Review:

Quality of food: 3

Quality of drink: N/A

Value for money: 4

Atmosphere: 4

Service: 2

You might not expect to discover a review of a service station in the paper but then Gloucester Services is not your usual motorway service station.

In fact, it wasn’t my intention to even consider writing about the rest stop on the M5, but after popping in to break up a long journey - how could I resist?

Opened in 2014, Gloucester Services sits between Gloucester and Stroud on the M5, and is run by the company who claimed to have opened the first family run motorway services on the UK roads.

The services’ story began in 1972 when John and Barbara Dunning, Cumbrian hill farmers, set up Tebay Services when the M6 cut though their farm.

They opened a café serving home cooked, locally sourced food - and they have stuck to their vision - there are no franchises or fast food on their forecourts.

Instead, 46 years after the family first opened their first services near Kendal, Gloucester Services is further example of their passion for people, the environment and local producers.

That meant I had no qualms about having a burger there and seeing what all the fuss was about - despite being about 15 minutes from my house.

Bearing in mind that as I approached the carefully landscaped space, which has been cunningly disguised to fit in with the rolling Cotswold hills that surround it, I was met by a bounding puppy - there wasn’t a huge amount that I felt could go wrong with my meal.

I chose locally produced beef burgers, topped with cheese and bacon, and accompanied by chunky chips - safe in the knowledge that they would have undoubtedly been sourced from one of the 130 producers that the service station work with within 30 miles of their front door.

Sadly, despite my friendly greeting for a puppy, my welcome from the ladies behind the counter wasn’t quite the same - I frantically smiled at them for several minutes, but they were busy and clearly thought I was mad - my food was hastily pushed onto a plate and passed to me.

Still, I told myself, this is a service station, it’s late on a Saturday afternoon, we’re all tired...

The dining area was spotlessly cleaned, cutlery polished, condiments aplenty, I quickly forgive the staff for being a bit dismissive - my manic smile had clearly terrified them.

My burger was delicious, but the bacon had perhaps been sitting under lights a little too long. I couldn’t taste the cheese at all.

Dejected I took solace in the exquisite chocolate orange muffins that were on offer.

I left filled with admiration for what they are trying to achieve - a percentage of sales is donated to local good causes - but not quite sure that my visit had quite hit the mark.

Still, I’d be happy to come back and try again.