Alton Garden Centre in Basildon

Just popped in to grab a tea and a sandwich for lunch. The two ladies behind the cafe counter were quite abrupt and sour faced. Such a shame, customer service goes a long way! Will head to Summerhill garden centre next time.

Great place have everything you could ever need for your garden also there Christmas setup is amazing

We've been going to this place for over 30 years and it's gone from strength to strength. Staff are very good, products are too. The shipping costs are too hefty and dogs in the restaurant is wholly wrong. We always have a nice time but if dogs are a regular feature even in a place of food we won't be. 12/09/24 Tried the cafe again and I've called that as it's certainly not a restaurant. By the time you're finished fetching everything for yourself you certainly need to eat. Bottle of diet coke, glass, cutlery, etc., etc., The female staff have a prohibitive attitude, are stoney faced and if they have more than two orders for food they panic. Overpriced and very amateur. I worked as much as they did and I asked for 3 different things before settling for something they CAN do at a certain time of day. No advice on this anywhere. You can't have a toasted sandwich before 12 noon! 🤣WE do pay THEM after all. The staff in the outdoor plant area take the path of least resistance and could have helped us today but didn't. It's all so dour and sad, most staff here clearly hate their job.

Lots of goods, but pricey. Nice cafe it is very big. I would check other places before you buy if you are buying a few items.

Had a lunch on Monday with a friend unfortunately my friends ploughman’s lunch had a FROZEN pork pie The waitress said would my friend like a replacement (she declined ) and that was it 1. Should the pork pie have been frozen in the first place 2. Wouldn’t it have been common courtesy for the manager to come over and apologise Needless to say we won’t be having lunch there again

We were very impressed with the store. The atmosphere was really nice and the range of products for every aspect of garden and home is incredible! We will definitely return again in the near future.

Looks quite nice on appearance but latte was like water and the scone was hard and not nice. This was our first visit and won't be back. Staff aren't particularly welcoming.

Lay out could be improved .café not all that. Very slow at serving and bringing hot meals to your table. Coffee to cold had to ask for hot water to top up my coffee.

A good range of products The cafe is lovely staff are very helpful Good range of healthy plants

Massive shout out to Steve! So so helpful. I am not green fingered at all and always manage to under or overwater plants or put them in areas that are the wrong conditions and they die. I wanted some colourful yet low maintenance plants for a pot and trough that I have in the garden. Steve spent so much time walking me through the different plants and conditions they required before choosing plants that he thought were suitable for what I wanted and even helped me choose an arrangement. Will definitely revisit on the day’s Steve works when I need some more plants, his advice was invaluable.

Some of the plants were looking quite unkempt. Tried the restaurant for a light lunch ... dry bread for my sandwich and a dirty table. All in all, not what it used to be like ... a bit grubby

Nice for plants and BBQs/garden furniture but not a very big place so limited options

I had to ask what was vegan on the menu. We ordered the veggie burger and soup and asked for ketchup if the burger sauce wasn't vegan. When the food came, the burger was accompanied with colslaw and the soup had butter. The burger wasn't very nice and was dry with no sauce. Very poor.

Love going to Altons. Great variety of plants and staff very helpful. Indoor store rammed with gift ideas etc. Visit the cafe is a must, delicious food for breakfast, lunch snacks and cake. Really recommend

Stumble across Alton’s BBQ shops on instagram so decided to make the drive on Good Friday. Great set up with tons of bbq of show. All the staff seemed friendly and helpful. They even do some live cooking demos throughout the year. Great selection of yeti products. Will definitely be back for my next big bbq purchase.

Went to Alton's cafe 'All Season's. Everything was ok. Ok coffee,ok tea,etc.... My poached eggs on toast were literally just that,two small well poached eggs on plain white toast,and nothing else. Great cakes although very heavy on the cream on French toast,perhaps should have been in a pot where you could have an amount that suits you. Good accompinement to Alton's which is an excellent choice of home and garden items with advice equally good.

The Sunday Roast is back Probably one of the best Sunday roasts at any garden centre in the area, some pubs could take a few lessons too. Value for money its exceptional, lots of vegetables included in the price generous portions, its not fancy but just a good old fashioned Sunday roast.

Great lunch, good variety on the menu. Fab selection of cakes. Sweet chilli chicken sandwich was very tasty. A decent cup of teas using leaves and strainer. Disabled parking and access.

