60 Years of Little Chef
The end of a roadside icon
The ‘Little Chef’ name was first seen in 1958 – another world of Woodbines and ‘Press Button “A” caller’. But perhaps its heyday was during the Seventies, when the brand was expanding across the country.
This was a period when Wimpy was a largely urban phenomenon, whereas Little Chefs tended to be located some distance from towns. McDonald’s arrived in the UK in 1974, but took a while to become established, while your average ‘pull-in’ had a welcoming atmospheric aroma of Marlboro cigarette smoke and lard. By contrast, ‘LC’ represented an affordable form of eating out that was fairly glamorous compared to many venues, yet wonderfully predictable.
You knew what to expect, from the furnishings to the staff’s uniforms, although the menu was subject to periodic improvements; the famous Jubilee Pancake, for instance, was added to the bill of fare in 1977. For many, me included, Little Chef was associated less with motorways and more with the last days of trunk road motoring, and a welcome break when en route to a holiday resort. Over the past month or so, many will have read of the branch closures and by 31 January it seemed that the ‘Fat Charlie’ logo had been relegated to the motoring past. There has, as yet, been no official announcement but after almost six decades, the future is not looking bright for Charlie. So, in tribute to the many years of roadside cuisine, here is a guide to the motorists who frequented Little Chef…