I tried posh A30 service station breakfast and it was a winner
There is a place over the border every bit as heartening as the Nearly Home Trees for a Cornish traveller; a venue that is either a relaxing pat on the tum if you’re heading into alien country (i.e. Devon) or a welcoming hug if you’re on the way home to Kernow. Hog & Hedge is a service station cafe unlike any other.
If Carlsberg did A30 caffs, then this would be it. In fact, if Harrods did ‘greasy spoons’ (not that you’ll find anything greasy here), then the opulent surrounds of this diner near Okehampton would be the nearest thing to it in the UK I’d wager. As well as the poshest service station cooked breakfast (I can’t call it a fry-up because they don’t fry anything) this side of the M5, the venue at Whiddon Down Services offers a lot more.
It has what the Danish call ‘hygge’, a feeling of coziness and contentment. But let’s not get too pretentious here – it simply serves very good travellers’ fare in nice surroundings. Read next: Weird and wonderful double decker diner on the A30 is a must visit
There’s nothing wrong with those big motorway services just up the road – it’s quite handy being able to buy a Big Mac, Greggs sausage roll and some Percy Pigs all in once place after having a wee – but they’re all a bit soulless. Not Hog & Hedge. The food is made from scratch each day, using local ingredients to keep the food miles to a minimum.
The packaging is made from plants, not plastic, there’s free wi-fi, a play area for young kids, baby changing facilities and the sort of pristine toilets you might expect to see in a top hotel. They even let your dog in (to the restaurant, not the toilets, but they may even let you do that). Even the coffee’s a bit special.
It starts its life in the rolling hills of Brazil, “where the temperate conditions produce soft, nutty flavours and bittersweet chocolate notes”. Imported by Clifton Coffee Roasters in Bristol, the beans are expertly blended and hand-roasted to create a signature Hog & Hedge taste. Then the restaurant’s baristas grind the beans to order.
The relaxing surrounds of Hog & Hedge service station cafe near Okehampton
Those baristas and other staff are something else too – so smiley and friendly, it’s almost as if you’re walking into the headquarters of a cult, albeit one that sells nutty porridge rather than nutty religion.
Technological luddites may want to wait until Gordano Services, though. There is – whisper it – touch screen ordering. The end of civilisation as we know it, in other words.
That doesn’t mean the end of human interaction, though. Staff were quick to lend a hand to anyone in a state of confusion, and I noticed a few older patrons receiving a friendly lesson. It has to be said that the screens are a lot easier to navigate than similar set-ups in fast food venues.
The smiles that greet you and then deliver your food – or hand over your takeaway – are a rarity these days. Everyone appears to love their jobs here and it adds to the sense of calm and wellbeing. On the way to retrieve my eldest from university in Bristol, my middle one and I took a break from bonding over Lana Del Rey playlists in the car and got Hogged & Hedged for breakfast (which is served until noon).
She went for a bowl of yoghurt, granola and compote, which was a hit, while I had one of the tastiest (not) fry-ups I’ve had in a while.
How we do restaurant reviews
This review was written after an unannounced visit to the restaurant. The meal was paid for by ourselves. Two rashers of good quality bacon, a hefty seasoned sausage, two eggs, a huge mushroom, rustic barbecued beans, potatoes and two slices of bread (white or brown) – it was a winner.
It’s definitely on the pricier side of things, though the quality shines through; the Whole Hog Breakfast is GBP12.95 (there’s a vegan version too) and the granola GBP4.95. I did recoil at paying GBP4.05 for a mug of mocha and an iced latte, even if they were of a higher standard than a lot of places. Lunch dishes include loaded potato bowls, sourdough toasties, pigzas (pizza sandwiches) and a range of children’s dishes.
And the display of buns and cakes takes a lot of willpower to avoid. For a restful break from motorway madness, there aren’t many places to beat Hog & Hedge. If we had one in Cornwall, there’d probably be no reason to ever leave.
Hog & Hedge is at Whiddon Down Services on the A30 between Okehampton and Cheriton Bishop.
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