When a highway construction plan sliced through John and Barbara Dunning’s farm in Cumbria, a region famed for its Lake District National Park and stunning mountains, they didn’t just see it as a loss.
They spotted a unique business opportunity.
The U.K. government’s decision to build the motorway required the Dunnings to part with some of their land, but they swiftly adapted.
By the late 1960s, they had established Tebay Services, marking the U.K.’s debut of a family-operated motorway service stop that showcased local produce.
Their daughter, Sarah Dunning, recounts the bold steps they took in launching Tebay in 1972. Initially, it was a modest roadside facility on the M6 motorway’s northbound side, featuring a small cafe with homemade food offerings and a craft shop selling regional products.
The collaboration with the Birketts family bakery played a crucial role in their growth.
Now, Tebay has evolved into much more, featuring facilities on both sides of the motorway, a hotel, a caravan park, and stores selling meat from their own farm.
Under Sarah Dunning’s leadership, the Westmorland Family group now runs not just Tebay but also other service areas in Gloucestershire and Lanarkshire, along with a community center in Rheged, Lake District….
