After reading the comments on this page, I took it as a challenge to visit Birchanger. Disappointingly, I can't find anything to complain about.

Starbucks very organised, toilets all fine.

The chocolates are a bit warm though

Rich, 17 February 2012

Rubbish - made a "quick stop" and it took me over 45 minutes to get out again! Totally crazy traffic light controlled scheme that only allows a handful of cars out at a time onto the M11 roundabout. Won't be going back unless I absolutely have to.

ChrisR, 6 February 2012

Stopped at Birchanger last night, 2nd February 2012, wish I hadn't. On this particular journey we usually stop at Cambridge or Peterborough Services for fresh and varied food with excellent customer services and with pleasent ambience.

We ordered from a surly individual at EatIn. He struggled with basic language skills and was totally indifferent to any attempt to treat him with good manners or respect. A slovenly woman served our drinks and took payment with not so much as a smile or word rather a grunt.

The food was awful, chicken dry and turning up at the edges, chips well past their sell by time and cold. The drinks were lukewarm. It was absolutely awful. We were hungry and in a hurry so eat half the food before both admitting defeat. It seemed too late then to complain. We had to order coffees from KFC to try and take the taste of the quite awful food away.

This is a slur on your good name Welcome Break, I notice a similar complaint recently and obviously nothing done. Get a grip, this is like going back to the 80's rubbish service reputation. Visit Cambridge and Peterborough and see how it should be done, as for the access and exit from the site just read back comments.

Avoid EatIn, vote with your feet (or mouths)

Peter Thorn, 3 February 2012

Stopped off at Birchanger Services yesterday to break a three hour journey , wish I had'nt bothered . I ordered a Christmas Dinner Bap from a surley counter assistant at the Eat In counter . I can honestly say it was the worst 'food' I have ever attempted to eat . Two pieces of dried up turkey inside a dried up bap , topped with a piece of dried up stuffing . As they had run out of roast potatoe's I had to make do with six soggy chips . No ,I did'nt complain . I have a heart problem so try to stay calm if I can , but in this case it was very difficult . That's the first time I have been to Birchanger and it will certainly be the last .

Irene Patmore, 1 December 2011

Have used this services many times with no problems. We regularly stop off for a bite to eat and stretch the dog's legs, as it is half way between our house and my parents house (a 3 hour trip each way). Never had a problem, even getting out we dont get stuck as many people seem to say. However, last couple of times we ordered at burger king. The bloke on the tills couldnt speak much English, didnt know the menu and we ended up with the complete wrong food! Wont be using the burger king again....

Louise, 23 November 2011

I visited birchanger services at 830pm 30th october. I ordered pizza and chips with 2 coffees and a tea. The person behind the counter had an attitude as though he couldn't be bothered. He said get a table and I will bring it over to you. He brought the pizza over. I asked for the chips he went back and got them which I could see why they were free because they looked like the had been there all day and you couldn't sell them. I then asked about the tea and coffees which he then went over and brought back. They looked like 2 cups of mud and 1 dish water. I wasn't very impressed. Next time i'll go starbucks. Very bad customer service from the tall man at the eat in. Just as well I wasn't a mystery shopper that day.

john-lee swann, 30 October 2011

Be very careful when parking there as I have just noticed some very strange and ominous conditions that you apparently agree too when using their car park.

If the vehicle you are using has any outstanding parking invoices from parking eye, the firm they use to regulate their car park, they think they have the right to clamp you vehicle and not release it till all the outstanding invoices and the clamping charge has been paid.

Even though this is illegal it is not going to help you much if you get clamped on the way to your holiday or whatever.

Even if you have no outstanding parking invoices how can you be sure if you have recently bought your vehicle second hand, can you be sure that your number plate has not been cloned?

I would appreciate Welcome Breaks comments on this.

Martin Robinson, 30 September 2011

Beware if you enter these services. You are unlikely to exit any time soon.
Whilst some staff do their best to direct queuing traffic, the lights that control the flow of traffic for the exit are faulty. The highways agency won't touch it because it's not a motorway, and the services won't complain to the local council as people spend longer in here.

So if you need a quick pee I would advise stopping on the hard shoulder because stopping here will cost you 45 minutes.

