Just a quick note for all you people on here. I have just been to the Oakdene Cafe down in Kent for an overnight stop. Having used it on numerous other occasions I was shocked to be told that the hours of trading have been changed. I walked in at 17.45 to be told they now close Monday & Friday at 17.30 then Tuesday & Thursday 14.30 and Wednesday 22.00, Saturday and Sunday remains 15.00.
I was told this is due to lack of custom, but why as I see it as a reasonable stopping point.
Nearby Nell’s cafe now closes at 14.30 on a daily basis due to the decline in trade.
What is happening to our last few traditional stops.
Come on guys try and support them so we can park and eat some home made food rather than using MSA’s.
m3ter:
Just a quick note for all you people on here. I have just been to the Oakdene Cafe down in Kent for an overnight stop. Having used it on numerous other occasions I was shocked to be told that the hours of trading have been changed. I walked in at 17.45 to be told they now close Monday & Friday at 17.30 then Tuesday & Thursday 14.30 and Wednesday 22.00, Saturday and Sunday remains 15.00.
I was told this is due to lack of custom, but why as I see it as a reasonable stopping point.
Nearby Nell’s cafe now closes at 14.30 on a daily basis due to the decline in trade.
What is happening to our last few traditional stops.
Come on guys try and support them so we can park and eat some home made food rather than using MSA’s.
I was usually a cab rat. Much cheaper to eat in than eat out all week. I would eat at carnforth, at a chippy in Middleton or a chinese in Preston, that was it.
The problem with the Oakdene is the lack of parking, the lorry park is full with 3 badly parked artics and the layby is used as a park and ride for the plebs. It is a decent cafe though and does well in a morning and on bike night so it should survive.
I personally will always use, even if i have to go 10min out of my way, the old tried and tested home cooked cafe’s.
Yes few and far between but worth it.
Maybe we should start listing and grading these old establishments as the quality of food is much better.
The Vale - at Evesham on the A46
The Salt Box - on the old A50(511) at Hatton
Some of the old cafe’s have been by-passed but are still there on the old roads.
Many of the traditional transport cafes have been turned into posh pubs, restaurants and hotels. Others are still transport cafes but lack parking sufficiently big to attract interesting number of customers.
Then it’s number of things inside: stinking loos that you can smell as soon as you walk in, tiny small table you cannot lean on because you’d stick to it or it would gave up, the offer is so traditional that one struggles to choose from it, before you start to eat you have to ask for spoon to be changed for a clean one, then you realize the meal was not salted let alone seasoned and then they want £2.50 for a half-empty cup of brown water… So I personally feel no need to support places like this.
But neither I fancy plastics-packed sandwiches from shiny MSA. And it is not always easy to find “the right place” (little chef springs to mind for some reason).
So I make my own sandwiches and my own coffee / tea, to my own taste. And stop where I feel like it - be it a quiet layby or a big MSA car park with clean loos.
transport cafes are just typical of the uk service industry now - crap service, expensive horrible grub , disgusting toilets & "bomb site lorry parks & they wonder why you dont go back! Over the water its the exact opposite . European drivers must think were a third world nation when they stop @ some of the [zb] :blush: :blush: :blush: :blush: :blush: Dont get me wrong if its a good cafe ill always give them my custom & spread the word but they`re few & far between
i personally couldnt careless for them, the ones ive been in recently want £5.00 for a brekkie and then you have to pay for tea im more than happy self catering, ive found the quailty of food rubbish and tins of value beans everywhere, they are over priced for what you get the showers are usually minging and customer service non existent.
saying that i highley recommend heywood truckstop and ulcerby oh and also chesterfield j29. to me they are the exceptions although at j29 im not over keen on the communial showers.
i dont want chips with everything or soggy veg. no thanks im not that bothered.
lets not forget these that stick a portakabin somewhere with a crappy sign painted by a five year old saying " cafe " on it. uuurrghh.
. European drivers must think we
im more than happy self catering, ive found the quailty of food rubbish and tins of value beans everywhere, they are over priced for what you get the showers are usually minging and customer service non existent.