An award-winning Cumbrian motorway services is set to be the star of a new Channel 4 series.
Tebay Services, alongside the M6, is the focus of the series, A Lake District Farm Shop, that will broadcast from July 10.
The series will follow key members of staff and the Cumbrian farmers and producers who rally to maintain the family-owned business that has been a cherished pitstop for holidaymakers, truckers and road trippers for nearly 50 years.
Set up in 1972 by local farmers John and Barbara Dunning, Tebay Services was the first and remains part of the only family-run motorway services business in the UK.
It has 4.5 million visitors a year.
Sarah Dunning, chairman of the Westmorland Family, which owns and operates Tebay Services, said: “It it is the people behind the produce and our enduring relationships with our makers that gives our business heart. Local produce, local landscapes and communities have been at the very heart of Tebay Services, and it’s a great pleasure to share these stories.”
Showcasing the stunning scenery of the Lake District and covering the stories of local producers and farmers that depend on the M6 motorway and Tebay Services for their livelihoods, the series provides an intimate insight into the rural community of Cumbria and its relationship to the wider world via the M6 motorway.
Sarah said: “When the M6 was built through my parents’ farm, they viewed it as an opportunity to diversify and welcome the world to our farm.
“My sister and I grew up with the business; as we grew, it grew. Tebay now is the stable for hundreds of diversified enterprises, from raw milk cheesemaking to scented candles.
“The world is at a pivotal moment at present, and it has given us a chance to appreciate and value what is on our doorsteps.
“Local produce, local landscapes and communities have been at the very heart of Tebay Services, and it’s a great pleasure to share these stories with a wider audience.”
The four-part documentary follows Tebay’s team of buyers, farmers, butchers, builders, designers, cleaners and suppliers and shares some of the connections and special relationships between people living and working in the Lake District.
More about A Lake District Farmshop
1.4 million people tune in to A Lake District Farm Shop. Read more here.
Read our review of the first episode here.
How COVID-19 brought ramen to Tebay Services.
How did Tebay Services start life? Find out here.
Meet the butcher and the baker who are an integral part of Tebay Services here