Harsh? It was the same last friday when we stopped here !

Simon tucker, 30 July 2011

I pass these services once in the morning and once in the late afternoon going to and from work. One day in June I happened to pop in to get a coffee both in the morning and afternoon. I subsequently recieved a fine for £60 for parking there all day! The camera must have recorded me once each visit, and made this assumption. I shall challenge of course, but what a way to treat faithful customers!

Chris Turner, 26 July 2011

Wasted 50 minutes of my life going absolutely nowhere thanks to these dreadfully laid out services. Slight queue on the way in and then nothing, didn't move at all, total gridlock. This place was obviously designed by a lunatic.
I didn't stop and thought it best just to sit it out. Nobody directing traffic. A few blokes in high vis vests looking totally bewildered and really having no effect as most of them were just staring into space. Coaches and lorries along with cars in a total free for all to get onto the slip road. I thought for one minute I was in Italy and to top it off the main lights on the roundabout let out about 4 cars hence the gridlock.
An absolutely shockingly bad experience.

Mick, 31 May 2011

I work at Birchanger Green and have done so for a while. I sympaphise with everybody who has had problems getting in and out of the site, I was once 30 mins late for work because it took me so long to get in!

Birchanger have been trying for years to have a 2nd exit built just after the Days Inn onto the smaller roundabout to ease the exiting traffic, just after Junction 8 but have continually been denied by Essex County Council because it will affect 'local traffic,' according to them.

The average time a Birchanger employee will last is about 12 months because workers are either a) sacked, b) resigned or c) deported. We've had staff hired whose criminal records werent updated and the management have failed to check it.

One thing I will not defend about our site is our prices. Some of our high prices are deeply unfair in a time of global economic problems to customers, and the management state that the prices are increased because the site is losing money..... sound management methods there! A rumour circulated that a price watchdog was investigating us but we never heard from them

The 2006 report was a rocket fired up managements arse and many changes for much better have happened since.

Anon, 20 January 2011

20 minutes queuing from the roundabout to get in. Due to gridlock, dumped car in the HGV carpark as had many others. Another 30+ minutes to get out back onto the roundabout and rejoin the M11 due to terrible signage and traffic lights that only let out five or six cars onto the roundabout at a time.

This isnt the first time I have been stuck this bad at Birchanger, but it will be the last as I shall avoid the place from nowon, however desperate I am for toilet / fuel / food.

In short : Avoid like the plague, unless you want to extend your journey time by sitting in standing traffic waiting to rejoin the motorway.

Mike Swallow, 27 December 2010

We tried to visit this service station last night travelling North after a trip to Brighton. We navigated using the signage and as we did not want petrol continued around the garage following 'cars' and arrows.
We easily found the exit road without really trying and veered right at the last moment to prevent exiting.
We did the system again focusing on the service station which we could see in the centre of the complex where customers were eating and congregating but although four of us tried to interpret the directions we could not find a way in again.
It was like being consigned to a maze forever.
If we hadn't needed to use the loos we would have just abandoned it.
So, in frustration, we ended up stopping at the garage where at least there was a loo, bought some sweets and left.
Mad!
Won't use it again.

rossettio, 25 October 2010

my daughter was subjected to a ordeal at Birchanger green services last Friday morning atb 4 o'clock He followed her in a menacing way in his car blocking her exit and making her detour along ununknown lane.He tried to obertake her and drove at 60 mph she manged tfind the motorway and the police were informed
Does this services have security cameras.This man must be found

anonymous coward, 13 October 2010

MISSING CAT - Lia escaped her carrier when at Welcome Break Services, Birchanger Green M11 on Friday 3rd September. Long haired tortoishell female cat. If you are in the area please take a look for her.Thank you!
Contact Cats Protection on 03000 12 12 12

Samantha Shoults, 9 September 2010

If I had to choose between stopping off for a meal or eating my left hand, I'd eat my hand

Benjamin, 23 August 2010

Enter car park at your peril. It takes hours to get out

joe, 22 August 2010

Stopped here on the way to and from our holiday and found it to be a very nice stop. The place and the toilets were all clean and staff polite. Ate KFC and all ok with that too. Car park is badly laid out.

