Gemmell’s Coffee Shop in East Ayrshire

Rotten service spoilt the tasty macaroni cheese. Ordered Mac Cheese which came with garlic bread. Garlic burns my throat so I asked at the till for it to be replaced with ordinary bread - no problem said the cashier. Meal arrived with the garlic bread on the plate. Asked for it to be changed only to be told it couldn't be done as they don't do substitutes. Thankfully it wasn't allergy issue!

We popped in here for some breakfast to takeaway, this was only our second visit here. The food is alright but certainly not worth the price. I asked for roll with soft fried egg but got a very hard fried egg and the pancakes weren't anything special, definitely not worth £5 each. Not as good as our first visit and doubt we would return.

Supremely slow lunch service What was suggested would be a 20 minute wait easily became more than double that and the three glasses collected for juice were all dirty Food was nice enough when it finally came but the lateness spoiled my appetite and ended up giving the cakes a miss Shame as the garden centre itself is lovely and the staff were pleasant enough but we won’t be back

HUGE disappointment today! My family and I have eaten here many times in the past and after today I highly doubt we will return! Arrived at 1230 and did not get the first persons food (out of six of us including a child) until 135. The rest of the table - including the 6 year olds cheese sandwich did not appear for another 10 minutes and only after asking where it was! Many people who had arrived after us were being served before us - even people who had the same or similar meals. Our drinks that we had prefer with the meals were long since drank or gone cold! Really a shockingly bad experience. Now I am not saying that the place wasn’t busy yes it was though most definitely could have been busier as due to rain outside tables were not filled. The staff were indeed working hard they just didn’t seem to have good direction in sorting out orders. Also lots of dirty tables left being in leaned. When our food arrived the child’s yoghurt and crisps never appeared and the crisps that came out with the panini and baked potatoes were a bit soggy. Other than that lunch was nice. Everyone would have had cakes and more coffee but am afraid after waiting that time not one of us was in the mode! Really bad show Gemmells ! If you had said an hour for everyone’s food (rather than 20 minutes) we would have gone elsewhere and returned another day. Instead you have now lost 6 customers!

Popped in for a tea/coffee but went for soup( chicken broth) £4 but my god it was a meal in itself and with a proper bread roll. The cheese scone was also good. Great friendly service and prices reasonable for these type of establishments. 👍

This is a regular for our family when we visit our 82 year old mother. The staff are hugely friendly and the value, quality and range of food on offer are great.

New cafe is airy and spacious. Cakes and drinks really great BUT cutlery, milk in a shared thermos, milk jugs, napkins, sauces are all self-service, which means numerous hands could touch and potentially spread the virus. Also a member of staff in the food preparation area had her face mask pulled down UNDER her chin the whole time we were there. She also took bites of food herself whilst moving about the kitchen, meaning her fingers were close enough to her mouth to be another potential risk of spreading the virus. Despite the government relaxations on the rules covid 19 is here to stay people, and customers rely on establishments like yours to keep us safe.

Visited here for a late lunch and the place was packed with no social distancing in place. Every table was in use and there was no check-in procedure which many other local cafés have. They gave us paper and pencils to write contact tracing details which felt counter-productive as we obviously had to touch them. There was no contactless ordering option and everything was still at-table ordering. There was no one-way system in place and customers were still freely approaching the counter and mixing with staff. There was no fresh air ventilation and the air conditioner was recycling air across the restaurant which is the worst thing you can do. All in all it felt quite unsafe and I wouldn't return. Food was pre-prepared stuff including bulk-microwaved macaroni/cheese.

Visited on Wednesday the 21st of October with my husband, daughter and son-in-law. Arrived and waited at the entrance to the coffee shop to be seated....and waited....and waited! Not one member of staff despite seeing us waiting even acknowledged us. Eventually someone came to seat us and took us to a dirty table, we had to stand and wait at the table for it to be cleaned. Sat and waited for our order to be taken whilst watching other customers who arrived after us have theirs taken first. Eventually our order was taken and the food arrived promptly, our drinks however had to be chased and only arrived when we were half way through our food. Tea had no milk or sugar, we had to ask for it, only milk arrived and had to flag someone down again for sugar. The table next to us got up and left as their order hadn’t arrived . Zero organisation and zero social distancing measures in place, we were sat in front of the toilet and had people constantly walking past. £50 + for four soup + sandwiches and drinks. I honestly hate leaving negative reviews as I work in the hospitality sector but I was so disappointed in both the service and food at Gemmells, it was my first visit and it will be my last.

