The Prince of Wales officially opened Gloucester Services on the M5 this week, marking the completion of a £40m project that employs more than 400 people.

Gloucester Services southbound between junctions 11a and 12 on the M5 opened for business on Tuesday 19th May 2015 a year after the northbound services.

Gloucester Services is part of the Westmorland Family, the Cumbrian family business which owns Tebay Services on the M6. Their motorway service areas do not have franchises, but instead make their own food for their kitchens using locally sourced produce.

At Gloucester the Farmshop and Kitchen stock food and craft produce from more than 130 local producers within 30 miles of the services and a further 70 producers from across the South West, the majority of which are small-scale operations.

The Prince met the butchers, bakers, fishmongers and sausage roll makers who work and supply the services with local food. The motorway services have their own bee hives, and the Prince was presented with the first jar of M5 honey to celebrate the occasion.

Gloucester Services also announced a joint initiative with His Royal Highness’s Countryside Fund, launching The Prince’s Countryside Fund Sandwich, where 10p per sandwich will be donated to the fund to support the projects and people who care for the countryside.

Sarah Dunning, CEO of Westmorland Family who own and operate the services, said: “It’s been a tremendous honour to have HRH The Prince of Wales officially open Gloucester Services. We share a mutual love and respect for the countryside. Farming is at the very heart of Gloucestershire life and landscape and the Westmorland Family team are only too aware of how sustainable local retailing can be a powerful economic force in supporting the rural economy.”