I left this a month but still feel strongly enough to write a poor review. The one star is too much! Santa's grotto was good but I made the mistake of going for a meal in Alton's café. It was only half full when we got there. Placed order for cooked breakfast. You wouldn't expect that to take long to cook. 35 minutes later, chased up the order. I was told it was just about to be served. given complementary drinks. Their previous statement was obviously not true - 15 minutes later, drinks finished. Still no food! Now 50 minutes since ordering, café nearly full and those that came after us were already eating. Complained again and couldn't wait any longer - hungry child with no food for nearly an hour and no certainty when it would be ready. They were only cooking it when I complained the last time! Got a refund, which in itself took ages, and left. There are more deserving placed to eat that actually care about their customers. Will go elsewhere in future.

Not sure about the 5 star reviews. £15 for 4 minutes? Was absolutely terrible. No photos. Never have I been to a grotto that doesn't offer any sort of family photo. Partner and I had to have separate photos with our son. Felt rushed. The Mrs Claus we got was so rude to my son. Complete and utter waste of money. Never again will I book here.

Another lovely visit, even in the pouring rain. Found just what I wanted in the outdoor plants, then a lovely lunch - I recommend the pea and courgette soup, thick and warming!

After coming here for years and 2022 setup was fantastic, this 2023 was disappointing. VR staff was amazing and Elf with Father Christmas was amazing too. Maybe they should have gone back to 2022 way…!

The whole experience was magical, staff were so friendly and the set up magical for the little ones. Mr and Mrs Claus were so kind to the children, and a joy to meet, it was their first Christmas at Alton’s welcoming the children and we hope they have many more welcoming the children to the grotto. The gift bag with the Christmas tree cutting to grow at home was such a thoughtful gift and one we will indeed plant, but that’s not all the children got in the gift bag. Well worth the money

Travelled from Tunbridge Wells to see the Christmas display here and others and this one was so dissapointing. They normally have an area dedicated to light up animals, displays and all their lights on dosplay. They have obviously chosen not to do that this year.

Amazing experience with 2.5 year old grandson. Santas helpers and Santa all were super nice/helpful. Really lovely gifts. Definitely recommend

Took granddaughter to see Santa, she loved it. They do a really good job here. Visit takes about 10 to 15 minutes, very good presents given and well worth the £15, ho ho ho

Had a lovely display of Christmas decorations. A little cramped between the fixtures as I struggled with an adult in a wheel chair to get through in some areas. Had nice tea and coffee but for £5.99 for a bacon sandwich I would expect thick cut bread not very sad looking thin bread. It's 5 years since I last visited and I don't think I would be in a hurry to go back

Very good plenty to chose from and a pleasant venue.

I went in a few times about two weeks ago to enquire about STIHL tools. I spoke with an older gentlemen who mentioned they may be able to do something with price. STIHL tools are sold at manufacture's RRP here. They can be found cheaper nearly everywhere else but Alton's is my local. I returned on Friday 6th October after deciding to buy the KMA 135 r with 3 attachments and batteries (RRP £1600). There was a completely different guy by the counter. I say 'by' because I had to ask if he was serving. He acknowledged he was but couldn't be more disinterested. A lot younger. I told him what I wanted and mentioned my previous visits and a possible discount. He said " we don't price match". I never asked for a price match, just a possible discount as their prices were high. He said no. So I walked out, phoned Basildon Mower Centre purchased what I wanted and got a discount. They also assemble the tools for you and the service is brilliant. Alton's lost out on a big sale.

Brought a garden bench staff very helpful

Outstanding service, looking beautifull place.

Great garden centre but almost impossible to park on Saturdays and Sundays it's so popular. Good selection of plants and garden furniture, powered garden tools, pond requisites and pretty things for the home. Also an extensive area devoted to outbuildings, fencing, trellis etc. There is also a cafe providing a range of decent foods and drinks..... September 2023 and its Christmas already!!!

Excellent for interior furnishings as well as all.things relating to gardening.

Nice garden centre lots to choose from.

Brought garden furniture was absolute rubbish. Completely fell to bits think twice before buying from here

I purchased Hayter and Allett lawnmowers from Alton Garden Centre. Barrie the machinery manager was really helpful and gave me some great advice on the best models for me. They even helped to setup both machines and carried them to my car. Great service and a good price, I’d highly recommend them.

Local garden centre with a good reputation, we visited yesterday and had a pleasant experience, lovely helpful staff and everything you would need.

