Coach House Tea Rooms in Wealden

After a walk around Sheffield Park we went into the Coach House Tea Rooms for some drinks and a snack.- A limited Choice Both of which were Okay, but nothing more and a little overpriced but it served our purpose

The Coach house tea rooms at Sheffield Park originally built by the 3rd Lord Sheffield as coach house and stable block . Probably one of the best National Trust tea rooms I've been in and just the job for a nice latte after a walk around the gardens. Winston Churchill used to pop in for tea and to check on his beloved black swans . For a National trust cafe the prices aren't bad either.

The coleslaw was grim… extra £2 for two unwashed lettuce leafs and the coleslaw was hard carrot and hard red cabbage! Sausage roll £4 was tiny and tasteless. Toasted sandwiches hard and inedible. Shame could be a beautiful tea room, food let it down. Staff lovely. Room bit dusty.

Incredibly rude staff, including the manager ‘Emma’. Definitely wouldn’t recommend it and will not be returning.

This cafe looks quite appealing, but unfortunately the food options are extremely limited and uninspiring. I visited with a friend and we shared two sandwiches, which were just ok, although the “cheddar and red onion marmalade “ one seemed to be cheddar and cranberry sauce! The mistake we made was also ordering the flatbread with sun dried tomato houmous, which took an age to arrive, so long that we actually went and asked where it was after such a long time. When it arrived it was half a plate of what looked like pinkish baby sick and a cold, anaemic looking flatbread on the other side, no salad garnish, no appearance of a sun dried tomato. It tasted revolting as well, and the texture was of slop. The staff act like they couldn’t care less about anything. We won’t be revisiting this cafe again, we will go elsewhere.

Had lunch here after getting off the Bluebell line and before going into the National Trust Sheffield Park and Gardens. A good menu with lots of choices hot or cold and more than ample seating inside and out. Not too expensive either and next to a shop selling preloved books and music and other bric-à-brac. Nice place with nice staff.

On a cold day, it was lovely to be able to have coffee and then a hot bowl of delicious soup for lunch. Nice surroundings and Covid safe. Staff lovely. Beautiful Xmas tree too.

Went for a coffee before we had a walk round Sheffield Park and then went back for lunch. The coffee and lunch were up to the usual good National Trust standard, although the service could have been a bit quicker. This is one National Trust restaurant that allows dogs inside as there is a separate Garden Room at the back of the main restaurant.

Coffee and drinking chocolate were fine, cake was good. The problem was the service - two young servers, looked like they didn’t want to be there, no eye contact, little contact of any kind, no thank yous. No COVID precautions in this cafe either.

No one had a clue behind the counter, meals were coming up faster than you could get a tea or coffee. There were enough staff but it seemed like no one was actually in control. Tea was OK as was the cake we had but I would not bother again. Gardens were out of this world but the catering!

A good National Trust cafe, clean and comfortable, good choice of the usual foods with substantial portions. Well staffed and quick polite service.

You can't blame the servers who are making the best out of what they're given which is a very limited menu and very little training. The garden outside is nice enough in the sun but I've had better jacket potatoes in Costco's cafe and the coffee is average. Captive audience means extortinate pricing for what is below par standard.

This is the onsite cafe at Sheffield Park National Trust. The layout is poor, the staff are not welcoming or interested. Poor selection of food, laid out well away from the drinks section. We decided if we visit Sheffield Park again we will try one of the nearby villages for refreshments in future.

Had coffee and lunch there. Good quality food, nicely prepared. Interesting location and surroundings. Only point to make would be that the staff could have been more receptive and welcoming. Felt we were being "processed".

The staff were very friendly and efficient and the service was quick (especially as they were really busy when we went at lunchtime) but there was very little choice (in the cake line) for Gluten Free. The menu, even for non Gluten Free, was very limited; mainly jacket potatoes with different fillings, soup, one quiche and one other "pot" meal. One good bonus, though, is the dog friendly Garden Room, so dogs do not have to subject their owners to suffering outside when it is wet and/or cold.

Often visit Sheffield Park gardens, this was the first time I have visited the tearoom, but was worth the visit. I had a nice hame and cheddar sandwich, sausage roll and a pot of tea, I visited just before you would expect the lunch time rush, served quickly and there appeared to be enough staff on hand to cope when it got busier. Just one small thing that I think needs adjusting, when you arrive you enter the first part which has cakes and sandwiches laid out to select yourself and take into the main part of the tearoom to get your hot items, pay and find a table (and there is ample seating, even for the busiest times). I was looking for a tray and plates to put my selection on and eventually discovered that those items were on the far side of the room, it would make more sense to have the trays and plates near the entrance door so you can pick them up as you enter, just a small niggle on my part, but worth considering.

