Stopping to eat on the A1

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doebag
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Re: Stopping to eat on the A1

Post by doebag »

Big L wrote: Sat Aug 03, 2019 17:40
Alderpoint wrote: Sat Aug 03, 2019 13:12
Rob590 wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2019 11:40 In terms of the A1 specifically, a few examples that I've used before or would recommend:
[*] Morrison's in Boroughbridge
Stopped there yesterday afternoon on my way north. only to get some sandwiches and a drink for which it was fine.

But shocked at the price of Diesel: 134ppl - that's more motorway price than supermarket prices.
You're joking. I drove past Frankley on Thursday and fuel was 155.
This. Scotch Corner was 155p last week as well. Not that it was me paying it.
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nowster
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Re: Stopping to eat on the A1

Post by nowster »

I will criticise the coffee at OK Diners, even though I drink it. It's usually been sitting around too long in a heated jug so can taste a bit stale at times.
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Alderpoint
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Re: Stopping to eat on the A1

Post by Alderpoint »

Big L wrote: Sat Aug 03, 2019 17:40
Alderpoint wrote: Sat Aug 03, 2019 13:12
Rob590 wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2019 11:40 In terms of the A1 specifically, a few examples that I've used before or would recommend:
[*] Morrison's in Boroughbridge
Stopped there yesterday afternoon on my way north. only to get some sandwiches and a drink for which it was fine.

But shocked at the price of Diesel: 134ppl - that's more motorway price than supermarket prices.
You're joking. I drove past Frankley on Thursday and fuel was 155.
That really does explain why I never even think of buying fuel in a motorway services. Normal price in supermarkets around here is ~125ppl.

Through work I can get a BP fuel card - every Monday you get an email telling you the price for unleaded&diesel, and then you pay that price at *any* BP station for the week, regardless of the pump prices. The blurb says that this can save you 20p/litre at Motorway service stations so I should have been aware that the Morrisons 134 wasn't that bad - just more than I'm used to paying.

More Costco branches are now supplying fuel: if I'm on my travels and go past one of those then I do try to fill up, typically seem to be about 5ppl cheaper than the local supermarkets and my Saab seems to like the fuel too although that may be because I'm doing lots of longer journeys these days.
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Mark Hewitt
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Re: Stopping to eat on the A1

Post by Mark Hewitt »

Bertiebus wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2019 20:22
rhyds wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2019 13:29 A big part of the problem when it comes to lists like these of "just off motorway" places is that having such a list is fine if you've got a passenger, not so good if you're driving alone. What would be handy would be a handy POI list to add to a satnav, or some kind of waze/google maps add-on.
What's to stop a solo driver looking at a list before they set off and having a few options in mind? Surely the internet/satnav age hasn't made the memory / attention span of the average driver that short? :shock:

Or even, heaven forfend, adding a few moments to the journey by pulling off at a junction en route for a few moments to check?
Whenever we've done a long journey I like to do exactly that. Find a few options for non-motorway service type places to stop at that may be suitable for lunch/dinner/loo stop. In fact I'm about to do just that for our Durham to Ayr trip later in the month.
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roadtester
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Re: Stopping to eat on the A1

Post by roadtester »

Mark Hewitt wrote: Mon Aug 05, 2019 11:47
Bertiebus wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2019 20:22
rhyds wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2019 13:29 A big part of the problem when it comes to lists like these of "just off motorway" places is that having such a list is fine if you've got a passenger, not so good if you're driving alone. What would be handy would be a handy POI list to add to a satnav, or some kind of waze/google maps add-on.
What's to stop a solo driver looking at a list before they set off and having a few options in mind? Surely the internet/satnav age hasn't made the memory / attention span of the average driver that short? :shock:

Or even, heaven forfend, adding a few moments to the journey by pulling off at a junction en route for a few moments to check?
Whenever we've done a long journey I like to do exactly that. Find a few options for non-motorway service type places to stop at that may be suitable for lunch/dinner/loo stop. In fact I'm about to do just that for our Durham to Ayr trip later in the month.
On my sat nav, it's very easy to do an "along the route" POI search for services such as filling stations or eating opportunities. It has both facilities that are directly on the road and those that are nearby but slightly off the road, with a little road symbol that allows you to distinguish between the two. I find it really useful. The sat nav also has info on each place as well when you select it - e.g phone number, which I think you can dial directly via the car to call ahead - although this is probably more useful for checking stuff with hotels and attractions rather than places to eat.

A friend of mine who is into all this tech told me that on the BMW system you can also even click through and get online reviews etc. but I've never bothered/needed to check this out.
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rhyds
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Re: Stopping to eat on the A1

Post by rhyds »

Bertiebus wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2019 20:22
rhyds wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2019 13:29 A big part of the problem when it comes to lists like these of "just off motorway" places is that having such a list is fine if you've got a passenger, not so good if you're driving alone. What would be handy would be a handy POI list to add to a satnav, or some kind of waze/google maps add-on.
What's to stop a solo driver looking at a list before they set off and having a few options in mind? Surely the internet/satnav age hasn't made the memory / attention span of the average driver that short? :shock:

Or even, heaven forfend, adding a few moments to the journey by pulling off at a junction en route for a few moments to check?
My attention span is fine, thanks for asking!

As for your other points, when I'm on a long journey I tend to pull in when I feel like it (or when bodily functions dictate), rather than when I reach a given point in the journey. I also don't stick to the most obvious routes every time (to avoid traffic or just for a change), so a list/guide that can take in to account GPS position and traffic conditions would be fantastic.