I love this garden centre, jam packed with everything you need for home & garden, but the staff are what makes this store an absolute delight to visit. They are all such lovely, helpful, friendly people & they give the best customer service of any establishment I’ve been to.

Amazing friendly service from Julia, We bought some beautiful quality furniture , we are so pleased and can’t wait to see it all set up at home. Thanks very much.

So impressed with the staff! Amazing service from Peter at the garden furniture department. Very helpful and courteous. Products are of high standard as well but the staff is Alton's treasure

I perfectly understand that the restaurant is being rebuilt but surely you could make more effort with the little cafe ?? Dry sandwiches and paper cups are not very impressive ?

excellent customer service thank you alton’s , peter and julie are awesome thank you both for helping us today , came in for a certain item , peter was excellent and helpful 😊 also the bbq area very good customer service ended up with a very nice pizza oven thank you for all your advice, will be coming back soon

Beautiful shop, really big garden centre too. But it is rather expensive

I recently had a wonderful experience at Alton Garden Centre, and I would like to share my gratitude through this Google review. I visited the garden centre's Water Feature Department to address a problem with my water pump, which had been acting up lately. I was greeted by a friendly and knowledgeable staff member who helped me troubleshoot the issue. Unfortunately, it turned out that my pump was faulty and needed to be replaced under warranty. The staff member not only helped me with the replacement process, but also went above and beyond to ensure that I had a suitable replacement pump that would meet my needs. They took the time to explain the features and benefits of different pumps, and helped me choose the perfect one for my pond. Throughout the entire process, the staff member was patient, understanding, and truly committed to providing excellent customer service. They made me feel valued as a customer and were genuinely interested in helping me solve my problem. I cannot thank the Water Feature Department staff at Alton Garden Centre enough for their outstanding service. Their expertise and dedication made my experience at the garden centre a truly memorable one. I would highly recommend this department to anyone looking for quality products and exceptional customer service.

So much choice and lovely stuff and staff on shop floor and restaurant

Excellent range of gardening and household products & BBQs

Great selection of plants, pet accessories, and food. A great range of garden furniture and products.

Very large garden centre, lovely to stroll around. Staff very helpful and friendly. Good prices and dog friendly (not allowed in eating area). Clean and nice atmosphere.

Brilliant customer service again from this store. They really do go above and beyond for their customers

What a joke wentto get a new gazebo cover and have lunch,the cafe is rediculous poor service &even poorer food depressing more staff than customer

Priced are very affordable and except able had some food in cafe delicious came here twice best thing in cafe food is tuna and cheese toasties so goodddddd only bad this is this year 2022 we went to go to see sanat as did last year and got a really decent present but this year was a vr ride and thought it was quite expensive for £25 per child and adult is fine atleast that's £5 but everything is great

I absolutely love altons, it’s my favourite garden centre, has the best home wear and Christmas decorations! Big shout out to carol on the home wear department she is an angel, can’t do enough for you! She deserves a raise, can’t thank her enough for always helping me whenever I go in altons! Also Sophie on Christmas decor is the best, she helped me so much on how to decorate my tree and make it look fabulous, she’s so incredibly helpful… even under all the Boxing Day stress they both didn’t stop being the best in business!

Well done all at Santa's Grotto absolutely magical my Grandaughter loved it staff fantastic and decorated beautifully So Thank You And Merry Christmas

So this isn't a fault with the garden centre but with Santa's grotto we drove from lakeside to visit today with our children to see santa that was until we saw four kids and 2 adults would cost us £130 on what planet does that seem right christ even the one in the middle of lakeside don't cost that and it looks alot better 30 quid for a child over 4 is disgusting when others are either free or make a donation to charity which is more in the Xmas spirit the grotto should be closed down!!

This is a very well stocked and appointed garden centre. I have visited it many times . I know they always make an extra effort at christmas to make the place look magical. I was however dissapointed to see their entrance fee to santa costing £25.00 for under 4 £30.00 over 4 and an additional £5.00 for accompanying adult!!!. This seems to me a bit greedy to charge for a parent or grandparent to stand and watch their child see santa. We are sadly used to increasing prices but come on Alton. I am aware you are a business but this seems a bit cynical.

Shop is amazing for Xmas....but the prices are too expensive. For average family

Very good Christmas collection, as well as a fine garden centre. Staff really good

Great place for garden and home. Xmas is fantastic.

