Little Chef Reveals the UK’s Top 51 Family Days Out

The Forbidden Corner, a labyrinth of tunnels, chambers and follies in the Yorkshire Dales, has beaten off stiff competition from the UK’s top visitor attractions to be crowned number one, in a brand new family days out guide created from public nominations. 

When research earlier this year showed that British families were not spending enough quality time together, the iconic roadside restaurant chain Little Chef decided to do something about it and launched its Bring Back Family Days Out campaign. Public nominations flooded in, with families sharing their personal favourites, including both high profile attractions and places off the beaten track. 

The final top 51 – chosen to celebrate 51 years of Little Chef restaurants - was based on the number of nominations, the accessibility, cost and appeal to a family group. The guide, available in all Little Chef restaurants and at www.littlechef.co.uk, includes something for everyone with excursions including well known destinations such as Alton Towers, Legoland and London Zoo,  plus hidden gems such as The Forbidden Corner,  Ironbridge Gorge museum, Towneley Hall in Burnley and Alnwick Castle. 

Tom Hutton, one of the authors of a Rough Guide to Britain, said: “Ask the majority of adults to list the things they remember most about their childhood, and the odds are that days out with the family will be one of them.  

“The final 51 is an eclectic mix of days out demonstrating the range of fascinating things to do and beautiful places to visit in the UK. It’s great that the public hasn’t overlooked the less obvious attractions either, a good example being Little Chef’s number one attraction; the Forbidden Corner in Leyburn, on the edge of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, which is designed to challenge as well as delight.” 

Cathy Stevenson, Marketing Director at Little Chef, said: “We’re really pleased with the response we have had to the Family Days Out campaign and hope that the guide will provide much needed inspiration to many families over the summer holidays and beyond.

 “Many of the attractions are free or have low entry fees, making it really easy for families to spend time together. The Out and About map, available in restaurants, also has a number of discount vouchers to help a make things even easier.”

The 51 Days Out guide can be found online at www.littlechef.co.uk and on the Out and About map, which can be picked up free of charge in all Little Chef restaurants. 

The Top 51 Days Out

1              The Forbidden Corner

2              Brighton Pier

3              Day out in York

4              Alton Towers

5              Legoland Windsor

6              Ironbridge Gorge Museum

7              Blackpool Pleasure Beach

8              Natural History Museum

9              Alnwick Castle

10           Towneley Hall Estate & Park

11           London Zoo

12           Chessington World of Adventures

13           Chester Zoo

14           Eden Project

15           Cadbury World

16           Keswick

17           Drayton Manor Theme Park

18           Heights of Abraham

19           Longleat House & Safari Park

20           Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway

21           Leeds Castle

22           Warwick Castle

23           Magna

24           Lost Gardens of Heligan

25           Wroxham/Hoveton/Norfolk Broads

26           Charmouth Beach

27           Combe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park

28           Glasgow Science Centre

29           Twycross Zoo

30           Ellesmere Port Boat Museum

31           Camperdown Country Park

32           Aberdeen Maritime Museum

33           Courtroom Experience

34           East Somerset Railway

35           Howletts Wild Animal Park

36           Carlisle Castle

37           Cannon Hall

38           Cambridge University Botanic Garden

39           Salcey Forest

40           RSPB Conwy Nature Reserve

41           Carsington Water

42           Look Out Discovery Centre

43           Hatfield House

44           St Leonards Farm Park

45           Nature in Art

46           National Forest Llama Trek

47           Abbotsbury Swannery

48           Markeaton Park, Derby

49           Woking Lightbox

50           Lichfield's Children's Trail

51           Moss Bank Park

Interesting Facts About Little Chef             

·     The first Little Chef restaurant opened in Reading in 1958 – an 11-seater roadside diner.  Over the past 51 years, it has become one of the best loved and most iconic British brands.

o   There are more than 170 Little Chef restaurants across the country

o   Famous fans include Prince Harry, Chris Moyles, Simon Cowell & John Major

o   More than 15 million people dine at Little Chef each year

o   The famous Olympic Breakfast is the number one selling dish

o   Each year, customers munch their way through 10 million free range eggs

o   They serve more than 12 million slices of bacon every year – stacked on top of one another that’s a pile of bacon over 11 miles high