“The coffee and the atmosphere are both very pleasant,” said Jacob in London while George, also based in the capital, rated the Wetherspoons pub (called the Hope and Champion) on site. Jane in the West Midlands said she liked this service station, run by the Extra group, for the “easy parking, hotel and pub, plus many food outlets. The toilets are always clean; it’s a pleasant experience”.
Initial impressions on my visit aren’t encouraging, however. The digital advertising board outside the main entrance is promoting “the UK’s largest bin storage”, which would be a good future home for the coffee machine in the WH Smith’s outlet.
Not to be deterred, I make my way inside a low-ceilinged, circular space with reasonably clean tables, with the usual-suspect fast food retailers lining the perimeter. As my visit is in the early morning, the pub nor the German Donor Kebab stand were open, while the branch of Wagamama doesn’t appear to have finished being built.
A quite alarming amount of high-vis-jacketed security men don’t appear to have much to do except direct customers to the toilets; a surprising requirement given how large the signs to the ladies’ and gents’ are.
Beaconsfield wins points not because it does anything particularly well but because it is moderately less awful than most rivals. The toilets are clean, the noise levels aren’t horrendous and, if you’re having far too good a time to leave, the adjacent Ibis budget hotel has rooms from £54 per night.
Gloucester Services
Rob’s ranking: nine out of 10