Lou, 18 July 2010

Who designed the road system!!!! Sat in none moving traffic for over an hour with an eleven week old uncomfortable baby. Sort it out!

Katie smith , 16 July 2010

Possibly the best Showers on the UK Motorway services. They are always clean and warm. If only the rest of the services were as good as this site!!

NI Trucker, 14 July 2010

I am a coach driver and think that welcome break offers better choice and service than moto or road cheff. they also look after coach drivers very well. I always try to stop at a welcome break so my passengers get a good refreshing stop. however Birchanger was a break from welcome breaks norm. Diry, unplesent staff, cold food the toilets smelt so bad they made you feel sick to all do use welcome break they are very good take it from somone who stops at them alot just avoid Birchanger as if your life depends on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John, 1 July 2010

Had food poisoning ever since I ate a cheese/Ham sandwich from the coffee primo. Have tried in vain to contact that outlet to discuss. No one picks up the phone. Need I say more?

caroline, 17 November 2009

We pulled in at birchanger after a long day at 2245hrs on the 4th July 2009, for something to eat which we thought was a 24hr service station; only to find that everyone was shutting up! I found out that closing time was 2300hrs. No one could be bothered to serve food or drink. I find this very poor being near to a main service area near to Stansted Airport and on the M11 going to London.

Ian Chatters, 4 July 2009

Travelling on motorbike, tired, weiry and ready for a refreshing break, we needed somewhere to secure our bike to. My husband pulled up against a fence and was going to chain the bike to it, only to be challenged by a member of staff, advising us to move. We ended up taking a carparking bay, which was not entirely suitable. Why do these places provide for coaches, disabled and general travellers but not bikers!! please rectify this.

ann senior, 19 June 2009

After visiting the services Sunday 22nd March, one of several visits over the last few months. I would like to point out that the entrance road surface requires urgent repairs as more pot-holes are appearing and the exsisting ones are getting bigger. Not very nice to dodge the pot-holes or suffer a broken suspension along with a large repair bill.

George, 25 March 2009

Driving back up north from Maidstone, quite tired, long day, etc.... the layout of the roads confused me and made me think I was even more tired and hallucinating: Petrol station placed before car park & main building?!? Never seen that before?! I needed petrol too, so my tired self ended up making two circuits of the entire site... one to find a parking space, another to get petrol and get out!!

Paul, 9 January 2009

Called in for petrol on 27/12 at 3pm. Filled up in 10 minutes, but it took one hour to get out and back on the motorway. The queues were horrendous and nobody there to help. Very badly organised - stay away!

john corbett, 29 December 2008

Despite the building work taking up part of the coach park, the area is clean and welcoming. There are wheelie bins to get rid of rubbish sacks rather than having to stuff them into (or leave them beside) litter bins. The staff are always cheerful, and service is slick!

cycoticpenguin, 12 October 2008

Birchanger services on M11 by Stanstead, visited on way up north with my partner and my 9 month old daughter, excellent facilities for toddlers, microwave (clean), spoons in sealed packets, bibs - all round excellent service for toddlers!!!!

Andy Hall, 29 August 2008

It's always a problem with this industry - usually poorly trained staff on poor wages which gives even poorer morale. That in turn give a poor level of service customer complaints, again killing morale. The food costs are silly on the basic stuff [ Tea, Coffee, Water, sandwiches ] but they have a captive audience. I usually bring my own sandwiches and just buy a coffee - though the last coffee here made me buy a flask! These people pay a lot of money to operate these motorway services but really do shoot themselves in the foot. I think these places need a General Manager with a day & night deputy, who actually have the teeth to manage with only guidance from head office. Assuming there is a Site Director, it's time they directed on the ground rather than sit on their bum for their 60kpa. Good staff should be rewarded with something tangible - which means better wages and all customer facing staff [not management] should benefit from performance bonues. This enables the General Manager to surround themself with people who can do. Things don't change though........

Robert, 23 August 2008

my wife was appalled when she ordered a "delicious thick shake" and was charged £2.49 for half a glass of flavoured mlik mixed with half a glass of crushed ice! some people might like that sort of thing if it was properly advertised but we agree they dont really have a clue and they have the ordasity to charge extortionate prices for the privilege.

