Her family's farm was transformed into a freeway, and now her company generates millions in revenue from rest stops along its route, with King Charles III among its admirers.

John and Barbara Dunning saw an opportunity when they were informed that a freeway would be built through their farm in a remote part of the U.K.

They built a rest stop with a difference.

The motorway, known in the U.K. as a freeway, was planned to cut through the Dunnings' land in Cumbria, a county famous for its Lake District National Park, a picturesque mountainous landscape.

The U.K. government forced the Dunnings to sell their land for the construction of a road through a compulsory purchase order.

In the late 1960s, the Dunnings, who were in their thirties, decided to put up a fight. They successfully won their bid to lease back the land from the government and built and ran a rest area, Tebay Services, which was the first family-run motorway service stop in the U.K. and focused on providing local produce.

Sarah Dunning, the daughter of My dad, stated that Tebay's opening was thorough because everything was at risk, and they had to get it right. According to her, they couldn't afford for it not to work.

The rest stop on the northbound carriageway of the M6 motorway was established in 1972 as a place for drivers to refuel their vehicles and themselves, serving homestyle food in a 30-seat cafe alongside a small craft shop selling local goods. The Dunnings went into business with family bakery Birketts, a partnership that lasted more than 30 years.

Tebay, located on the southbound carriageway, has a rest area, hotel, caravan park, and two shops selling lamb and beef raised on the family's farmland. This is part of the Westmorland Family, a group led by Sarah Dunning, which operates two more rest areas, a community center with a cinema and cafe, and is located in the Lake District.

The farm shop, which employs around 1,200 people and has won numerous food awards, made revenue of £127 million ($162 million) in 2022, according to its most recent annual report. In April 2022, King Charles III (then the Prince of Wales) visited the farm shop to commemorate its 50th anniversary.

In contrast to most motorway rest areas in the U.K., Tebay and its sister locations have a unique approach, as stated by Sarah Dunning.

"Unlike other motorway service areas that partner with franchisors of popular brands to meet customer needs, we don't have any brands in our business," she said to CNBC.

Our farm shop and kitchen are where we create our own simple farmhouse food. We view our farm shop as a platform for small food producers.

In 2005, Sarah Dunning became CEO of Westmorland Family, having previously worked at investment company Rothschild and as a headhunter in the City of London. The Birketts retired and sold their shares in the business back to the family, with Sarah Dunning's sister Jane Lane taking over the management of the Dunning's farm.

Sarah Dunning will be a speaker at the Oxford Farming Conference, which takes place from January 3 to 5, 2024. According to CNBC, she stated that farming is undergoing significant changes, and while regenerative farming has gained significant momentum, it may not be the model for everyone in the future.

Some farmers in England have received lower payments under a new subsidy program, and three Environmental Land Management projects will incentivize farmers to regenerate land.

Sarah Dunning stated that everyone is attempting to adapt to the modifications in subsidies and discover a method that allows them to farm in their desired manner while still being profitable.

Sarah Dunning, who has experience managing her family's business during the 2008 global financial crisis while building a rest area next to the M5 motorway in Gloucestershire, understands the importance of navigating through challenges as a business owner.

In 2014, Gloucester Services began operations, offering food from over 130 local producers within a 30-mile radius and donating approximately £500,000 annually to local charities. The establishment was featured in a six-part TV documentary in August.

Despite the "huge" impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on travel and hospitality firms, Sarah Dunning stated that the business has now surpassed its pre-pandemic turnover.

Sarah Dunning stated that the emergence of electric vehicles (EVs) presents a new challenge, as it necessitates the installation of charging points and the availability of sufficient electricity capacity. She added that the pace of this transformation is uncertain, as well as the evolution of the technology.

"More than ever, electric vehicles will want to stop at pleasing locations, as they require longer stops," she said, hoping to be in a strong position because people enjoy stopping with them.

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