Welcome Break

Welcome Break

Current logo
Type	Private company
Industry	Hospitality
Founded	1960
Headquarters	Newport Pagnell, England, UK
Area served	United Kingdom
Key people	Rod McKie, CEO
Products	35 service stations
Revenue	£630m
Number of employees	4,500
Parent	Appia Investments
Website	www.welcomebreak.co.uk

Welcome Break is a company which operates 35 motorway service stations in the UK. It is the second largest motorway service area operator behind Moto.

History

The Welcome Break facility at Birchanger services, Essex, 2006.

Opened in 1960, the service area at Newport Pagnell on the M1 motorway near Milton Keynes by Motorway Services Ltd was the company's first service area under the Forte name and was only the second service area to be constructed on the fledgling UK motorway network. The name "Welcome Break" came from a chain of rival restaurants to Little Chef, created by Allen Jones. These restaurants eventually either became Happy Eaters or closed. The name was brought back to life when Hanson Trust used it to rename Ross Food's service stations. The company's portfolio was expanded to five motorway service areas during periods under the ownership of the Imperial Group and subsequently the Hanson Trust before being purchased by Trusthouse Forte in 1986. Under this deal, the Welcome Break name was adopted across the entire estate, with Trusthouse Forte's sixteen existing service areas re-branded as Welcome Break.

Separately owned Motels and Hotels

Welcome Break also operate Days Inn motels, Days Hotel and Ramada hotels at other sites other than their own, at Services and Town/City locations:

• Days Inn Peterborough services (A1(M)
• Days Inn Cambridge services (A14)
• Days Inn Stevenage Baldock services
• Days Inn Winchester services
• Ramada London Stansted
• Days Inn Cobham services (M25)
• Ramada Wakefield (M1)

Split from Trusthouse Forte

In January 1996, the Forte Group was the subject of a £3.9 billion hostile takeover by the British media group Granada. Due to Granada's existing major presence in the motorway services market, a subsequent investigation by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission ordered Granada to sell 27 of the Welcome Break sites. The company was eventually bought by Investcorp in 1997 for £476m. Investcorp then sold Welcome Break to Appia Investments in March 2008 for £500m.

Facilities

The main building at Welcome Break's Telford services

The facilities available at Welcome Break service areas varies at each site, with most sites open 24 hours a day throughout the year. Typically, each service area comprises a café or restaurant, a retail outlet, a hotel and a petrol station. All sites have WHSmith, Burger King, an eat-in restaurant, a coffee shop (Starbucks Coffee) and a petrol station (Shell or BP).

Days Inn/ Ramada

The majority of hotels at Welcome Break service areas are franchises of Days Inn or Ramada; many of these were once branded under Welcome Break's own brand, "Welcome Lodge" – the last of these, at Newport Pagnell and Charnock Richard, were rebranded to Days Inns in May 2009 and also took over operation of three former PURPLE hotels at Cambridge, Peterborough and Stevenage in July 2009, each three have reopened as Days Inn taking its total to 26. In September 2012, Welcome Break opened a Days Inn at the new Cobham Service area on the M25 and 2013 saw a rebrand of Days Hotel London North and Days Inn London Stansted into Ramada hotels In December 2014, Welcome Break purchased Days Hotel Wakefield, after a full refurbishment it was re opened as Ramada Wakefield in January 2015.

Eat In

Welcome Break's own brand Self-Service restaurant, which is being replaced with a new food court concept these food courts now feature a selection of brands varying from each location including Harry Ramsdens, Subway, Papa Johns Pizza, Dunkin Donuts & Tossed. All Locations have now been replaced.

Subway

New to the Welcome Break facilities is Subway opening 15 new units from January 2015 to May 2015.

Harry Ramsden's

At limited sites, Welcome Break have recently opened Harry Ramsden's a UK based fish and chip restaurant.Also offering a range of breakfast to eat in or take away. It's currently at most sites.

WHSmith

Recently, Welcome Break service areas have followed the industry-wide trend towards partnership with High Street brands. W H Smith stores have been introduced at the majority of Welcome Break sites as a replacement for the traditional unbranded retail outlets. Initially launched as a trial store at the Newport Pagnell site in February 2007, W H Smith stores have now been rolled out across the Welcome Break portfolio.

Waitrose

Waitrose has franchise stores across many services including: Newport Pagnell,Leicester, Hopwood Park, Fleet, Keele, Warwick North and South, Oxford, Membury West, Corley North, South Mimms, Gretna, Gordano & Cardiff Gate.

Starbucks

In May 2006, a branch of the international coffeehouse chain Starbucks was opened on a trial basis at Corley services on the M6 motorway. Starbucks is now available in most Welcome Break services. Some services have drive thru Starbucks in separate buildings.

Fone Bitz

Fone Bitz sell electronics across the motorway network and operate at most Welcome Break sites. Fone Bitz sell a range of Mobile Phone, iPad, iPod, Laptop, electronic and car accessories in general.

Welcome Break Gaming

Welcome Break Gaming is a self branded betting arcade located at all Welcome Break sites, except the Welcome Break operated Days Inn hotels and motels.

KFC

Welcome Break is a long-standing KFC licensee, operating KFC fast food restaurants at 24 of its service areas. In May 2005, Welcome Break announced a deal with KFC designed to bypass tough UK motorway signage legislation. UK law currently prevents motorway service area operators from displaying additional brand names other than their own company name on roadside signage. To circumvent this restriction, a new subsidiary company "Welcome Break KFC" was registered.

Burger King

Burger King has franchises at most Welcome Break sites.

Tossed

The healthy eating place offering smoothies, salads, juices and wraps

McDonald's

In 1995 it was announced that they were going to add a McDonald's to every one of the services, but the process was stopped after just two because Forte were acquired by Granada (now Moto), a deal which included Welcome Break and lost out to Burger King being added instead. There are only two McDonalds now at Fleet services and Woodall services. McDonald's is available at Roadchef and Extra Services

Ecotricity

In July 2011 it was announced that the green energy provider Ecotricity will be providing fast and normal electric vehicle charging stations at Welcome Break service stations, linking London in the south with Exeter in the west and Edinburgh in the north.

Logo

File:Welcome Break logo.png

Welcome Break logo until Summer 2006.

Welcome Break introduced a new company logo in September 2006. The swan, integral to the previous company logo, has been removed. The new logo features a black background with the words 'welcome' and 'break' in green and white respectively. Each site now also has a large mural depicting a local landmark unique to that site. Many of these were commissioned from artist David Fisher.

Locations

M74

• Abington
• Gretna Green

M11

• Birchanger Green

M62

• Burtonwood
• Hartshead Moor

M4

• Cardiff Gate
• Membury
• Sarn Park

M6

• Charnock Richard
• Corley
• Keele

A50

• Derby

M3

• Fleet

M5

• Gordano
• Michaelwood
• Sedgemoor

M42

• Hopwood Park

M1

• Leicester Forest East
• London Gateway
• Newport Pangell
• Woodall

M40

• Oxford
• Warwick North
• Warwick South

Other

• Peartree

M25

• South Mimms

M54

• Telford

See also

• RoadChef
• Moto
• Extra
• Motorway service station

External links

• Welcome Break
• Motorway Services Online – Welcome Break

News items

• Times article March 2008