When John and Barbara Dunning’s farm in Cumbria was divided by a new highway, they saw an opportunity instead of a setback. Cumbria, renowned for its scenic Lake District National Park and picturesque mountains, was about to change for the Dunnings.
After the U.K. government required them to sell some of their land for the highway, the Dunnings creatively turned this challenge into a business opportunity. By the late 1960s, they had opened Tebay Services, the first family-run motorway service stop in the U.K., focusing on local products.
Their daughter, Sarah Dunning, shares the story of starting Tebay in 1972. It was a simple rest stop on the M6 motorway’s northbound lane, with a small cafe serving home-cooked meals and a shop featuring local crafts. They also formed a long-term partnership with Birketts family bakery.
Now, Tebay is more than just a rest stop. It boasts facilities on both sides of the motorway, a hotel, a caravan park, and shops selling meat from their farm. Sarah Dunning leads the Westmorland Family group, which manages Tebay and other rest areas in Gloucestershire and Lanarkshire, as well as a community center in Rheged, Lake District.
