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Junction 23 Truckstop
Despite the bleak midwinter conditions, the Junction 23 Truckstop was easy to find, being only 200 yards off the MI (no prizes for guessing which junction!). Snow had given a seasonal dusting to many of the trucks outside and a long queue of drivers had gathered inside from all over the land.
The forecast was for copious amounts of some of the splendid tea and a taste of an inviting looking breakfast. The star in this culinary story was an additional extra to the staple diet of two fried eggs on fried bread, a choice of tomatoes or baked beans, two sausages, three or four rashers of crisp and even bacon, tea and a round of toast for £2.45.
There was a golden glow about the potato scallops and they were a gift at 37p for a generous helping. Once served, I followed as three wise men from the East Midlands made a move towards tables in one corner.
The restaurant side does not open until 11:30hrs and at just after 08:45 table room in the cafe was at a premium. It's not that the Junction 23 cafe is particularly small; the crowd was more a reflection of its popularity.
It would be a good kitchen that could reproduce potato scallops like these but I was disappointed with the sausages. Bland would have to be the word, although there was some compensation in the texture and flavour of the bacon. Eggs were cooked to a turn and served sunnyside-up, although predictably on top of a fried bread slice which was losing the fight to support them after absorbing the juice from the skinned tomatoes.
Satisfied, and still under the warming influence of the hot tea, drivers visiting Junction 23 enjoy the additional comfort afforded by a fenced compound with video surveillance offering a degree of reassurance against load pilfering. A value-for-money overnight parking ticket costs £6 which also entitles you to £2.50 off the cost of breakfast or evening meal. Parking only is £3.50; credit and fuel cards are accepted and a truck wash is available. There are no bedrooms.
Colin Thompson, a driver with Mike Ellis of Gloucester; says he has only stopped for the night once, but the toilets and communal shower block are clean and accessible all night.
Subsequent examination confirmed this to be accurate on both counts. Barry Shinn and Karl Jolley who drive for Tomlinsons of Leeds report that evening entertainment includes a video, and there is a pool table in the restaurant. It opens for a couple of hours at lunchtime, and reopens in the evening for food until 21:00hrs, when the cafe also closes.
The restaurant has waitress service and a slightly more ambitious menu. Items like chicken Kiev and scampi supplement the food menu from the cafe which is also available. Lamb Barnsley sounded interesting, as did the alcohol-free bar. Mind you, this might please the 0-licence holder more than it does the driver on a night away.
This doesn't seem to put anyone off however: "I've been here at 9.30pm and it was difficult to get on the park,' says Barry Slinn. Of the three wise men, all drivers from Nottingham Dyers, only one had chosen to eat on this particular cold and frosty morning.
Making another wise move, Stephen Morgan had selected the bacon sandwich at 90p. Colleagues Des Boot and Sam Fletcher had only the tea on this occasion, but they think highly enough of the cuisine to choose Junction 23 for the works' Christmas dinner this year, together with their colleagues from the loading bay.
Cafe manager Clive Peberdy ran a week of festive dinners up to 17 December including stuffed turkey, chipolatas, roast and creamed potatoes, mince pies and traditional pudding with brandy sauce for a little over £3. No doubt messrs Boot, Morgan and Fletcher, who were all delivering various items of hosiery, supplied their own Christmas stockings..