It’s official: This is the most outstanding service station in the UK

Hit the road in style: M5, M6 and M40 provide the UK’s best motorway services 

·       Gloucester Services comes out on top 

Gloucester Services has been crowned the most outstanding service station in the UK after new research from Kia. 

With an estimated 39 million vehicles on UK roads, countless Brits will stop at services as they head out on long road trips this year – and it’s well worth planning which services to stop at ahead of time. 

The research, carried out by motoring experts at Kia, shows that some service stations stand above the rest for quality. Kia analysed customer reviews, the number and quality of amenities, free parking duration, availability of EV charging and overall aesthetics of the 23 most popular service stations in the UK. Each metric was given a score and added up, with 1 being the best possible rating. The lower the final score, the better the services. 

The 10 most outstanding services, and their final scores, are: 

1.              Gloucester (M5) – 7 

2.              Tebay (M6) – 10 

3.              Beaconsfield (M40) – 16 

4.              Stafford North (M6) – 29 

5.              Cobham (M25) – 30 

6.              Oxford (M40) – 33 

7.              Fleet (M3) – 36 

8.              Cornwall (A30) – 38 

9.              Baldock (A1 M) – 41 

10.           Abington (M74) – 44 

 Services that shine: Gloucester, Tebay and Beaconsfield  

 Gloucester Services on the M5 boasts the highest ratings on Google Reviews, with an impressive score of 4.4/5. As well as beautiful aesthetics, it has EV charging points and up to three hours of free parking.  

 Visitors to Gloucester services can’t hold back their praise, with one motorist saying, “Loved it… what a find. The restaurants had good food, and the farm shop was fantastic. All great quality goods, food and drink. We were more than happy with our artisan sourdough loaf, organic vegetables and homemade pie. I will definitely drop by again when travelling this route!”    

 The service station has a vast number of amenities, including a farm shop and kitchen, gelato counter, children’s play area, dog walking routes, dining terrace and lake.  

Image: L, The farm shop at Tebay, R, Beaconsfield Services and lake 

 Tebay Services ranked second, and is notable for its attractive aesthetics and a farm shop offering butcher, cheese, and deli counters.  

 In third position was Beaconsfield, which has super-fast IONITY rapid charging for electric cars – meaning Kia EV owners could charge 10-to-80% in as little as 18 minutes. There is also a pub and a large lakeside walk where visitors can stretch their legs. 

 Every service station in the top 10 list offers EV charging points, with three offering IONITY rapid charging, so motorists can get back on their way even faster – although with these stunning services, they may not want to. 

The M6 and M40 motorways were revealed to have the most high quality services compared to other roads. Both motorways are featured twice in the top 10 list; Tebay (2nd) and Stafford North (4th) can be found on the M6, while Beaconsfield (3rd) and Oxford (6th) are both on the M40.  

 A spokesperson from Kia commented: 

“At Kia, we believe that every journey should be an exceptional experience, so we were keen to use research to help motorists plan an even better trip across the UK. Convenience and comfort are vital on the road, but aesthetically stunning surroundings can bring even more to your drive. These ten service stations combine all three, offering an excellent location for motorists to relax and unwind mid-journey. 

“It’s great to see that each service station in the top 10 has electric vehicle charging points. A number also offer high-powered IONITY charging, making it even easier for EV owners to enjoy a seamless road trip.” 

 Kia customers can use Kia Charge to access charging networks at motorway services, including IONITY, Shell, and BP – the perfect solution when needing to charge for longer trips. Kia Charge combines access to multiple different charging networks into a single app, account and monthly invoice, negating the need to set up several different apps, services and payments. With the route planning function via the app, users can also plot road trip routes with charging stops, making it quick and easy to factor in a visit to one of these outstanding service stations.  

For a full breakdown of the top ten and the reasons behind it, please visit the Kia blog: https://www.kia.com/uk/about/news/best-service-stations-uk/