Gardener's Retreat in Mid Suffolk

Decided to visit for a carvery Sunday Lunch. Other than coffee not eaten here since they changed hands. Complicated system of actually getting your meal but no complaints from me on that as it means no long queues. We took a table and had a coffee before deciding on the menu. Then I went to the till and paid for two carveries with pigs in blankets as extra. About £26. I was told to return to my table. Later a tray with cutlery and tickets for carvery delivered to our table. The server advised us to wait at the table and a server would collect us and deliver us to the carvery located where you used to get the tea and scones. Eventually we arrived at the carvery with our escort. I chose the gammon, there was a variety of veg, green beans, carrot's diced swede, cabbage, red cabbage , cauliflower cheese which I avoided as it was an overcooked mush and looked very unappealing. Roast potatoes and a very thin gravy. Plus a Yorkshire pudding which was very handy to mop up the gravy.Back to the table . The gammon still had the ‘skin’ attached and various globules of greasy horrible fat, this should all have been removed before hitting the pass. The roast potatoes had appeared to have been cooked and then boiled in oil so they were impossible to cut and if you achieved it gravy splashed everywhere. Hi light of the meal ,the carrots, cooked to perfection with butter and herbs added. The red cabbage as also fine. Stuffing was a tiny ball hard as a rock and the pigs in blankets once more over cooked. So it’s a £12 Tesco meal deal for me in future. Fed up paying good money for sub par food. The staff here are however what makes it,friendly,helpful an approachable.

Slow service incompetent staff waited for ages for something so simple as a scone and coffee. Will never eat there again. The worst example of British catering. Avoid at all costs.

I don't understand most of the reviews on here. It's busy so 20 minutes to wait is OK if you're that impatient go to McDonald's. The staff work hard so they have some appreciation. When I've been always clean and staff are polite. Food is not overpriced it's very good value actually go somewhere and you will pay more. Their burgers and spectacular best I've had anywhere. Tried most meals no complaints I think it's excellent. Can't believe some of the petty silly things people complain about. It's a beautiful setting. Good food and nice staff. 5 star.

We were at the Steam museum to visit so an easy walk for food. We went in just after 12 on a Sunday and very busy. Ordered our sandwiches then waited 40 minutes for them to arrive. Not good The food itself was very good just be prepared to wait for it

I won’t be in a hurry to visit again. The place generally looked like it needed a good scrub. Filthy tables and dirty cutlery. 25 minute wait for a drink and a further 20 minutes wait for cold food that wasn’t as described on the menu and frankly wasn’t very nice at all. Slimy salad and miserable staff that weren’t interested in cleaning the table or giving me something so I could clean it myself. Won’t be back again! Overpriced!

The food is good as and when you get it. 25 minute wait for drinks to be brought to the table then another 20 minutes waiting for food which was not complete. Asked a member of staff if rest was coming and they said it would be. In the end I had to go to the counter with my receipt to get rest of the food. Seems lack of supervision and very chaotic

Sunday carvery is delicious and great value for money at £10.99 or large plate £1 extra. (Carvery on a Wednesday also!) Friendly service, 3 choices of meat and pigs in blankets, 2 choices of potatoes and large selection of veg. You pay at the counter and you wait to be called up, to avoid a large queue. Food is delicious. You may have to wait a little while during busy periods as it is extremely popular but worth the wait Special mention to ‘Hazel’ who was carving and always friendly and cheerful.

Ordered drinks but didn't get them. Couldn't open any of the condiment sachets and staff wouldn't help.

