Eat, work, stay, refuel, charge: there’s much more to Extra MSA than meets the eye
Extra MSA Group (Extra MSA) is one of the leading developers and operators of Motorway Service Areas (MSAs) in the UK. Founded in 2000, it has grown steadily to operate a portfolio of eight strategically located sites across the country. “From the beginning,” shares Ross Mendenhall, Group Operations Director, “our focus has been on providing high-quality rest stops that boast fantastic food, drink and retail outlets, as well as significant amenities, from dog walking routes and biodiversity areas to children’s play parks and dedicated multi-faith rooms.
“Our priority is to provide a safe and enjoyable break for all road users, whether they are families, HGV drivers, commuters, or leisure travelers. We pride ourselves on our carefully curated mix of well-known food and drink brands, clean and well-maintained facilities, fueling options, extensive EV charging and other key amenities. Customer experience is always front and center; we invest in providing welcoming architecture, landscaped outdoor areas and in using digital feedback tools to ensure we’re constantly listening and improving,” he elaborates. 
Extra MSA operates a landlord-tenant model; a strategy that sets the company apart from other motorway services operators. This means that as well as partnering with much-loved brands such as McDonalds, M&S and Greggs, it is also the only operator that can bring in non-franchise brands such as Nando’s.
“Opened in 2020, Leeds Skelton Lake is a landmark site for us,” Ross continues. “It’s widely regarded as one of the most environmentally conscious MSAs in the UK. The design incorporates extensive natural landscaping, a sustainable green roof, and a lakefront setting that connects visitors with nature. The building uses high levels of natural light and is designed with energy efficiency in mind. We also offer a wide range of EV charging points, with plans to further extend our partnerships with both IONITY and Gridserve across the next year, helping to support the shift to cleaner transport.
“We wanted to make sure that Leeds Skelton Lake was truly embedded in the neighboring community, so have collaborated with local suppliers to run a series of free-to-attend events for children in the school holidays, featuring face painting, photobooths and seasonal arts and crafts. It’s been great to welcome people from near and far, and the reception to these events has been fantastic.
“Our landlord-tenant model allows us to take a highly considered approach to retail partnerships, giving us a choice of both franchised and non-franchised brands to ensure we can cater for a wide range of tastes and dietary requirements – as well as time constraints, from grab-and-go outlets to sit-down restaurants. We work closely with all our brand partners to ensure each site reflects both national demand and local preferences. German Doner Kebab (GDK) first opened at our Baldock site in 2023, and the reception was so amazing that we decided to expand our partnership by opening sites at Cambridge and Peterborough. Customer feedback is hugely important to us, and through partnerships such as Reputation, we’re able to track our feedback in real time, ensuring that we can continuously improve our offer.
“The Reputation platform has been a game-changer for us. It provides real-time insights into what customers are saying across multiple channels, allowing us to respond quickly to issues and trends throughout our network. We use it to monitor performance across all sites, track sentiment, and identify areas for improvement. The feedback loop it creates has helped us sharpen our operational processes, address concerns proactively, and celebrate our teams’ successes. We’re very proud to be sitting significantly above the industry average when it comes to our Reputation score, but we don’t want to rest on our laurels – we’re committed to continuously listening and taking action where needed to make our customer offer the best that it can possibly be.”
Significant amenities
Significant amenitiesAlongside customer satisfaction, sustainability is built into Extra MSA’s development and operational strategy. The company focuses on responsible construction methods, sustainable materials, and high standards of environmental management. Across its network, Extra MSA is rolling out EV infrastructure, energy-efficient lighting, building management systems, and robust recycling programs. “We also consider biodiversity as a key priority,” Ross adds, “for example, incorporating wildlife corridors and planting schemes to support local ecosystems. Leeds Skelton Lake, with its award-winning green roof, is a great case study for how we integrate these principles in practice. Through our work with leading social value provider, Ahead Partnership, we’ve also been able to run a number of youth engagement programs aimed at educating primary and secondary school children about the career opportunities that will be available to them through the green transition.
“We are working to deliver our ninth MSA at Junction 11 of the M62, to the Northeast of Warrington. Similarly to Leeds, this will be a highly sustainable MSA with a range of amenities including play equipment, landscaped footpaths and significant EV infrastructure. We’re looking forward to engaging with the local community over the coming months to communicate the opportunities that this site will bring forward. In response to customer feedback, we’ve recently made the decision to allow dogs inside at all our sites. For a long time, we’ve prioritized four-legged friends by providing dog walking areas and dog drinking stations but are now pleased to welcome well-behaved pooches on leads inside each of our services.
“Beyond progressing our new Warrington site, we are focused on continuing to deliver operational excellence at our existing sites, including driving forward our ESG commitments to embed sustainability deeper into every part of the business. We are committed to investing in our people and are proud to have great employee retention rates. To continue this success, we have established employee voice groups to ensure everyone from across the business can have their say in how we improve things going forward. Their helpful feedback has already resulted in us introducing measures such as free menstrual hygiene products and suncream for employees across our sites. As part of our commitment to employee wellbeing, we have provided mental health first aid training to 20 percent of our workforce, enhancing our ability to support staff in maintaining their mental health.
“We aim to be recognized not only as a top-tier motorway service provider but as a pioneer in shaping the future of roadside services. Over the next five years, we plan to expand our footprint, deepen our sustainability commitments, and lead in areas like digital innovation and EV readiness. Our vision is to create service areas that are not just functional but destinations in their own right, whether that’s for road users or members of the local community.
“While we are a business with national reach,” Ross concludes, “we always try to operate with a local mindset, whether that’s through supporting local supply chains, creating jobs in regional communities or designing services that reflect local needs. Our success is built on partnerships: with our brand operators, local authorities, our own team members, and of course, our customers.”