As for pulling in at a junction and looking up options, you'll have a lot more luck than I will I'm sure, as every possible pull-in spot is usually taken up by a lorry driver on his/her 45 minute break.
Built for comfort, not speed.
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rhyds
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Re: Stopping to eat on the A1

Post by rhyds »

roadtester wrote: Mon Aug 05, 2019 12:06
Mark Hewitt wrote: Mon Aug 05, 2019 11:47
Bertiebus wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2019 20:22
What's to stop a solo driver looking at a list before they set off and having a few options in mind? Surely the internet/satnav age hasn't made the memory / attention span of the average driver that short? :shock:

Or even, heaven forfend, adding a few moments to the journey by pulling off at a junction en route for a few moments to check?
Whenever we've done a long journey I like to do exactly that. Find a few options for non-motorway service type places to stop at that may be suitable for lunch/dinner/loo stop. In fact I'm about to do just that for our Durham to Ayr trip later in the month.
On my sat nav, it's very easy to do an "along the route" POI search for services such as filling stations or eating opportunities. It has both facilities that are directly on the road and those that are nearby but slightly off the road, with a little road symbol that allows you to distinguish between the two. I find it really useful. The sat nav also has info on each place as well when you select it - e.g phone number, which I think you can dial directly via the car to call ahead - although this is probably more useful for checking stuff with hotels and attractions rather than places to eat.

A friend of mine who is into all this tech told me that on the BMW system you can also even click through and get online reviews etc. but I've never bothered/needed to check this out.
The downside is that there's little in the way of recommendation with those lists apart from guessing from any brand names, also I know that even in the latest updates there are many places marked that are long since closed down.

However the tomtom POIs were generally much more accurate than the labels/pin drops you got on Google Maps, which seem to bear little relationship to a site's actual location or road access!
Built for comfort, not speed.
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the cheesecake man
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Re: Stopping to eat on the A1

Post by the cheesecake man »

I remember one dark wet evening in the late 80s we encountered nasty traffic on the A1 near Harrogate before reaching our planned Little Chef. Instead we took a detour and stumbled across this excellent little pub in Little Ouseburn and had a very tasty meal including a delicious chocolate fudge cake. We've been back deliberately several times since.
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stu531
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Re: Stopping to eat on the A1

Post by stu531 »

ravenbluemoon wrote: Sat Aug 03, 2019 16:50 Wetherby can be a pain when busy, and Leeming Bar is a faff to get to.
Pubs I can recommend without going too far from the A1:

Bay Horse, Kirk Deighton
Castle, Spofforth
Tiger, Coneythorpe
Punch Bowl, Marton-cum-Grafton (Neil Morrissey from Boys Behaving Badly used to own that - don't let that put you off :D )
Crown, Roecliffe

If you don't mind going a little further, Ripon's Oliver's Pantry is legendary. The walls and ceilings are covered in OS Landranger & Barts maps. You tend to find yourself staring away whilst lunching!
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Re: Stopping to eat on the A1

Post by Chris56000 »

Hi!
If you don't mind going a little further, Ripon's Oliver's Pantry is legendary. The walls and ceilings are covered in OS Landranger & Barts maps. You tend to find yourself staring away whilst lunching!
I'll have to go and have a look then! Does Oliver's Pantry involve town–centre parking or is it by the roadside?

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Big Nick
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Re: Stopping to eat on the A1

Post by Big Nick »

Chris56000 wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 05:38 Hi!
If you don't mind going a little further, Ripon's Oliver's Pantry is legendary. The walls and ceilings are covered in OS Landranger & Barts maps. You tend to find yourself staring away whilst lunching!
I'll have to go and have a look then! Does Oliver's Pantry involve town–centre parking or is it by the roadside?

Chris Williams
Looks to be very much in town centre but not far from a car park. Could be a nice place for lunch during a SABRE Yorkshire meet.
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stu531
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Re: Stopping to eat on the A1

Post by stu531 »

Chris56000 wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 05:38 Hi!
If you don't mind going a little further, Ripon's Oliver's Pantry is legendary. The walls and ceilings are covered in OS Landranger & Barts maps. You tend to find yourself staring away whilst lunching!
I'll have to go and have a look then! Does Oliver's Pantry involve town–centre parking or is it by the roadside?

Chris Williams
Best place to park- I do this pretty frequently - is at Booth's/Argos car park, which isn't too expensive and there's a snicket/ginnel that comes out just next to Oliver's.

Food, coffee and lunches are superb.
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punyXpress
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Re: Stopping to eat on the A1

Post by punyXpress »

stu531 wrote: Thu Aug 08, 2019 21:16
If you don't mind going a little further, Ripon's Oliver's Pantry is legendary. The walls and ceilings are covered in OS Landranger & Barts maps. You tend to find yourself staring away whilst lunching!
Another pub with cartographic adornment is the Gait Inn at Millington, near Pocklington.
Their map is of unknown origin and is somewhat darkened by decades of cigarette smoke!
As an aside, many years ago the then landlord asked us to amuse ourselves while he went to get a lottery ticket. I asked , if he was lucky would he give us the pub. He agreed, but I never knew the outcome of the bet!
Regarding comfort and food stops, there is a brief review in this month's Motor Sport of " Places to eat near the motorways "
At £14.95 it's a bit steep, but I wouldn't think all Sabristi limit their travels to the Great North Road.
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