LESLEY KEATING: Fast food at services must be stopped in its tracks

Motorway station food has really become the pits

On a recent family trip up north by car, I suddenly realised why kids tend to emit that age-old clarion call of '˜are we nearly there yet?'

To say that the journey was mind-numbingly boring was an understatement.

After the first couple of hours I had to resign myself to the reality of enduring hours and hours of grey, dismal M6 on a drizzly June day, with the only highlight being the anticipation of service station pit stops for what is laughably described as ‘food’.

Crikey, what a challenge. When it came to lunchtime our hearts sank. Maybe it’s just me but what’s wrong with offering a few healthy options in food outlets?

Surely not everyone wants to stuff themselves with Burger King’s offerings or tuck into an all-day English breakfast?

One service station we visited actually had three Costa Coffee outlets inside and one outside too – all were serving just cakes and a few sad and uninspiring sandwiches.

In contrast, London Waterloo Station now offers a brand new Pure outlet, serving healthy food choices as well as plenty of great options for vegans and vegetarians too.