Absolutely delicious Sunday afternoon cream tea today.Everything was very fresh & well presented.Great selection,more than ample for 2 & excellent value.We also had lattes to takeaway,a really good coffee.The staff throughout the garden centre were very helpful.Our first visit definitely not our last.

2nd time visiting food was good as were the cakes . My one criticism; please please don’t touch the cakes you’re serving! Use tongs, forks or even wear gloves !!

Great coffee and a good selection of cakes and scones. The cream cake selection was excellent and the staff very pleasant.

3 sisters and wee Mammy stopped in here lunch as we were in the area. How fortunate for us. Food was lovely and so was the service.

Lovely restaurant and very busy, so maybe I'm alone thinking their coffee was expensive . Great selection of homebaking.

We go to the garden centre, just to go to the cafe and get a toastie and homemade soup, then we buy one of the delicious homemade cakes to take home, the banoffee pie, caramel 'lemon' meringue, custard cream, scones oh my word, I could just go on. Lovely views from the side restaurant, seating area in kitchen, till area large, and spacious

We visit Gemmell's every fortnight. last Tuesday three of us had Steak pie which was stated on the menu! In fact when eating it it was mainly sausage with a couple of pieces of steak! If we had known this we would not have ordered the pie.My friend had a chicken burger. The burger was very tiny probably half a breast of chicken! WE have stopped having the fish because it is so thin that when served its very dry! Come on Chef get your act together as we do pay a fair price for your food.Another complaint is when are the staff going to clear the table when we have finished eating!!!

Very nice restaurant, although the lunch selection available when we visited was very restricted. The macaroni was good, and the coffee and strawberry tarts made it a good experience .

Called in for lunch. The coffee shop is very clean and pleasant with plenty of seating. There are plenty of choices on the menu at very reasonable prices. Would recommend a visit.

What a lovely garden centre to visit. Lovely place to eat with good selection of food also great childrens play area in separate part of the building so if you just want a quiet lunch its available. Staff very friendly and helpful.

Gemmels is a garden centre with a large selection of goods, plus an area that sells books, has a childrens play area as well as a coffee shop shop which sells a wide range of scones, cakes and other goodies, as well as soft drinks.Well worth a visit as the windows also look out over the open countryside.

Best baked potato with prawns I’ve ever had. Usually they can be quite rich but this was just delicious. Also the most amazing blueberry and whites chocolate scones!

Went to Gemmell's to buy plants in their Garden Centre, but being time for lunch decided to visit their Coffee Shop/Restaurant. Very pleasant helpful staff, nice choice of lunchtime dishes, from fresh sandwiches to hot, freshly prepared meals. Muffin with ham & pineapple for me, Mac cheese for my wife. Both very tasty. Nice coffee & cake to follow. All good. Will certainly return.

Not much else to say. Food ok, selection good but bland. Cakes ok - had better. Had a slice of cheesecake with a piece of caramel shortcake and a blob of cream - was not as good as previous visit. Won’t be rushing back.

Having recently relocated to South Ayrshire and not too far from Gemmell’s it was important for us to find somewhere where we could reliably visit if we needed some quick food or a coffee and cake and we are glad to have discovered Gemmell’s.

We went to the gemmels soft play centre And in there we were told they don't do chips so have to buy at the coffee shop.

Last year, I wrote a poor reveiw of this cafe due to changes that had been made. However, I tried it again yesterday and the food was tasty, hot, well presented and in large portions.The cooking and serving area have also been refurbished since I was last here. I will be going here again soon and will recommend it to friends.

I have very specific dietary requirements, and the staff were exceptionally kind and helpful, ensuring that my needs were catered for. They were patient and accommodating, and they even let me try the sauce before I chose my meal!

Been going here for years,even before they had any form of restaurant.

I have been going to Gemmell’s for years, in fact at one point , it was every Saturday for coffee and brunch. There have been many changes over the years, most of them for the better. The food had remained very good , if increasingly expensive. However, the most recent changes seem to be a disaster. We arrived on Saturday morning around 10:40 and joined the queue , eventually being served after around 8 mins, which was strange as there were more staff serving than customers queuing. We ordered our 2 breakfast rolls and a soup, as well as our coffees. We then asked for some cakes at which we were directed to the other side of the counter to queue again for our cake and coffee. Very poor. It then took 20 mins for our rolls and soup to arrive. By this time our coffees were nearly finished . It will be a long time before I go back, which is a pity as I used to love it there.