Anthony White, 10 August 2008

Birchanger is simply the worst services I've ever stopped at. The staff are either a)Rude b)un-trained c)unable to give the most basic assistance to customers d)have NO customer facing skills whatsoever....the list could on...

KGB, 24 July 2008

The manager and staff should visit a rest area/services on a French autoroute to see how it should be run. God knows what foriegn tourists think of this country, if they stop at Birchanger. The only reason that I stop there now is because they sell Shell V-Power and that is vastly over priced.

Geoff Boston, 23 August 2007

I stopped for a break here on Monday 5 March 07 traveling from Stansted back to Yorkshire.

Granted it was 2am and restaurant provision limited but what was availible looked dry & stale, the place seem deserted gave up waiting in the end, where the staff were I can't imagine and the toilets were appalling the stench over powering and most of the facilities out of order

Will not be stopping here again

Gary Farrimond

Gary Farrimond, 6 March 2007

we called in at Birchanger on route from midlands to Stansted . it was early morning , about 8am , it was filthy , toilets in the mens were mostly all blocked and over flowing or not in order . the smell was over powering. the food was ok , but quite pricey we thought. and as for access around that island , its more complicated than spaghetti junction, i drove round the car park twice before finding the exit !!

jake, 13 January 2007

Its ok for the toilets butif you want anything else then you're going to pay a heavy price.

Phil, 13 January 2007

The route from the M11 roundabout to the customer car park was so convuluted and poorly signposted that we eventually gave upand drove on.

Roger Brett, 7 January 2007

This is the only service station I use on a regular basis... but not out of choice. It is about midway for the stop on a frequent journey, and therefore ideal. But it is pricey, dirty, and generally badly maintained. Sometimes it's best to just keep driving...

Pete, 26 December 2006

Possibly the most EXPENCIVE services in the world ever. This is the place that can justify selling a CUP of tea for £2.95 avoid it if you can...

Keith, 11 December 2006

Avoid at all costs.

Michael Horridge, 4 September 2006

We arrived at Birchanger Green en route from Stansted to Cheshire at about 3.30pm on 3rd September. Not having eaten since breakfast in Jerez we looked forward to a decent meal. We did not bargain for this abomination. The soup was cold, the chips were cold, hard and probably reheated numerous times. The fish and chicken were tasteless. I have eaten better meals in mountain refuges at 10000feet for a fraction of the cost.

Malcolm Gruber, 4 September 2006

We stopped at Birchanger Green earlier this evening.All we wanted was a pot of tea. The pot was cracked, there were no clean teaspoons, the tray was filthy as was the eating area and the assistant was diffident. We also visited the toilets, perhaps the best thing to say about that experience is "Don't go there!" We tried expressing concern to the Duty Manager and asked for a Customer Comment card only to be told that "we don't do those" when we related the problem to her she was not interested at all.
Congratulations Welcome Break. Birchanger Green wins first prize for rude staff and lack of hygiene.

Annie and John Rile, 18 August 2006

i went in to the service area for a coffee etc
on my return to our coach we noticed on the lawns 5 large rats near the entrance to the coach park.
do you not have a vermin policy
it seems very unhygenic to have such a large amount of vermin so near to the kitchen area
it is very worrying

Mr S J Hubbard, 9 July 2006

I am a nightshift trucker and drink a lot of coffee every night. Stopping here in the early morning I wanted a simple large strong black coffee. All the Coffee Primo machines were closed through the night. What I ended up with was a Medium coffee that had been kept warm for hours. The fact that Welcome Break do £600 - £800 per year at Roadchef. The fact that we pay so much for a little coffee and hot water is obscene but the fact that you deny customers this service because its dark, then charge them the same rate is more than annoying.

Brian McNamara, 25 March 2006

Always collect your drink before a hot meal and if there is a queue at the till ask the servery to bring the meal to you, because there is quite a distance to the non-smoking eating area. This will cause your meal to be almost cold by the time you sit down if you follow the "normal" route round the food area.

Stephen Poulton, 28 February 2006