Innbook north | book south Forecourt: Shell, Select, Deli2go, Costa Express, Air1 AdBlue
Parking Prices
First two hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £12 and HGVs, caravans and coaches £19, or £21 to include a £6 food voucher.
Prices are paid at the pay and display machines in each parking area.
Trivia & History
The filling stations are operated by Shell.
Opening
Little Chef had wanted to move here for a while, to replace a site at Privett which was demolished during roadworks. By the time the plans started to materialise, Little Chef's owners Trusthouse Forte had acquired Welcome Break, so they included a Welcome Break Shop, The Granary restaurant and separate toilets within their plans for what had now become a large service area.
The services opened in 1986 as a Little Chef but with smaller Welcome Break signs below, and it was supposed to be a sign of grander things for a-road services. The Travelodge opened two years later.
On both sides was an amenity building with three sections: a foyer, shop and toilets in the middle, Little Chef restaurant to the left and Granary to the right. The Granary later became conference facilities.
Changing Owners
When Trusthouse Forte and their owners Granada were forced to sell Welcome Break's motorway sites, Sutton Scotney managed to stay as it isn't on a motorway. Unable to use Welcome Break's branding, Granada took it on as their own and refurbished it to match their own style. This included adding a Burger King in what was the Granary area.
In 2000 there were plans to add a standalone retail catering unit, but no further detail is available.
The services stayed this way until Granada morphed into Moto, and when they were sold on Moto handed the site back to Little Chef.
Little Chef and Resurgence
As Little Chef's primary concern is their own restaurant, and they had enough trouble managing their own finances, under Little Chef's ownership the site became increasingly dilapidated. The Burger King closed due to low patronage, leaving part of the services disused.
In 2012, The Coffee Tempo! here was also replaced with Little Chef Express along with 10 other former Coffee Tempo! sites.
In August 2013, Kout Food Group purchased every single Little Chef, with the exception of Sutton Scotney. It stayed as a Little Chef for six more months, but under different owners.
Roadchef
Having recently sold nearby Winchester and experimental Symonds Yat, and having watched Welcome Break's return to Peartree, in February 2014 Roadchef purchased the services.
They announced they would be turning the two sites into their standard Costa/McDonald's/WHSmith combination and introducing a games arcade, bringing all the unit back into use.
Developments at the site during the Roadchef redevelopment were being made under the name 'First Motorway Services Ltd'. In 2014, Roadchef gained had planning permission for an electric vehicle charging point here, but the landowner wouldn't endorse their plans.
Both sides included a Fone Bitz store for a time.
Travelodge
Under R Capital's management, Sutton Scotney was one of a few sites that had a Travelodge on both sides. However, both hotels closed in August 2013 as part of Travelodge's cuts, possibly revealing they had concerns about the management of the site too.
The northbound hotel underwent a major refurbishment and reopened under Roadchef's hotel partner brand, Days Inn in June 2015. The southbound hotel opened shortly afterwards.
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| none on A34 Rownhams (M27 west, 19 miles) | Services on the A34 | Tot Hill (14 miles) |
| Rownhams (M27 west, 19 miles) | Roadchef services | none nearby |
Visitor Feedback
The below feedback has been provided by visitors of Motorway Services Online for public viewing. Roadchef have an official review form, with prize draw.
Views expressed in these comments are those of the individual contributor. They are moderated by Facebook.