Rubbish for vegans. I'd visit the gardens again but remember to take a packed lunch or go somewhere else to eat.

If you are looking for a classy place to eat in perfect surrounding then this is the place, the food is all home made and tastes devine.

Very nice setting, not a huge selection of food available but what there was all looked really nice and home made. Banana and Maple cake was epic!

We often visit Sheffield Park. Mostly to walk dogs through the fields and along the river. Occasionally, when it is not too busy, we visit the beautiful formal gardens and lakes.We always visit the Tea Rooms towards the end of the day as we can depend on the quality and the lovely location.

I ate a late lunch today, Oct 25th, at the tea room of Sheffield Park and Garden and was impressed by the charming and efficient staff, the beautiful oak-paneled setting and the tasty offerings - fresh and piping hot, many made right there. I was lucky to have gotten the last stuffed jacket potato of the day, well worth the 15 minute wait for it to finish cooking. Mine was topped generously with grated cheese and served with house-made coleslaw and a garnish of salad greens. I piled it all onto the potato- remarkable combination. I ordered the house apple crumble with a generous helping of custard. It screamed “Granny’s home made”. Topped it off with house tea with milk and loved every bite. Best of merry old England! Anytime I was in the area I would return gladly! There was a steady stream of people but the line moved quickly. Babies in strollers and Seniors with mobility issues. Respect, kindness and consideration towards all. Plenty of space to sit comfortably or navigate the eating areas- 2 big dining areas inside and space outdoors. Nice bathrooms. Clean!

I absolutely love Sheffield Park Gardens and the staff are amazing. October sees 5,000+ visitors on some days yet they ensure it runs smoothly and service is with a smile. So hats off to all the staff. BUT whoever is responsible for the menu at the Tea Rooms needs to take a look at how times are changing. The number of vegans is experiencing a huge growth and all the major supermarkets are already chasing the vegan pound. Waitrose has just brought out a fantastic imaginative vegan range; Lidl, Iceland, Sainsbury and Tesco - announcing everywhere about their new vegan offerings. Now visit this tea room - you will see 8-10 huge, inviting cakes as you queue. Umm, only problem is, if you're vegan - keep moving as there is nothing for you. Past the scones and trimmings...nothing for you there either. Ask member of staff if any vegan cakes "Sorry, no". To the counter..oops the Leek and Potato Soup and Baked Potatoes sold out. One option left a bean soup.. not keen but hungry and no choice. At least comes with hunk of bread. You ask for non-dairy spread. Flora or similar. Nope - butter or nothing. Soy milk for tea? Result - they had some. So, whilst my animal-product eating friend tucked into a huge slice of cake and cheese scone with butter, I had bean soup (very tasty) and a hunk of bread. What a huge disappointment in 2019. For vegans such as Morrissey, Serena Williams and Ariana Grande, Bill Gates and Woody Harrelson this place is not for you.

Our second visit . We took our granddaughters again. It was extremely busy. When we got there , there was total chaos with the amount of traffic. The traffic and parking Marshall’s were clearly out of their depth with this volume of traffic. There was a queue in the main entrance with national trust ticket holders getting preferential treatment. The lady who was checking tickets was rude and unhelpful and made go to the back of the season ticket queue despite us not having a season ticket. And in fact could of gone straight through to buy our tickets. Once in the gardens it was as to be expected with lovely autumn colours and settings. We then decided we wanted to eat but refused to wait 30mins plus to get to the tea rooms , so we were directed to the sandwich kiosk where we were expected to wait a further half hour. There was another big queue for the toilets. In the end we gave up and went to a local pub for relief and food.Seriously a venue like this should expect the numbers they had today and an organisation as big as the national trust should be also be expected to cope with such numbers. Very disappointing frustrating and stressful , with 2 young granddaughter in tow

We had coffee here as part of a visit to the garden with close friends. located in the old building; the room was large and could have done with more furnishings to brighten the place up. Coffee was perfectly acceptable and most welcome

tried eating here on last visit but queues were backed up well into the shop . Know it was busy because of Autumn Colours but this isn't the first time we have given up trying to get served.

Nt gardens, so the tea rooms were expensive and not a great choice.. Overpriced cakes. Tea rooms not in the gardens, a short walk. .