Turned up for a breakfast, DO NOT ORDER THE BREAKFAST CARVERY!!! Limited to 2 Dry bits of bacon, everything else cold, other food we ordered was forgotten and the coffee was oily! The single worst place I have ever been for breakfast

What on earth has happened to this once lovely garden centre restaurant Terrible till service scruffy and a poor selection of food Don’t think we’ll return

Service was diabolical, walked over to the till not even a proper hello, just straight up said allergies, rather rude, then when saying about the cakes I wanted to order she just walked off while I was still talking. The whole take a seat and we will bring it to you didn’t really make much sense as I had only ordered one drink and two cakes, which she had put onto a tray anyways. The cakes were dry, coffee sponge cake, tasted good but texturally like I was eating a dry sock, the Black Forest gateau looked dry, looked nice in the case but not when it was right next to you. We took it up to a young lady who was very kind and helpful, completely different attitude to any of the other workers that we had experienced in the cafe. The older lady was so rude that when I came over to switch the cake over she came over and said “what do you want?” not in any kind way but was rather rude in my opinion considering I was already talking to the younger lady, when the younger lady went and got my replacement cake, I was waiting at a till but I had to move as the older lady brought some other customers over there even though they had 2 other rolls that could have been used. The replacement cake was the sprinkle slice, however it was still dry and the icing was hard enough to hurt someone if it was thrown at them (this was not tested). The older woman was in a different coloured top which would usually mean she was a manager of some sort but the service was so bad that I will never be returning to the restaurant again, I will go to the garden centre as it’s a really nice place but the food and service in the Gardeners Retreat was the worst I have witnessed anywhere. I would definitely not recommend this location to anyone.

Poor service, carvery underwhelming ( veg horrible, mushy broccoli, bullet like sprouts) Nut roast poor, and we had to wait ages for them to bring vegetarian gravy out. Sausage, egg & chips ok but baked beans had been under a heat lamp for too long and developed a crust) They are obviously understaffed hence the awful service, new management needed for sure. Wish I’d saved my £40+ and opted for coffee and a scone instead. We will use again but only for coffee and snacks.

We weren't sure how to order as sign was obscured, see photo. Started to queue but realised no menu on wall saying what you could order so found a table with menu. Menu said breakfast only until 11, main meals from 1130. As it wax 11.12 we just ordered 3 scones, 3 hot drinks which took 20 minutes to be brought to table. While waiting saw several orders come and go from tables as that wasn't what people wanted or table numbers wrong? Surely it would be faster to give people tea and cake at the counter rather than table service. Fine for main meals but we were in there from 11.12 to 11.50 when we could have been gone by 11.35 and freed up a table

It took 35 minutes for our soup to arrive and when it did it was lukewarm and had the consistency mashed potato. Totally flavourless

I have many excellent breakfasts here but Where do I start with this one….Egg whites almost raw while the centres were like bullets ( good effort), 2 sausages 1 almost cremated and 1 hardly cooked at all, toast was so well done that when I went to butter it it snapped into 4 pieces, the bacon was that tough that I didn’t even bother to try and eat it, the beans were ok and the hash browns were passable..all in all a very disappointing attempt, I wouldn’t mind too much if they busy but there were very few customers in the restaurant.

Worst £20 I've ever spent on a lunch. Our table was cleared as we sat down and not even cleaned! Charged £6.99 for a lukewarm ciabata with a narrow stip of the thinest cheese they could manage. Coleslaw was just hacked up cabbage with virtually no mayo and a salad which was mainly rocket and more cabbage! And £3.20 for a bottle of Fentimans? Outrageous. The price for drinks is not even on the menu so you have no Idea how much you're about to pay until you're at the till with card in hand. I don't often leave food but this had me beaten. We could have had a decent pub lunch for this price.

A bit cold as they were having trouble with the heating. We had the carvery, it was really excellent, huge array of vegetables four meats, all beautifully cooked. Really tasty. Couldnt eat it all , had to take the gorgeous ham home in a doggy bag - too good to leave. Service was excellent, could do enough for us. Other meals very reasonable too. Wonderful value for money.

It's 7oC in here. Not the place for a cosy lunch. Everyone has coats and hats on. Even some of the staff have puffer jackets on. The 'heating' is totally useless, at least we can go home and warm up. No more visits until next summer!