Food guide shines on operator
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A HAULAGE contractor cafe owner is in the top 12 transport cafes chosen by Egon Ronay for the Lucas Guide to Transport Cafes published this week.
Atkins Transport Cafe on the A38 in Derbyshire tops the list of 12.
The others are: The Blinking Owl A127, Essex: The Blue Star Al, Notts: The Cafe A303, Hants; Four Oaks Cafe A13, Essex; Kernel Transport Hotel and Cafe A35, West Midlands; Merlindale Cafe A75, Strathclyde; Morleys Transportel Al, Notts; Routetnaster Hotel and Restaurant A45 (Felixstowe Docks) Suffolk: 9 Star Motel A5, Greyredd; Tom's Cafe and Motel A30, Cornwall.
Prices at the top cafes varied from £5.50 bed and breakfast at the Star, down to £2.50 at Atkins where drivers can also get a vast dinner for 80p.
A spokesman for Lucas said on Monday that the recom mended places were as acceptable to the general public as they were to hgv drivers.
The Lucas guide has also "been looking into some dark places" according to the spokesman.
Standards of hygiene were found to be less than accept able in 60 of the 321 cafes visited by the Ronay inspectors.
Of the 86 listed as overnight. accommodation stops, 17 had neither showers nor baths available.
The guide is well presented and represents good value for money at 95 pence.