Moto
The Largest UK operator with 47 sites. Owned since mid 2006 by a consortium led by
Australian investment bank Macquarrie.
Started life as new interest for Granada- the Cinema/Bingo &ITV company and slowly built new sites and aquired other
smaller chains. Granada merged with Compass in 2000, then demerged, but the hospitality parts of Granadas
business went to Compass Group, so the sites rebranded as MOTO. Travelodge and Little Chef brands also
became part of Compass PLC.
Has purchased many sites and other chains, and allegedly been instructed by the
government to "shrink" several times! Won "Tommys Parent Friendly Awards" 2004. In 2003 built upon its
existing deal with Marks & Spencer to provide food to Compass run railway stations by putting Marks
And Spencer Food outlets into several Moto sites. In Dec 2002, sold Little Chef (all 328 of them) and
Travelodge to Permira for £712m. September 2005: Compass starts to struggle and wants to sell off
Moto. 10 April 2006: Compass sells off Moto
to consortium lead by Macquarrie for £1,882 million.
In 2026 became the first MSA to become a CPO (Charge point operator) and launched Moto
Charge.
Web site: www.moto-way.com & www.compass-group.co.uk
Welcome Break
Initially part of the Hanson Group (through Imperial Group PLC), Welcome Break was
purchased by Trusthouse Forte in 1986. With 27 UK sites, Welcome Break have recently spent a huge amount
of money upgrade their sites. They also have meeting rooms at various services.
Fortes (the Hotel Chain) diversified into the "new" business of running a MSA, branded
as Forte (Later Trusthouse Forte). Taken over by Granada in 1995 for 3.9 Billion pounds. Monopolies and
Mergers commission didn't like the size of the resulting company, so most Welcome break sites sold in Feb
97 to Investcorp of Bahrain.
As of Summer 2006, seems to be experimenting with a new look at Fleet which was rolled out to all sites. In March 2008, it was sold for
£500 million to Appia Investments.
Web site: www.welcomebreak.co.uk
RoadChef
Operates 21 sites, including the newest in the UK on the M6 Toll. Acquired several sites
and upgraded many others sites almost continuously since late 90's. Started by Linley Catering in 1972,
Sold to a management Buyout in 1983 Acquired by Nikko Europe Plc in 1998 for £240 million. Nikko
sold RoadChef to Israel property firm Delek for £375 Million in 2007.
Web Site: www.roadchef.com
Westmoorland
Own two all purpose sites, and a truck stop, along with other local businesses.
Dedicated to local products and local style, a very unique stop. Westmorland was founded by the Dunning
family (who owned the land the motorway was built through) and also by 2 directors of Penrith based bakers
Birketts who had shops all over Cumbria, North Lancs and southern Scotland. Certain head office functions
for Westmoorland were done at Birketts HQ eg- Accounts, Payroll but after the sale of Birketts to Greggs
PLC all head office matters were moved to to a newly built office block behind the forecourt building at
Tebay West. This office block is known as Westmoorland Place- although some
such as Marketing are now handled at Rheged.
Built the Rheged Discovery Centre or Rheged Village
in The Hill was opened off the A66 near Penrith. This is the largest grass covered building in the UK and
comprises a 260 seater cinema, restaurants, bar, local specialty shops, tourist information center,
children's play area, The National Mountaineering Exhibition and Texaco petrol station.
Web site: www.westmorland.com
First
Has 2 sites, Bolton West on the M61, and Magor on the M4,
which were purchased from Granada in 1996 for 8.6 million pounds, after Granada purchased Pavilion.
Cairn Lodge
Owns 1 site - Happendon /Cairn Lodge on the M74. Now owned by Westmorland but still its
own entitiy. See the story on the Happendon Page
Poplar 2000
Run a large truckstop at J20 on the M6
Granada
Granada entered the Motorway Business in 1965, seeing it as a possible extension to
their leisure and hospitality interests, which included the ITV Contract for North West, TV production
including Coronation Street, Cinemas, Bingo Halls, etc. Merged with Compass in 2000, changed name of
motorway services to MOTO on 29th August 2000. Compass then demerged from Granada, but took Granada's
Hospitality business with it, including the Motorway services Business. Granada now concentrates on
Media
Web site: www.granada.co.uk
Forte / Trusthouse Forte & Trust Houses Forte and Motorchef
Fortes became involved early in MSA history, and already had a track record - they had
aquired the company that created popular Little Chef brand, Little Chef having opened their first branch
in Reading in 1959. Naturally they moved into the MSA business. They also purchased many hotels in the
1960's onwards, becoming a dominant owner in the UK.
Fortes merged with Trust House group in 1970. The Trust House group started in Hertfordshire in 1903 to
revive the standards of old coaching Inns. So the history of road side service goes back a long
way!
They bought Welcome Break From Hanson Trust in 1987 and was investigated by the Monopolies and Mergers
Commission, who cleared the Merger. Eventually renamed the whole chain as Welcome Break. Acquired by
Granada in 1995. This would put made Granada subject to inquiry by the Monopolies and mergers committee,
so they agreed to divest 21 of the Welcome Break sites, which they sold for £476 million in 1997
to InvestCorp - who continue to use the name Welcome Break.
Orginainated as the hotel chain "Forte", which merged with Trust Houses to become "Trust
Houses Forte". They then breifly rebranded the MSAs as Motorchef, but then later rebranded them
back, when the parent company abreviated its own name to "Trusthouse Forte"
Kenning Motor Group
A Car dealership that had been running since 1878 and still going today (under the
name GK Ford) They also hired vehicles and ran over 100 petrol forecourts so moving into the MSA
business seemed natural. They built Strensham and Anderton MSA's (Strensham
for many years was one of the most profitable MSA's on the network)
Ross
Main business was Fresh Fish, and Frozen Foods and sold fish at "Captains
Table" at its services. Sold interests to Welcome Break to concentrate on Frozen Foods.
Esso / Taverna
Entered the market in 1970, and built 5 new sites between 1970 and 1972. However
government restrictions were too prohibitive for to make the sites pay. Sold all 5 sites to Granada in
1973
Blue Boar
Taken over by Roadchef in 1998. Ran the first Motorways services on the M1 which they
were offered in compensation for loss to their existing business, which was a chain of stops on the
A5
A single Blue Boar services remained on the A74(M) but is now a RoadChef
Take A Break
Started by a Motor dealer (TKM). Only ever ran one site: Strensham on the M5- but one
of the more profitable sites on the motorway network.
Inchcape purchased TKM in 1992, then in 1994, a management buyout purchased the site from Inchcape and
renamed the brand to "take-a-break" Taken over by Roadchef in 1998.
Pavilion
Formed in Dec 1993 from a £89m management buy out of certain Rank Service
stations
Sold in April 1995 to Granada, who were getting to big by this time, so condition of the sale was they
had to sell off some sites.
Mobil
First
Ran a few sites, such as Magor, now owned by Roadchef and most sites re-branded.