Visited the Cafe on a day out to Sheffield Park. It has improved beyond all recognition since our last visit years ago - which put us off visiting Sheffield Park.

After a good walk in the park, us two seniors were in need of refreshments. Soon found the Coach House. Very well set out, nice and spacious, we just needed a snack and were well served with tea for two and cakes. It was quite busy but still very efficient and welcoming, very enjoyable. Well done

We completely affirm what someone else has posted about this National Trust cafe. First of all, the setting is impressive but rather gloomy and not helped by the big orange 1970s style light fittings that don't suit the place and the cheap looking furniture. There was no evidence of anyone clearing the tables. The sausage and chicken tray bake was something meagre that Oliver would get in the work house and cost a stunning £8.95. By 1pm, the kitchen was already running out of food. Only two packages of sandwiches were on sale, looking lonely and a hot choice had run out. My coconut and vegetable curry was tasty and sensibly priced. However, really it was a soup, as it was too loose to be a curry and had to be eaten with a spoon. Perhaps staff had watered it down to serve more people. A wholemeal roll to accompany it would have been nicer than a big white bap, but my husband was so hungry after the tray bake disaster, he wolfed it down. We won't come back here - a shame as the independent cafe it replaced always served wholesome, sensibly priced food.

I’ll start with the positives, on arrival there was a small queue but this did move quickly. We ordered our food and it came quickly. There is also a lot of seating - much more than some other National Trust properties.

£7.95 for this offering is simply shameful and appalling, but don't let such rip-offs spoil your visit to the gardens, whatever the time of year.

went midweek and clearly a popular site for a decent meal/snack with good choices of hot/cold drinks .Choice of sitting outside or in airy indoor rooms ..Attentive staff at all times

Not much to choose from in way of light snacks, tea was fine but coffee was only a little more than lukewarm. A few large cakes (slices) to choose from but not an option as I'm diabetic, so had to go without. We had 1 x tea and 1 x coffee with 2 pieces of shortbread, and the bill was almost the same as the main meal and drinks we had the previous day in Uckfield. Also, if the NT are reading this, the tray clearing system is a non starter as the trays don't fit the racks, so people before us had had to leave the dirty trays on tables nearby just as we did, which was not the most inviting picture? If you are going to have such a system, make sure the racks are fit for purpose, or change the trays, one or the other? Dirty trays on a table don't look good at all, gives totally the wrong impression.

There is nearly always a long queue and the food on the menu board ha invariably run out. The sandwich and snacks fridge is rarely topped up and you need to compromise. If you are lucky enough to get what you think you want, everything is good enough although the whole food system needs re-managing as the procedure is tiresome and tempers fray quite often. We have solved the issue by driving a couple of minutes up the road to Sheffield Green where the Elephant cafe is less crowded, larger, less dingy and cheaper for better fare. A pity as we go to the gardens and the wild wood walk almost every weekend.

we had a refund after we complained that the curry was more of a soup than a curry. really not good. was told it’s the chef. then i suggest get rid of him

We went here after our return journey on the Bluebell Railway. The food and drinks were very good.

We visited last year, after a walk, thirsting for a coffee, service was extremely slow, amateurish and the coffee was weak. Not up to Trust standards and needs to train staff not rely on young people with weekend jobs.

Lovely coffee and the best scones around! Very attractive surroundings to enjoy your refreshments, whether just a coffee or a light lunch.

We visited today and I thought I,d have a look at other reviews, we agreed totally with the previous comments. We felt the staff were rude and even a bit arrogant. They seemed very uncomfortable in their position. When you put your tray on the counter for drinks why then place the drinks three inches away from it? No atmosphere and very clinical and empty why not put flowers on tables quiet music etc. What does it take to say good bye etc when you leave, I turn,t to them to say thank you or goodbye as it’s something I would always automatically do, but all four had there backs to us talking so we said it to ourselves. I feel these people require some training. Especially in people skills. Sorry will be back to visit the park but not the tea room.

Not sure if I would visit other than when visiting the gardens but you can as its separate. Tends to get quite busy but there are two large rooms and an outside patio for warmer days. Good savoury selection as well as cakes.

It was rather busy when we visisted but we enjoyed our cream tea sitting outside in the sun. Better than the cream tea I had at the station during another visit!