This is a wonderful family run garden centre. All you need for the garden plus good gift shop. The coffee shop offers great bakery to compliment you tea or coffee and excellent cooked food options. There are really good facilities for children of all ages, a soft play area for little ones and adventure play for oldes children. Kind of covers all the bases with crazy golf for the big kids of all ages. Great place to visit.

What is happening more changes. New tables and chairs that are so close together its difficult to get in or out!! The table I was sitting on was rough and snagged my jumper! There is not enough staff. Visited last Tuesday. We had a long wait and when my fish and chips arrived it was luke warm. Did not complain as I didn't want to spoil every one else's meal. Staff do not clear the empty tables and they do not clear the table you are sitting on while you are finishing your drink or wanting a desert. So have to pile dirty plates on the bench next to you. Not good!! The selection of their lovely cakes have disappeared too! Service is dreadful what the hell is going on.

Prices for a start are a joke food was crap. Service was even worse staff cant be bothered to serve too busy yapping!

Just realised iv never wrote a review.. we come here often expeshly for the breakfasts.. and as they have a kids play area we can sit and enjoy it while they run wild.. xx

Visited Gemmell's garden centre for the first time in Sunday - What a great place!!

Visited for lunch. Ordered with no problems but was surprised to be given a ‘buzzer’ with no explanation. It was only after we waited for coffee to be prepared we were advised that it would go off when all our order was ready. Waited a good 20 minutes for toasties after which the buzzer alerted us to go and collect our food - not impressed and disappointing that you have chosen to move away from a more service-based approach. On going to collect, there was no communication from the staff and we were left to take our order ourselves. Having visited many times in the past I am disappointed to see the change in your level of customer service.

Great place for food and all garden wears .children's play area .soft play for toddlers and pre school. Crazy golf for older kids young and old. Lovely gift shop . Wide selection of food and friendly staff.

Visited here on one of the recent hot weather days! The air con inside the cafe was a welcome relief.

Visited recently and dropped in for a cuppa and a toastie, when we ordered we asked for mugs of tea and were not advised that they were not available and was then presented with " the buzzer " to inform us when our food was ready for collection.... my how technology has come on, I can remember when waitresses served you.

We visit Gemmell's frequently. On Saturday we took our grandchildren and son for lunch.

It is very expensive now. Your food is no longer brought to you, you get a buzzer and it buzzes when your food and drinks are ready. Not good if you are disabled, elderly or come with young children. Would be much better if they would do a meal deal or something like that.

Visited this place for the first time on Saturday 9th June and was pleasantly surprised. Situated in a lovely area and had a great selection of goods for purchase. Had lunch in the coffee shop and the only negative was the hot chocolate that was awful!!

This is so sad. Gemmels used to be a fav place for my family. But since they've remade it the prices are now double what they were. For both plants and food. I noticed there's significantly less customers now. The staff seem misrable. Gone is the lovely hot plate where you can see what's on offer. Gone also is the variety of food on offer and the standard of food has dropped. Especially the macaroni cheese that used to be so good,now is powdery and watery. It's easy to see why their customers are deserting them.

The coffee shop is part of Gemmell's Garden Centre. It's a self-service type eaterie offering hot and cold drinks, hot meals and and an array of home baked goodies which will get your mouth watering. Hot meals take a bit of time so they are delivered to your table by the friendly staff. Popular for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea.

This is twice i’ve visited the cafe and ordered the ‘soup’,1st time was potato and leek,and that was exactly what i got,no other veg ,just a stock like substance u could swim in,today i thought maybe the lentil ‘soup’ would be a better choice,wrong!,this time i could’ve stood in it as it was sooooo thick and would’ve stuck to my ribs had i been able to finish it,so Gemmels please can u employ a soupmaker for the cafe,apart from that it is a good place to visit but give the soup a wide berth.

A lovely selection of cakes and great facilities for kids. The staff were very friendly even though the coffee shop was very busy.

Located out in the country, this coffee shop is so much more than that. It is located in a well stocked and bright garden centre. The cafe is really a quality family restaurant, serving a large selection of meals and cakes. The menu varies daily and the prices are very fair.

This is my second review. We visit Gemmell's coffee shop once a fort night with our friends for lunch. Sometime there has been a small issue about the food but nothing to complain about until last week. Our husbands ordered the food together but paid separately. The Food did not arrive at the same time. Our friends food was delayed for quite some time. When I started to eat mine I found it to luke warm so asked if it could be reheated the reply was oh you like it hot!! Strange reply. It was reheated and I returned to our table. My friends food had still not arrived! Eventually when it did the fried fish was over cooked so very dry. Not good. The only positive is that the mens steak pie was very good.

