Where are the Little Chefs going?

[NSWP]

Greggs is getting bigger, a few popping up on the A roads. Nothing wrong with a nice pasty or sausage roll.

[trickstat]

Northamptonshire would have had more of the A1 when it included the Soke of Peterborough, before it joined with Huntingdonshire and then absorbed by Cambridgeshire.

Not even in Cambs any more is it? Isn't Peterborough a unitary authority?

It is still in the Ceremonial County of Cambs and in Cambs for sport.

[trickstat]

I never could stand Little Chef & generally avoided them like the plague. Overpriced pre-packed rubbish IMO. Being a lorry driver though l usually knew of a surviving trad' cafe l could pull into for a decent meal.

Even in its heyday there were some drivers (inc non-HGV) who preferred a 'greasy spoon'.

[James Heaton]

Greggs is getting bigger, a few popping up on the A roads. Nothing wrong with a nice pasty or sausage roll.

Often operated by Euro Garages, in former LC premises. Burger King/Greggs/Subway seems to be their standard offer in these, if they have the space.

James

[baroudeur]

I never could stand Little Chef & generally avoided them like the plague. Overpriced pre-packed rubbish IMO. Being a lorry driver though l usually knew of a surviving trad' cafe l could pull into for a decent meal.

Even in its heyday there were some drivers (inc non-HGV) who preferred a 'greasy spoon'.

Such as the one my father used on the A1 at Great Ponton, south of Grantham, in the 60's, where the owner (Tony's ?) kept and slaughtered his own pigs? Fantastic bacon sandwiches. It then moved to the roundabout at the northern end of the Grantham by-pass/A1 junction which is now a retail shopping centre.

[trickstat]

I never could stand Little Chef & generally avoided them like the plague. Overpriced pre-packed rubbish IMO. Being a lorry driver though l usually knew of a surviving trad' cafe l could pull into for a decent meal.

Even in its heyday there were some drivers (inc non-HGV) who preferred a 'greasy spoon'.

Such as the one my father used on the A1 at Great Ponton, south of Grantham, in the 60's, where the owner (Tony's ?) kept and slaughtered his own pigs? Fantastic bacon sandwiches. It then moved to the roundabout at the northern end of the Grantham by-pass/A1 junction which is now a retail shopping centre.

IIRC there was a Little Chef within the services at the northern end of the Grantham bypass. I remember stopping at those services when travelling by coach to Newcastle. The next stop was at Washington services for the police escort to the football stadium (Newcastle v Stevenage FA Cup 1998).

[Glenn A]

I never could stand Little Chef & generally avoided them like the plague. Overpriced pre-packed rubbish IMO. Being a lorry driver though l usually knew of a surviving trad' cafe l could pull into for a decent meal.

Even in its heyday there were some drivers (inc non-HGV) who preferred a 'greasy spoon'.

Quite a few lived on and I can remember The Sun promoting them over " rip off" MSAs in the nineties.

[Berk]

Does anyone have any figures what % of outlets survived?? And which brands they converted to??

I guess to be meaningful, that would have to only include branches still open from 2007 onwards (when RCapital took over).

On another note, it was good to see both outlets still open at Family Farm when I was driving home from holiday (now Starbucks). And Honiton too, of course.

[SteveA30]

I don't think there are figures for anything, unless someone has privately compiled info. Most have become Starbucks or Greggs/Subway or Mcdonalds. Some have retained the Burger King half. A few are independent cafes. Some are non café businesses. A few have been demolished and redeveloped. Some are derelict still but, their numbers are declining. The LC website is still out there, forgotten by the last disinterested owner.
http://www.littlechef.co.uk/

[Fenlander]

The ex-LC at Sutterton (A16/A17 roundabout) was recently refurbished and reopened as a bigger hall with Burger King, Greggs and Subway. It is now under attack by a brand new set of services directly opposite the same roundabout that will include amongst other things a Mcdonalds. Bizarrely just 5 miles up the A16 towards Boston another Burger King is about to open.

[c2R]

It looks like renovation activity is going on at the Markham moor little chef. Perhaps a Greggs or Starbucks looking at the colour scheme....