Visited for lunch today at 1pm but some of the lunch menu had already sold out. Ordered the soup but there then seemed to be a problem and we were asked to take a seat and it would be delivered to our table. It was certainly not worth the wait, nor the money. It tasted as though they had just opened up a tin of chopped tomatoes, added a few bits of onion, stirred it then served it. At the end of summer with gluts of fresh tomatoes, surely the National Trust could be more imaginative! Gloomy dining area but there is outside seating which is pleasant if the weather permits. All a little disappointing for such a lovely garden property.

We visited the Coach House tea rooms whilst on a visit to Sheffield Park Gardens, we chose a Sunday morning for our visit and arrived by car, parking in the large car park (free but unsurfaced). We understand that visitors can also walk from the Bluebell Railway’s Sheffield Park station and we could hear the steam trains clearly from the entrance area.

We only had an extremely welcome cup of tea,which was very good and well served. We did not eat but it all looked very appealing.

We stopped for coffees and cake whilst visiting. The chocolate tart was delicious and coffee took a while to be ready but was worth the wait. Overall nice little cafe.

New National Trust members so we had no real idea of what to expect from on site catering, the NT website doesn't give any clues as to menus. The menu is not displayed outside the cafe, you have to go in an look at the board behind the serving area, then go back and get a tray.

entry is very disorganised you wait a long time to get in there is no menu to see until you turn the corner ended up with a very wet tuna sandwich overpriced needs to be looked at not up to usual nat trust standards.

We were ready for a hot meal and it was served within a short time. As a vegetarian I had less choice but the macaroni cheese was tasty. My husband enjoyed his Cumberland sausage. We had a choice of chips or potatoes.

Enjoyed our scones and coffee in the walled garden but for rainy days there is the main tea room and the garden room. Would describe the facility as acceptable but perhaps more basic than the gardens deserve.

I am afraid that as a group we were very disappointed from the service and quality of food at the Coach House tea rooms. They do not seem prepared for visitors.the queues were going out of the building and along the path. I do not understand the business mentality of the NT surely they can organise cashiers and tills. There should be separate tills for those only wanting beverages. There is plenty of seating space but they are just disorganised. the tea rooms are outside of the entrance to Sheffield Park.

Whilst visiting the park popped in here for lunch, had the soup of the day Pea, Mint and lettuce with chunk of wholemeal bread, very nice indeed. Prices are what you would expect. Tipton't leave your cake unattended when sat outside or the Magpie will help itself lol

Having queued for 25 minutes to get parked we thought we'd go for a drink before the walk. Never thought it would be that disorganised, and had to queue for another 10 minutes. As the serving was so slow, when we reached the front we decided to have lunch, and fortunately there was plenty of seating as people had vacated having had plenty of time to eat and drink. What we had was very nice but it is a NT and they are not cheap!

Went for lunch before visiting the gardens. A ham "ploughmans" and a burger came in at around £13. Utter waste of money, both were minuscule and incredibly average. Staff are friendly enough but the food and the prices are laughable. Stick to coffee and cake if you do visit. We won't be going again.

We've been here several times, and always enjoyed our walks round the lakes and gardens. However, since the café in the old stables was extended it's gone downhill. On the last occasion we visited, my wife and I had "ploughmans" - consisting of a hunk of bread, a small piece of cheese, a lettuce leaf and a couple of other miniscule salad bits, and a whole apple. My mother-in-law had soup, which contained chilli (but this wasn't advertised). My father-in-law had a (very small) jacket potato, and my brother-in-law's fiancée had a veg curry which had just been dumped on the plate, all mixed up with the rice, no care over presentation at all. Definitely not worth the money we spent!

Food was good, staff where polite, good menu, places to eat in or outside, was not to crowded when we went,

Recently much extended and with plenty of seating even at the busiest times. Usual range of drinks food cakes etc. found at most National Trust tea rooms. In this case they are not inside the gardens and can be visited by any passer by.

Out with friends for the day having enjoyed the beautiful backdrop of Sheffield Park Gardens. This was a particularly unpleasant experience. The staff were so incredibly rude with a 'them and us' attitude quite frankly we were stunned with their lack of customer service and general politeness. I appreciate NT cafés can be a bit 'iffy' and this is most certainly one of them. Avoid like the plague and save your pennies. A stale scone, a pot of tea where you have to ask for a cup and saucer (this was met by a rolling of eyes) and surly staff. No, definitely time for some staff training NT. Your shops are a delight - sadly not your cafés. Time to bring in some friendly volunteers huh?

Fairly standard National Trust food, but the plum and orange cake was delicious. The sandwiches in the children's lunch boxes were excellent - thick cut ham on chunky granary bread, much better than many such boxes. The sausage baguettes were nice too, and the staff are friendly and helpful.

