M6 service station voted top place in the UK for a pit stop

Prince Charles visits Tebay services/

Tebay services on the M6 is the most popular place for a pit stop in the UK, a survey has found.

The Lake District family-run service station, which was recently visited by Prince Charles, sells home-grown and local produce in its farm shop and restaurant achieved the top score of 90 per cent in a survey of Which? members.

The consumer group asked members to rate the motorway service stations they had used recently, and ranked the 26 most frequently visited.

Tebay, run by Westmorland, which was the only location to get a full five-star rating, achieved the top score for both toilet cleanliness and food quality.

Others in the top five were Wetherby, A1(M) (69 per cent), Cobham, M25 (67 per cent), Peterborough, A1(M) (61 per cet) and Hopwood Park, M42 near Birmingham (59 per cent).

Which? also asked members to score service station brands, ranking relative newcomer Extra the best with an overall score of 60 per cent, followed by Roadchef (50 per cent), Moto (47 per cent) and Welcome Break (47 per cent). You can see the full survey here.

An accompanying poll found eight in 10 Which? members think food and drink is significantly more expensive at motorway services than elsewhere.

The watchdog compared the cost of motorway service station basics with the closest supermarket, finding travellers could nearly halve their spending and save up to £11.47 on the same shopping basket.

Which? editor Richard Headland said: "Our research shows there's a big difference in the standards you can expect when you pull into a motorway service station.

"We also found that you can save a packet if you plan ahead and find cheaper alternatives along the route."

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