Best Places to Eat on a Road Trip with a Big Family
I love a road trip. Since we started taking our kids Youth Hostelling a few years ago, we’ve been visiting parts of the UK that we’ve never been to before. This usually involves a significant amount of time on the road. When they were small, I would prepare a travel pack loaded with activities, snacks, lunch and more snacks for each child. Keeping them entertained and, more importantly, fed was the goal. At the end of the journey, our car would look like a miniature food bomb had gone off somewhere along the way.
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Now our kids are a bit old for ‘I Spy’ and other highly amusing games, we’ve decided that stopping for a meal is a fun addition to our journeys. It gives us a break from driving, and we get to discover new places to eat, which is always a popular activity in our family. But how to do that with a big family on a budget? Mealtimes when you’re travelling can be a challenge if you don’t want to resort to fast food every time.
When suggesting places to eat, I would usually go for restaurants that serve locally produced, beautifully presented meals. For special occasions or date nights, this is absolutely the way to go. However, on a road trip it’s more about quantity and cost as far as we’re concerned. Feeding the family without breaking the bank is our priority here. With that in mind, I’ve created a list of some of our favourite eating spots when we’re on the road. So, whether you’re exploring the UK or heading towards a ferry or the Eurotunnel, I recommend giving these places a go.
Toby Carvery
Not one for the food snobs, but I have to say that I think Toby Carveries are great when you’re on a road trip. You get loads of food for a pretty low price, and that makes me happy. Basically, there’s a carvery buffet with various meats, vegetables and everything you would want with a roast dinner. The menu includes other options, but pretty much everyone goes for the roast. Kids can pick and choose the bits they want, and you can go back for more vegetables and sides as often as you like. You can find Toby Carveries all over England, Scotland and Wales, which is perfect if you don’t want to make a huge detour. Check their website for offers such as ‘Kids Eat for £1’ and Blue Light Card holder discounts.
Pizza Hut Restaurants
Again, not one for discerning foodies. But we’re talking about filling those tummies and having a fun meal for a reasonable price. Although there are plenty of Pizza Hut takeaway places around, the restaurants tend to be near the big towns or cities. If your route takes you close to one of these before 3 pm, their unlimited lunchtime buffet is worth stopping for. Pizza, pasta and salad are included in the regular deal. Bottomless soft drinks and ice-cream factory are also included with the ‘All In’ option.
Otter Valley Field Kitchen – East Devon
After years of trundling down to South Devon each summer, we finally opened our eyes and spotted this fabulous establishment. Located bang slap on the A30, close to Honiton, this has quickly become one of our favourite places to stop. Independently owned with incredible views over the Blackdown Hills, the menu includes breakfasts, pizzas and sandwiches made with locally produced ingredients. But it is not for these that we stop. It is for their gelato style ice-cream made with cream from their own cows. This is really and truly some of the best ice-cream I have ever had the pleasure of eating. With a huge range of flavours and generous servings in crisp waffle cones, I highly recommend making a pit-stop for one of these beauties. You’ll never look at ice-cream the same again.
Brucciani – Morecambe, Lancashire
Another independently owned place, I discovered this absolute gem on a recent road trip with my mum. Found on the sea-front in Morecambe, it’s perfectly located for a quick stop on your way up to the Lake District. With the original Art Deco interior still intact from the 1930s, visiting this quirky café is like stepping back in time. The menu is very reasonably priced, and includes sandwiches and jacket potatoes with various fillings plus cakes, ice-creams and sundaes. And there’s no music playing, which couldn’t make me happier.
Chef & Brewer
Like the chains mentioned above, Chef & Brewer pubs are found throughout England and Wales, making them a handy place to stop on your road trip. With excellent value lunch and kids’ menus, eating here won’t cost the earth. Blue Light Card holders get a discount on most food and drink, making the lunch menu an absolute bargain. If you’re travelling in the evening, sign up to their website to get frequent offers on food.
McArthur Glen Designer Outlet – Bridgend, South Wales
If you’re heading through South Wales, check out this huge shopping outlet located just off Junction 36 of the M4. With several restaurants and coffee shops including Zizzi, Wagamama and Costa, you’ll find somewhere to feed the family easily. Take the opportunity to have a mooch around some of the outlet stores before hitting the road again. Cadbury, Clarks and Lindt feature alongside many others.
Herbies Diner – Cambridgeshire
I’m a sucker for American Diners. They might be cheesy and kitsch, but I can’t help it. I love them. This fine example is found north-west of Cambridge on the A1307. With burgers, hot dogs, ribs and pizzas, this place serves a classic American menu. And the portions are big, as you would expect. The Kids Combo includes a main course, dessert and drink for £7 with optional upgrade to a milkshake for an extra £1.
McDonald’s – Cheriton High Street, Folkestone
Very occasionally, you need a McDonald’s, and you need one now. When Eurotunnel deposits you in Folkestone at some unearthly hour, you’re miles from home, and everybody’s hungry is one of those times. And that’s where this little McDonald’s comes in. Open until midnight, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief when those golden arches come into view. We recently had the joy of discovering that they do indeed serve right up to midnight when we screeched into the car park at 11:52 pm and ran through the doors. I don’t think Big Macs have ever been thrown together at such speed, but I can tell you they tasted pretty good. Worth a mention is that there is a Tesco and a petrol station right next door, both of which also stay open until midnight.
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