It is the longest motorway in the country and has 15 service stations on the way from Midlands to Scotland via Greater Manchester, but if you get hungry while driving along the M6 and don't fancy the likes of McDonald's or Starbucks, one Cheshire gastropub could be perfect.
The Wheatsheaf, in Sandbach, scooped a winner's plaque on an episode of Channel 4's Four in a Bed in 2019 and it is just a four minute drive. As well as food and drink, there are 18 bedrooms and the venue even boasts the AA 5 Star Gold Award.
Taken over by the Pear family in 2016, it is no stranger to commuters stopping by on their journeys across the UK. Speaking to CheshireLive, managing director Jake Pear said drivers regularly call at The Wheatsheaf due to it being 'nicely situated'.
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He said: "We are very regularly a stop off for people heading to Scotland and the Lake District, it's the two places we hear most.
"There's a lot of people over the years that have told us that is where they are going. We have the tartan carpets and curtains, so they do like that.
"As we are based off junction 17, if people take time to research a little bit about what's in the area as opposed to just going to regular services they'll find us.
"We are literally a three to four minute drive from the junction so we are very nicely situated. And obviously the town of Sandbach in itself is a good enough reason to venture out here as well."
When asked what makes The Wheatsheaf such a great alternative to service stations, Jake said the pub is a 'contrast to a soulless services' and that the gastropub pride themselves on great food.
"It's got to be the food and the environment. We pride ourselves very highly on the interior and the Wheatsheaf has the woodland and stag theme which everyone enjoys," he said.
"It's quite a contrast to a soulless services. And obviously the food as well, we are very proud of our food.
"We change our menus at least four times a year and we provide specials. The pub has a great team of chefs who are up to speed with the five star AA standard.
"I'd like to think we've got everything from an easy lunchtime sandwich all the way to a beautiful fillet steak, with everything in between."
Jake and his father, Andy, took over in 2016 when it was run-down and lacked investment.
But the father and son duo spent around £1.5 million to transform the it into the gold standard establishment it is today. The main restaurant covers 55 people, while the bar covers 90.
The pub now has 18 bedrooms, a stunning outdoor terrace and a private dining room for events. Jake says The Wheatsheaf class themselves as a 'gastropub and steakhouse with cheap rooms'.
"It was a pub that unfortunately didn't have much investment put into it in the past ten years or so. So, the first goal was to invest in the property," he said.
"We spent 1.5million in the end, in various stages to renovate the property. We started with an eight week renovation process, which reopened the restaurant with a small lounge and bar area.
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"We also renovated the private dining room upstairs and we opened that in the start of December in 2016, so we definitely hit the ground running with it.
"In 2017 we focused on the archway, which we now call the Coaching Arc and it was the old driveway. We turned that into an indoor space and it's really bright and airy.
"We installed an outdoor terrace, which has a retractable roof and the terrace is amazing in the summertime with the sun beaming down on you while you're dining. But it's also really good event space as well for things like birthdays.
"We tackled our stable block which is on the car park, it is the historic stables they used for the horses and coaches. We renovated that into six additional bedrooms.
"Ever since, we've been adding a few more rooms here and there. Most recently we completed the entire site during the first lockdown and we've finalised it now with 18 bedrooms. The site now is a gastropub and steakhouse with cheap rooms, that's how we classify ourselves."
The Wheatsheaf was awarded with the AA 5 Star Gold Award in 2018 after an anonymous inspection. Jake says they were applauded for a 'meticulous attention to detail'.
He said: "Following an extensive anonymous inspection from AA, they applauded us on the quality of our bedrooms and meticulous attention to detail that we have maintained in all aspects of the property. They tested our breakfast and restaurant offering and concluded that they reached the high standards required for their top award."
After winning Four in a Bed in 2019, Jake is set to have another shot at winning the Channel 4 hit show. Filming is set to get underway next month at his new pub in Congleton - The Lion and Swan.
He said: "I had a great time on the show and met some fantastic B&B owners. We were proud to come away from the competition as winners and received great feedback and messages from the local public to congratulate us.
"It encouraged guests to travel from afar to see us and experience The Wheatsheaf for themselves.
"We've actually just signed ourselves up at the Lion and Swan that just opened in Congleton, so we are due to start filming for that next month. We'll have to go through it again."
