Motorway mark-up hikes cost of a coffee by 28%

BREAKING up your journey with a coffee stop at a motorway service station? you may find it breaks the bank too.

an investigation has found that roadside stores charge up to 28 per cent more for a medium latte – costing motorists an extra 74p compared with the high street.

Meanwhile, some fast food outlets have increased prices by nearly one fifth at service stations. Investigators for Channel 4’s Tricks of the Restaurant Trade bought the same products at three M1 service stations.

They found that coffee had the highest mark-up, with Costa at Roadchef charging 28 per cent more for a medium latte than the chain’s nearest high street outlet. Meanwhile, the Greggs at Moto hiked its prices for a steak bake by 18 per cent, and 11 per cent for a sausage roll. and at a KFC at Welcome Break, customers were charged 18 per cent more for a bucket meal. McDonald’s was found to have the most consistent pricing – an average rise of 4 per cent.

Rob Brander from the show, which is on tonight at 8.30pm, said: ‘you’re just paying more for the fact you’re on the motorway and you can’t go anywhere else.’ But William Jolly, of real estate firm Colliers International, said the prices were due to higher running costs of service stations.

a Costa spokesman said: ‘Many products served in motorway service stations are priced higher than those on the high street, reflecting the unique locations in which outlets operate.’ Roadchef, Greggs, Moto, KFC, Welcome Break and McDonald’s did not respond to requests for comment.