Good home cooked food clean and good value always nicely prepared and served with a smile. Use this Tea Room on my travels across counties.

It makes a great break in you stroll around Sheffield Park and Gardens, especially if you are an avid photographer, you will definitely want to spend the day here and don't forget the Falls between 12.00 and 13.00 hrs, they serve great food hot or cold and the prices are very reasonable, nice open comfortable in door area plus seating outside.

We had various items to eat & drink and they were all very good (National Trust property & prices). It was quite busy but the room was quite noisy owing to the location, that is the trouble with using a historic building without alterations.

I have been, many times, to Sheffield Park & neighbouring Wakehurst and will never return to either again. The latter's ludicrous parking charges brought be back to Sheffield Park and it has broken my trust in the NT.What was, not a year ago, a delightful restaurant has become a sub-standard joke. Where are the home-made pies and tarts? Instead; bland soup, boring loaf tin cake served by a waspish, rude lady, who it transpired was the manager! Clearly new (and a disastrous choice) as the food is as lacklustre as her attitude. Absolute joke of a visit PLUS MORE THAN BEFORE!! I'd never wished for a picnic more. Garden's reception team were friendly, however it was the charming young gentleman who serves tea in the garden from the buggy itself that was the only redeeming feature of our visit. The 'cafe' could learn by example.Deeply disappointed.

We returned to the Coach House recently and were delighted that our confidence in it was justified. My husband and I both enjoyed the most delicious Smoked Salmon and Dill Quiche, served with a complex and divine Tabouleh Salad and home-made Coleslaw (served imaginatively in a perfectly lovely Lettuce leaf.) We then had the cake of the month, which more than earned it's moniker: a Lemon Curd sponge that was light, zingy and superbly presented. I am so pleased that this hidden gem has retained it's high standards, and I only wish that other National Trust eateries would lead by example. We will be returning for the 'Autumn Tints' and will be bringing some relatives to enjoy the food here. Thank you again.

Visited after finishing our trip to the gardens.and was disappointed with the menu offered for lunch which we felt was very poor

Had nice Sussex Ham & Chutney sandwich in the Coach House Tea Rooms and my relatives had soup of the day-also tasty. Had 2 Cappuccinos one on arrival and another later –these were a bit average

I cannot praise this establishment enough after the meal I had there recently. Having been rather put off by National Trust catering in the past, we somewhat reluctantly left the picnic basket behind and decided to chance it with our family. We were far from disappointed. We decided to have a scone and tea before the gardens as we had been rather delayed in traffic, and the scones were absolutely divine. Clearly the produce on display was *genuinely* fresh and 'home' baked- what novelty these days! The smells of baking cakes as we entered the building was such a treat. There was a large and fulsome-looking selection of sandwiches, plates of salads with scrumptious looking pies and quiches and a cheerful smile at the till. The money exchanged were as you would expect from NT, but with *value*.After viewing the food before our elevenses we certainly didn't kick our heels around the beautiful gardens and returned for lunch. My grandson had one of the children's goody bags, which had a beautifully Rosie apple and home-made biscuit. The sandwich was freshly made to order and was delivered by the charming chef! My son and daughter-in-law had a mushroom lasagne, which they said was delicious. My husband and I had a superlative dish of Pork in a creamy cider sauce, served with the most flavoursome and luxurious mashed potato that my husband says he has ever had. The greens (cabbage) that were served with the dish were cooked to perfection. Whist my daughter-in-law treated the children to ice creams, my husband and I had been so impressed that we opted for the crumble for afters. What a treat - beautifully presented and absolutely scrummy! I shall be recommending the Coach House to anyone who will listen, and would return simply to have yet another delicious meal. Thank you.

The best way to finish off a day walking round the Sheffield park Gardens and to reflect on a great day out.

great building with beautiful stained glass window, coffee good but my victoria sponge was not nice ! although my husband really enjoyed his fruitcake with ale !

Unusually for tea rooms associated with places run by the National Trust it's not actually run by the NT but is independent. It's also a bit of a walk from the entrance/exit to the Gardens.Last time I visited, in October 2012, there were a huge number of people (including coach parties) visiting Sheffield Park to view the autumn foliage display. Frankly, this facility was busting at the seams with rather too many visitors.It's not one of my favourite tea rooms. It's OK but not brilliant - and, as indicated, the tea room can get very crowded in the Autumn.