I just saw the news:
Truck Haven in Carnforth is a popular 24-hour truck stop on Scotland Road. The local Lancaster Guardian news recently reported that the site was acquired by petrol forecourt company Ascona Group, expanding their portfolio.
Truck Haven is an independent motorway service station. They offer great value on fuel, accommodation, and food. Their breakfasts are phenomenally good value, and incredibly filling. I could fill a gallery below with pictures of excellent breakfasts that I have enjoyed at Truck Haven over the years.
Whats the problem? You might well ask.
Well, its going to become a Costa Del Greggs isn’t it. No more hearty good honest home cooked meals. Its generic slop isn’t it. A future of refined and optimised generic slop.
And its not like I don’t like a Greggs. I do enjoy a Greggs Bacon Roll with a dob of brown sauce, or a steak bake, or a slice of pizza. Its become a feature of my trips to London.
But what I would prefer is an independent baker, with honest to God homecooked pie and bacon butty goodness.
A few years ago, when we lived in Heysham, there was a Pie Shop on the main road called Radcliffes. A pie maker made famous for having a massive family and appearing on TV for several years. They made the best pies I have ever had.
They had all the regular favourites like steak and ale, but they also did delicious alternatives like Chicken in Prosecco, and the pastry was so moist and delicate where it needed to be, crisp and richly flavoursome where it mattered. Why can’t every town have a Radcliffes Pie shop? And why must every independent thats worth saving become a Greggs or a Costa. When will this enshittification process end?
Was it original sin? The fall of man, the corruption of the world? Is that why everything is becoming progressively more shit? Are the End of Days upon us? If it is, you’d expect to see more in the Bible about pies.
While we are on about enshittification, there used to be a time when you could just copy a url to link to an article, but not anymore, now it generates a Google link like the one below. It took me a while to get a raw direct link for the Guardian article posted above, instead of this google nonsense:
Popular Carnforth truck stop bought by petrol forecourt company https://share.google/9O4ecNQo15urMWFo9
I’m usually relaxed about most things, but threatening the sanctity of my food with corporate opportunity really gets my goat.
Pfft.
Duggan's Dig 
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