ONE of Britain’s most loved service stations is set to hit screens again for a Christmas special.

A Lake District Farmshop at Christmas is a new hour-long special episode of the documentary series about Tebay Services that first aired on Channel 4 in July.

The four-part series attracted millions of viewers with its compelling stories about the Cumbrian farmers, food producers and craft makers who supply Tebay Services Farmshop & Kitchen.

Featuring new faces alongside familiar characters from the original series, the episode follows staff at the family-owned motorway service station as they work with local suppliers to put everything in place to welcome travellers during Christmas.

The festive episode catches up with Tebay’s head of butchery Dave Morland as he competes with his team members to see who can make the most pigs in blankets. Farmshop buyer Alex Evans keeps expert baker Patrick Moore on his toes with his verdict on a new batch of mince pies – containing a special Cumbrian ingredient – and head of lifestyle Tracey Clowes works with third-generation family furniture business Peter Hall & Son to bring unique hand-turned tree ornaments into the Farmshop’s Christmas displays.

Meanwhile, new food development chef Jim Metcalfe hopes to impress customers queueing for Tebay’s famous Christmas roast with his vegan-friendly seasonal centrepiece.

As cleaners and sisters Tina and Jayne pull on their Christmas jumpers, and carol singers from Tebay Primary School serenade shoppers browsing for stocking fillers, the scene is set for an uplifting celebration of the joys of driving home for Christmas.

Sarah Dunning, chair of the Westmorland Family, which owns and operates Tebay Services, said the team jumped at the chance to welcome back the cameras to capture Tebay’s festive spirit.

“This is an extra-special Christmas for customers and colleagues, because so many people are travelling to share it with family and friends for the first time in two years,” she said.

“We were surprised and delighted by the success of A Lake District Farmshop, and immensely grateful to Purple Productions for telling our stories so beautifully. It’s a pleasure to invite Channel 4 viewers to spend time with us again at a time of year we all cherish.”

A Lake District Farmshop at Christmas will broadcast on Saturday, December 18 at 6pm on Channel 4.