Plans have been unveiled for a Starbucks drive thru at The Trentham Estate.
According to Turley Strategic Communications, the attraction’s operator Trentham Leisure Limited is proposing to add a drive thru on an existing area of hardstanding car park, south of the Premier Inn hotel.
The company is looking for feedback on the proposals before a planning application is submitted.
A consultation website says Trentham attracted over 3.8 million visitors in 2025 and that the drive thru would ‘fill a gap for grab and go facilities that are not currently available at the estate, specifically a café which is open early (pre-8am).’
It also reads: “To remain a destination of national significance, the estate must continue to evolve. The proposed Starbuck Drive Thru is the next step in that journey and also seeks to fill a gap in the drive thru network along the A34 corridor.”
Thirty jobs – 15 permanent FTE and a further temporary 15 FTE during construction – are expected to be created if the scheme goes ahead, with an estimated £400,000 in annual wage expenditure generated in the local economy.
The closest Starbucks drive thru to The Trentham Estate opened five miles away on the northbound side of the A34/The Fillybrooks, near Stone, in December 2023.
The entrance to The Trentham Estate and neighbouring roads are often congested with traffic on busy days.
But the consultation page says: “A Transport Statement has been prepared and submitted to Staffordshire County Council (Highways). The Drive Thru will primarily serve existing visitors to the estate and passing traffic on the A34 and is not anticipated to generate significant additional traffic movements.”
The public consultation runs until 8 May.
More information is available here, with an online feedback form here. People can also leave their feedback by calling 0808 1688 296.
A planning application is expected to be submitted to Stafford Borough Council following the close of the public consultation period.
