It is shame but you can tell the owners do not care.The broken shower door covered in red tape.It looks like a crime scene.
Security is 100%.The chicken kiev with tinned mixed veg.Cash and carry mash and one small piece of Iceland £1 kiev for £5.15 is not worth it.
Early evening they had run out of salads.
The huge bar at the back has been shut for seven years but you can buy a tinnie and sup it in the cafe if it is not shut at 20.00.
Go to the White Hart over the foot bridge.Pub meals.Real ales.Attractive and young staff that become more attractive after pint number two.
There is a big hotel opposite that has a bar but the meals are very expensive.
I did wonder why all the drivers were coming back to their cabs with bags of food.Bit of a clue there then.
You could get a bus in to town and a taxi back if there for a longer rest period.
Chippenham truck stop is much better.But Stobbarts have been granted permision for 20 trucks and trailers to use it as operating centre.
toby1234abc:
It is shame but you can tell the owners do not care.The broken shower door covered in red tape.It looks like a crime scene.
Security is 100%.The chicken kiev with tinned mixed veg.Cash and carry mash and one small piece of Iceland £1 kiev for £5.15 is not worth it.
Early evening they had run out of salads.
The huge bar at the back has been shut for seven years but you can buy a tinnie and sup it in the cafe if it is not shut at 20.00.
Go to the White Hart over the foot bridge.Pub meals.Real ales.Attractive and young staff that become more attractive after pint number two.
There is a big hotel opposite that has a bar but the meals are very expensive.
I did wonder why all the drivers were coming back to their cabs with bags of food.Bit of a clue there then.
You could get a bus in to town and a taxi back if there for a longer rest period.
Chippenham truck stop is much better.But Stobbarts have been granted permision for 20 trucks and trailers to use it as operating centre.
Think half the problem is drivers not using the facilities on site leads to the demise of sites, Orwell will be the latest victim when the owner runs out of cash.
The owner of the punch bowl on the A66 had free parking, but if the drivers didn’t go into the pub for food or a drink the owner told them to get off his car park!
toby1234abc:
Chippenham truck stop is much better.But Stobbarts have been granted permision for 20 trucks and trailers to use it as operating centre.
Actually it’s Jenkinsons. I’m in there
most Fridays around 1900 and they’ve taken the whole of the parking past the pumps.
Cheers
Neilf
The Operating licence is in the name of Stobarts for the base for Jenkinsons accirding to the Vosa website.
“Swindon truck stop.Gone down hill”
Breaking news from the Tobemeister
Gone downhill? Would have to been up a hill in the first place. Truck stops thought for too long they could dish up crap food and get away with it. Not anymore. If the like of Orwell want to survive then make people want to come there, sure that’s business 101. Its not rocket science. I used to use truckstops, until I realised they were all serving the same dross and started cooking in the cab. Most of them only have themselves to blame.
It will be on the front page of The Sun tomorrow.
Headlines will run as “Drivers shun truckstop grub.Drivers photographed with carrier bags of food.Police suspect foul play.Undercover officers deployed to checl carrier bag contents.Mafia suspicions ruled out.”.
All good in Tobyworld.What a fun place to be in.
switchlogic:
Gone downhill? Would have to been up a hill in the first place. Truck stops thought for too long they could dish up crap food and get away with it. Not anymore. If the like of Orwell want to survive then make people want to come there, sure that’s business 101. Its not rocket science. I used to use truckstops, until I realised they were all serving the same dross and started cooking in the cab. Most of them only have themselves to blame.
I’m of the same opinion Luke, I never use truckstops in the UK now, poor facilities & crap food. I’m lucky in that I’m back at base usually once per day & can use the toilet/showers when I’m there. If our truckstops were similar to the Autohofs I’d happily use them, spotlessly clean with good fresh cooked food, you may pay a bit more for the food but quality over quantity any day.
Mr Vern.You have summed up what i was going to say.They view drivers as dunces and serve cash and carry cheap as chips muck to a gullible audience that would eat badger or fox pie if it was on the menu.
Pull in at five pm.Stroppy ■■■■■■■ the counter bleets out sorry love ,no road kill left.All gone.
Do they not think we can tell the difference to a cheap banger to a posh banger.
I vote with my feet.Once served rubbish food or bad service i never go back.I would go hungry and go past the place.
Years ago drivers were allowed to use the canteen in Southampton container port.Cheap food that was good.The men in suits put a stop to that.
There was a lady that opened the boot of her car to sell food in the waiting area of the port.They got rid of her.
On Eurowork i was cooking camion cuisine.But missed the social aspect of being waited on and not having to wash up.A chin wag with foreign drivers relaxes you after a long day driving.
Downhill!!
When was it ever uphill it’s never not stank of stale grease and fat. I even prefer to use the customer loos in Sainsburys.
The “smart pay” system on the diesel pumps always goes into ■■■■ mode when I get fuel. Useless thing takes several attempts to work. I saw the sign about “all cards must be checked” so went into shop and fat frumpy bird bit my head off. The food smells disgusting and now theres a sign in lorry park about being for cafe users only. Sell decent stuff (or at least half decent) and treat stop treating lorry drivers like retarded lepers flogging the big issue, and I might buy something.
Park up, get a decent meal at the White Hart, the council have closed the road so they will welcome your business there.
Just want to give a shout out to the rude old hag in the cafe… First time I’ve used the cafe here and by George, it will be the last. Be rude and unpleasant to people, and that’s what you get. The staff in the this place are, on the whole, crap. It’s like Ripleys Believe it or Not in there
claretmatt:
Just want to give a shout out to the rude old hag in the cafe… The staff in the this place are, on the whole, crap. It’s like Ripleys Believe it or Not in there
That sir is one of the best descriptions of the place I’ve heard.
This place in my opinion is not a truck stop
Saying that I am yet to see a physical description of the above anywhere in the uk
As people have said the boozer other the road is your best option if you find yourself there for the night.
if you fancy a small wallk there’s a weather jims about a mile and a half from there even cheaper its called the dockle farmhouse should you wish to google its location
If you think that Swindon’s gone downhill, try the Titan truckstop at Thurrock, what a ■■■■ hole. Truckstop? they have to be kidding!
Is that Titan in Thurrock still open? I thought they shut it? Not that I was ever there.
If the places stops you parking there for not using the café cant you just buy a brew and lash it down the drain?
They tried to open a truck stop on Gregory’s old site in Sparkford. Andy (the old owner of Cartgate) wanted a 24 hours café, secure parking, truckers shop, drivers rest room, showers all like that. The council put a stop to it because they didn’t want the volume of lorries in the village, despite a milk depot being there for 15+ years.
I know Cartgate food was fairly bad but at least they were open all night, parking was fairly secure and there was always one decent looking woman on.
There are very few decent truck stops left and those that are charge a fortune
switchlogic:
Gone downhill? Would have to been up a hill in the first place. Truck stops thought for too long they could dish up crap food and get away with it. Not anymore. If the like of Orwell want to survive then make people want to come there, sure that’s business 101. Its not rocket science. I used to use truckstops, until I realised they were all serving the same dross and started cooking in the cab. Most of them only have themselves to blame.
Sense spoken^^^^
Why do these idiots think drivers will pay silly money for poor standards of food, poor facilities and cleanliness standards that would disgust a dog?
No one would mind paying a little over the odds if the food was superb and the facilities likewise. But to charge top money for a poor product has only one final outcome.
Inselaffe:
“Swindon truck stop.Gone down hill”Breaking news from the Tobemeister
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did it ever go up hill