Harvester, the Mitchells and Butlers owned casual restaurant chain, has announced it is to open the first licensed pub restaurant next to a motorway in the UK, beating a proposed plan from JD Wetherspoon to open a pub at Beaconsfield services next to the M40.
Opening on 21 May, the Harvester site is one of four new sites opening for the company this year. It will be run under a franchise at Donington Park Services on the M1.
It also means that it will be the motorway’s first waitress service restaurants since Little Chef and Red Hen back in the 1990s.
Harvester will also open at Whiteley, Fareham on 23 May, West Bromwich on 25 June and Glasgow Fort on 23 July, which will be the 210th opening for the brand.
JD Wetherspoons have applied to South Bucks District Council for their licensed premises at Beaconsfield service startion but will not know where permission has been granted until the end of June.