A television documentary about family-run service station that sells gourmet food including Ramen noodle broth from foraged porcini mushrooms, hand-baked bread and marmalade available in Fortnum & Mason has proved more popular than the Wimbledon final.
Far from serving up burger concessions, coffee shops and gambling machines, Tebay Services on the M6 in Cumbria has been offering motorists fancy food sourced from local farmers and local producers for nearly 50 years.
Founded in 1972 by John and Barbara Dunning, now in their eighties, when the M6 was built across their farm, Britain's first family-run service station has been building a faithful following, with some customers travelling hundreds of miles to sample their Sunday Roast.
Its popularity is now set to soar after the first episode of new Channel 4 series A Lake District Farm Shop about the service station - which aired last Saturday - attracted 1.4 million viewers, 500,000 more than average for its time slot on C4.
More viewers tuned in to watch the programme than the coinciding coverage of Wimbledon on BBC2, attracting triple the usual number of under-35s, according to the Sunday Times.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Tebay Services owner Sarah Dunning is thrilled by the response and said there has been 'real interest in the products that have been featured in the programme'.
'The TV company approached us and we agreed to make the series because we thought they would share our objectives of celebrating Cumbrian farmers and producers,' she said.
Tebay Services on the M6 in Cumbria has been offering motorists fancy food sourced from local farmers and local producers for nearly 50 years
The show has spawned surprise stars, including head butcher Dave Morland, who serves up enormous roast dinners and who was filmed by C4 selecting Herdwick sheep a year before they are butchered
Alex Evans, the services' head buyer, tells viewers his philosophy is 'just because you're travelling on the motorway doesn't mean you don't want great food' and makes a six-hour round trip to pick up cherries from a Worcestershire farm twice a week during the season because he believes their fruit is the best
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Tebay Services owner Sarah Dunning is thrilled by the response and said there has been 'real interest in the products that have been featured in the programme'
Founded in 1972 by John and Barbara Dunning, now in their eighties, when the M6 was built across their farm, Britain's first family-run service station has been building a faithful following, with some customers travelling hundreds of miles to sample their Sunday Roast. Pictured, Tebay estate grounds manager John (front), and Alan (in digger)
Its popularity is now set to soar after the first episode of new Channel 4 series A Lake District Farm Shop about the service station - which aired last Saturday - attracted 1.4 million viewers, 500,000 more than average for its time slot on C4. Pictured: the Pie Mill team
One of the station's biggest hits among customers has been its Ramen noodle broth produced by Ambleside Chinese restaurant owners Bing Cao and Cara Ou, a husband and wife who kept their business afloat during lockdown by selling their Ramen packs to Tebay
'The TV series has a wider theme
