Costa - Eden

And we ordered a coffee. You can't go wrong with a Costa! We decided on the £5 deal, which includes a medium coffee, a three-pack of sandwiches, plus an extra drink, which we shared. We chose to sit outside to soak up the sunshine. Social distancing was followed, but I do hope the staff cleaned the packaging, as the couple in front of us touched nearly every item before settling on a panini, and they hadn't used the hand sanitizer upon entering.

This place is referred to as a Rest Area because it doesn't operate 24 hours. It features a garage with the typical selection of food and beverages, as well as a Travelodge, but we specifically stopped for Costa Coffee. What a refreshing change from the usual motorway services! It’s very quiet here, with soft music creating a peaceful atmosphere. There’s a great variety of seating options, a pleasant outdoor area, and friendly staff—what more could you ask for? Plus, there's no hassle with long queues for the restrooms and even free Wi-Fi. If you're traveling on the M6 North in Cumbria and need a break or a coffee, I highly recommend the Todhills Rest Area. There's also a similar one directly across on the M6 Southbound. It's a much better alternative to the typical stops!

Once we crossed over, my daughter wanted to get a drink from Costa. We joined the long queue, and to be honest, I was initially unimpressed by the painfully slow service. However, we decided to wait it out, and eventually, it was our turn. My daughter ordered a peach iced tea, but unfortunately, they were out of it. This is her usual choice at Costa because she has allergies to dairy, soya, and eggs, and she knows that drink is safe for her. I explained the situation to the manager, and I was quite impressed by her efforts. She went out of her way to help my daughter find a suitable alternative, and my daughter ended up choosing a Bonfire spiced iced tea, which is a new seasonal drink. Overall, the service was slow, but I was really pleased with how the manager handled the situation. And my daughter absolutely loved her drink!

I stopped by Costa for a hot chocolate and a break after driving over 100 miles, thinking it would be a reliable choice. I ordered a green tea and a hot chocolate—simple enough, right? Unfortunately, my hot chocolate was lukewarm and had undissolved powder at the bottom, while the green tea was overly diluted with water. I had to request more water just to justify the £3 I spent on it. Even after adding more water, the drinks still weren’t served at an acceptable temperature. To top it off, the hot chocolate just wasn’t very good. I would recommend skipping this location if you're in the mood for a decent hot drink; there are certainly better options elsewhere. Just consider avoiding this place altogether.

The coffee was excellent, and the service was fantastic. I would definitely return!