Great place for all your shopping needs for xmas and trees. Highly recommend

Beautiful, sparkly, glittery, seasonal

Beautiful, lovely range of Christmas goodies

Very good Christmas displays throughout.

Brilliant selection of Christmas decorations . Lovely friendly staff on the checkout

Lovely as always very festive surroundings with very good coffee and scones.

Great place, loads to choose from but not as good with the Xmas lights as last year

Really busy but a brilliant Christmas shop

Nothing vegan to eat here other than an apple and nut bar. Wasn't offered a salad or anything and the staff didn't even apologise. The nut bar was also out of date.

The Christmas display is incredible.

We booked in to see Father Christmas this afternoon, on arrival it wasn’t working, the very man sent us to get complimentary drinks and cakes, until it was able to be repaired, after a short while it was ready and we went to Santa’s grotto, the experience was excellent, the elf’s were amazing, the VR ride was superb, my grandson who is 3 loved it as we did, but when you get to knock on Santa’s door and go into his room it is just magical, it was the real Santa and he was a perfect gentleman, worth every Penny, a big thank you from us.

Lovely Christmas display same they are allowing dogs into the display some people are freighted of dogs or allergic to them now we can't take our grandchildren anymore because of this.

Big and full of choices, nice big Christmas shop and good cafe

A magical place, but extremely over priced. Shocking service in the Café and vile cheap tea.

Nice well run place plenty of variety.

Christmas songs in October. No thanks

Car park is free and easy executing on the a127 can be troublesome. High levels of stock and availability is good

A great selection of Christmas items (even if it is only October 🙂 )

Very disappointed with the wait we had just to get some lunch it was over half an hour & with a very hungry 5yr old it made the time seem even longer..lovely xmad decoration etc but certainly won't go back to eat & couldn't recommend it to anyone else for that reason just took the edge off my birthday treat out today 😔

Found just the right planter for our needs. Lovely helpful assistant who was working his first shift.

Visited today to look for granite chippings / non pourous decorative stone and the gentleman in the payment hut was extremely helpful..... He even said I could take some samples away to show my partner. What a nice chap

This place has been here for many years. Recently stopped here after many years of not being able to visit. Though it still had a good range of items, it seems more has been crammed in. So is harder to navigate around and to find what you are looking for. My kids used to love the place all year round, but it seems to a have lost its magic, though it maybe different come christmas time.

Excellent garden centre with a great range of quality plants and a large indoor show area with a wide range of items on display

Nice range of plants all looking very healthy

Gardeners in the centre are really knowledgeable and helpful with suggestions as to planting in our small gardens.

I was looking for a 5/6ft Red Robin & phoned Altons for advice & stock levels. I was fortunate to speak to Beverley who works outside in Altons shrub, tree's & plant area. Beverley was so experienced & helpful. She relayed over the phone what she had in stock, sizes, prices & what she thought would suit us. We visited later the same day. Beverley showed us all the Red Robin Stock, even lifting them out for inspection. We came away with our shrub & 3 bags of the recommended compost. Thank you Beverley, you were so helpful & knowledgable. David Hale.

Huge place. Lots of stock and parking. Restaurant poor.

Good selection of garden buildings, helpful staff as well.

Always great service, not local to us but well worth a visit

Very good sirvice will be going back again

Today I popped in Alton’s and was pleasantly surprised to see all the garden crockery in sale. I couldn’t resist! There was an advisor marking down the items who helped me to find 34 pieces for the set I wanted to buy, even opening boxes to give my amazing service. I asked her name and she said “ Diane “ I will definitely come in again if all your advisor’s are as lovely 🥰

Fantastic place to buy some wonderful plants. Could walk around there all Day discovering interesting things.

Huge variety of quality flowers and plants albeit not the cheapest.

Good selection, prices are reasonable, came out with more than I went in for but thats joy of shopping,

Nice garden centre, had sandich in resturant then brought some plants. All ok

Alton’s have an amazing selection of plants

Food is good, cakes nice too, love the cafe and all the plants too.

Great range of gardening stuff. Best garden centre round here.

Given three stars only because they are in the middle of a refurbishment, so not fully functional. I'm sure they'll achieve more once the refurb is complete, based on the quality of the rest of the store.

Great choice of plants and gardening equipment.

Always nice to browse have a look round nice especially at Christmas Resturants nice as well👍

Good value and selection of plants