RoadChef pumps £1.2m into its Sandbach MSA

RoadChef has invested £1.2m in upgrading the catering operation at Sandbach, Cheshire, its oldest motorway service area (MSA).

The refurbished food court opens at Easter and will feature four food offerings, including a newly developed in-house Italian pizza and pasta brand. It will also have a Wimpy, a self-service cafeteria and Café Continental, which sells croissants, baguettes and quality coffee.

"We want people to come in and see immediately there are four choices," said managing director Robert MacLellan, who said that many people still did not like eating at MSAs.

"We want to change the perceived face of motorway catering and developing in-house brands is key to offering good value for money," said Mr MacLellan.

RoadChef is also due to open its first standalone drive-through Wimpy at Harthill, on the M8 in Strathclyde, before Easter. The drive-through, which also has 36 seats, has involved an investment of £400,000 and is designed to attract drivers who prefer to eat in their cars.

If the unit is successful, a second is planned for Hamilton, also in Strathclyde, next year.

Mr MacLellan said RoadChef would consider the possibility of acquiring Welcome Break MSAs from Granada as the opportunity arose. Granada has to sell the sites, which it acquired with Forte, to comply with Office of Fair Trading restrictions.

However, Mr MacLellan added he would prefer to build from scratch. "New sites have a lot of advantages because we can build them in line with customer needs."

At its recent AGM, RoadChef announced record profits for the year at £3.3m, up from £2.4m for the previous 12 months.