[Berk]

I wish it’s space-age roof would fly off in a gale or something. It looks spectacularly ugly.

[c2R]

I disagree, I think it, and the one at Wansford that's now the Ducatti dealer are interesting sights/waymarks from the 20th century and are rightly preserved

[James Heaton]

It looks like renovation activity is going on at the Markham moor little chef. Perhaps a Greggs or Starbucks looking at the colour scheme....

Have had a dig in Bassetlaw planning online. Spent about 20mins with an application before realising it was the LC to KFC conversion on the other side... Grrr...

So no idea. May just be make good works as it's listed, to prevent further deterioration.

James

[James Heaton]

It looks like renovation activity is going on at the Markham moor little chef. Perhaps a Greggs or Starbucks looking at the colour scheme....

Have had a dig in Bassetlaw planning online. Spent about 20mins with an application before realising it was the LC to KFC conversion on the other side... Grrr...

So no idea. May just be make good works as it's listed, to prevent further deterioration.

Scratch that Bassetlaw 16/00569/COU - sorry can't do a link, it's Idox and it needs session cookies.

Intention at that time was a split site LC/BK. The application is still within time - JUST - 3yr limit expires Sep 2019.

The branding is not so relevant as the principal of advertising consent is established and similar size should be acceptable as minor variation.

The crucial thing is - are they just looking to preserve the permission, or actually do something. The 3yr condition is to begin within 3yrs - once commenced, it's valid indefinitely unless council serves a notice requiring completion (rarely done!) So this would enable them to market site with permission.

Starbucks have denied it's them in the local press. But looks like suffinks gorn on!

Anyone who spots anymore let us know!

J

[c2R]

It looks like renovation activity is going on at the Markham moor little chef. Perhaps a Greggs or Starbucks looking at the colour scheme....

Have had a dig in Bassetlaw planning online. Spent about 20mins with an application before realising it was the LC to KFC conversion on the other side... Grrr...

So no idea. May just be make good works as it's listed, to prevent further deterioration.

James

No, they did that already (although I suppose it's not beyond the realm of possibility that it would need doing again). However, what made me think that it's more than standard repairs is that it looks like the car parks are being resurface and painted with spaces, and the building itself is definitely a grey and black sort of colour scheme.

I did a search by map and have found the following:

19/00497/COU - Proposed Alterations to Create New Drive Thru Coffee Shop

Former Little Chef
A1 East Markham Southbound
East Markham
Nottinghamshire
DN22 0QX

http://publicaccess.bassetlaw.gov.uk/on ... 1B2CSL4Q00


this appears to have been withdrawn, perhaps it was deemed that it wasn't needed after all for the works that are occurring given the 2016 permission, who knows?!

[edit - this gives the property history for the site http://publicaccess.bassetlaw.gov.uk/on ... 7Z9CSLI000

[c2R]

Starbucks have denied it's them in the local press. But looks like suffinks gorn on!

Starbucks have applied for the following planning consent (last month) at the site to put in electrical charging facilities: http://publicaccess.bassetlaw.gov.uk/on ... ab=summary

They list the address as: Starbucks Development A1 East Markham Southbound East Markham Newark DN22 0QX

That seems fairly conclusive...

[AAndy]

Nice to still see directional signs to little chef ... this one at Stowmarket

[James Heaton]

Starbucks have denied it's them in the local press. But looks like suffinks gorn on!

Starbucks have applied for the following planning consent (last month) at the site to put in electrical charging facilities: http://publicaccess.bassetlaw.gov.uk/on ... ab=summary

They list the address as: Starbucks Development A1 East Markham Southbound East Markham Newark DN22 0QX

That seems fairly conclusive...

Agreed - and nice to see Bassetlaw have got the new Idox that has emailable links.

Wish we'd had that when I was with a council that used it...

The photo log and design and access statement are worth a read.

Bingo I think!

J

[trickstat]

I disagree, I think it, and the one at Wansford that's now the Ducatti dealer are interesting sights/waymarks from the 20th century and are rightly preserved

For me the Markham Moor roof is something of a waymark that I am pretty much in the North (relatively speaking as a Southerner).