Today, The Prince of Wales officially opened Gloucester Services on the M5. Dedicated to local food, farming and the surrounding community, the services has two main aims; to make local food not just the preserve of elite shops and farmers markets, but accessible and affordable to everyone on the move, and to inject vital investment back into the surrounding community. Gloucester Services, unique in its approach, is the only motorway services to donate 2% of sales to Charity.
Prince Charles met the butchers, bakers, fishmongers and sausage roll makers who work and supply the services with local food. Gloucester Services is a refreshingly different type of motorway services - no chains, no franchises, no fast food on the forecourt.
Instead, a farmshop stocked with locally produced food, a butchery featuring Gloucestershire’s finest meat, the world’s 1st motorway fishmonger and a kitchen serving homemade dishes created from locally-sourced produce every day.
The services source local food from over 130 local suppliers within 30 miles of the services and 70 producers from across the South West. The motorway services are home to their own bee hives, and HRH was presented with the 1st jar of “M5 honey” to celebrate the occasion. Charles also finished the final flourish of the “honey mural” commissioned to commemorate the occasion.
Gloucester Services also announced a joint initiative with Prince Charles' Countryside Fund, launching The Prince’s Countryside Fund Sandwich, where 10p per sandwich will be donated to The Fund, to support the projects and people who care for the countryside.
The Wild Boar, Single Gloucester & Tomato & Red pepper sandwiches are all handmade on site with ingredients sourced from Cinderhill farm, chutney from Relish and Single Gloucester cheese from Godsells creamery, just a mile from the motorway services.
Prince Charles also met individuals from several local charities, including The Nelson Trust, Play Gloucestershire, The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and Fare Shares, who thanks to a unique partnership between Gloucester Services & the Gloucestershire Gateway Trust will benefit from additional funding. 2% of sales will be donated to charity and will be invested primarily into local communities surrounding the services.
Sarah Dunning, CEO of Westmorland Family who own and operate the services says, “It’s been a tremendous honour to have HRH The Prince of Wales officially open Gloucester Services. We share a mutual love and respect for the countryside. Farming is at the very heart of Gloucestershire life and landscape and the Westmorland Family team are only too aware of how sustainable local retailing can be a powerful economic force in supporting the rural economy.”