Visité hoy para comer con amigos. Yo estaba un poco preocupado porque mi última fecha de almuerzo en un hotel bastante pijo era un desastre porque soy vegetariano y no pudieron/dispuestos a atenderme. No es el caso! ! Nada era demasiada molestia. Tuve una cena hermosa seguido de magdalena gratis y lácteos leche de soja con leche. Mi única queja? ? Me fui sintiendo como un sofá de ráfaga, ja ja ja. Recomiendo encarecidamente.

Love Gemmels!, food fantastic,great variety of gifts and everything you need for the garden, fantastic kids area too, only one criticism is that it would be a good idea to have corner protectors on the tables, considering the height of some of the customers, witnessed...

Had our favourite light lunch with bacon, cheese & pineapple toasted muffin & salad followed by warm rhubarb pie & fresh cream & coffee. Plenty of room to move about in the three areas of this coffee shop. Staff happy and eager to help at...

Stopped off at Gemmell's for light lunch, very good for price & choice. It can be busy some days & a bit noisy but for a garden center coffee shop it's pretty dam good

Buena elección incluyendo especiales diarios... principalmente un jardín con una zona de juegos para niños... Pasteles increíble!!

Se ha expandido bastante Gemmells rápidamente en los últimos años y así como la original cafetería, centro de jardín y tienda de regalos que cuenta también con una zona de juegos y una zona de juegos al aire libre, que es el hogar del tractor grande. La comida es casera, cocina tradicional, recién preparada y muy, muy bueno, también tienen una amplia gama de deliciosos pasteles caseros y postres (la tarta de queso es la mejor).

I find the restaurant always clean and tidy

Mi amigo y yo visitamos aquí a menudo y siempre disfrutan. La variedad de alimentos varían de bocadillos para sopas de comidas y los postres y bandeja de pastas son siempre tan deliciosa que es difícil elegir sólo uno! Recomiendo

Coffee shop has great food or if it's just a tea or coffee there's nice cakes too. There are lots of gifts to choose from or if you're a plant person like me you'll appreciate the diversity of stock at great prices. Recommended

Lovely place to have a lite bite or a main meal. The cakes are to die for! Friendly service and loads of space to sit. Very clean and bright.

This is a gem of a garden centre and we'll worth finding it. It has a wide range of plants and often a large range of different species of said plants. Eg today they have at least ten varieties of daffodils. The cafe serves good fresh food at a great price. The staff are helpful and friendly.

The best scones in the West of Scotland. The old standards Plain and Fruit scones are everyday events. Often treacle or cheese, (and the cheese is throughout not just on top) My special delights are the daily variety where the baker thinks outside the box. It can be any one of - raspberry and white chocolate; apple and cinnamon; rhubarb and ginger. Yesterday it was Toffee Apple. Yes, heaven on a plate.Lunch is also very good and the staff are friendly and cheery and always have a smile. Alex M

We discovered the garden centre after following signs for The Big Tractor. Husband was a little disappointed to discover he was too big for the play centre designed to look like a Fendt tractor!Two portions of lasagne with chips, one with carrots and one with peas, helped us over our disappointment! Lasagne was a little soft, but it was nearly 3pm so can't complain! Veg was lovely just enough bite still in it. Chips nice and crispy.All washed down with a couple of ginger beers, a coffee for him and a tea for me. All in £20.15.We had earmarked some of the beautiful looking cakes, but after the generous portion of lasagne, we had to admit defeat! Great location, family play areas had a nice secure feel to them. Plenty of shopping and a great Xmas display. Would definitely return when back in the area.

Saturday lunch here. Beautiful steak pie and vegetables. Lots of meat and very tender. Opted for pavlova afterwards. It was gorgeous. Lovely just chewy consistency if meringue and cream just right sweetness. This is a lovely addition to Ayrshire. Son loved the big tractor play area.

Food delicious , andrea great, great atmosphere for any age , kids play area excellent for kids all ages . Big tractor great attraction for kids and men

The quality of the cafe makes this an ideal destination when you are out for a run in the Ayrshire countryside. Light lunches are delicious, scones and cakes are home made and what we had were super. Unfortunately what we didn't have looked even better - definitely spoiled for choice.The garden centre is well stocked and offers lots of choice too.

This place maybe a little out the way but its lovely its spotless and you dont have long to wait when getting served the cakes look amazing taste good to food is excellent and well presented views are lovely too they even have 2 play areas for chdren its definitely a place to visit I'll definitely be back

1st visit to Gemmell's and we took our 3 grandchildren into the soft play area. Admission price (very reasonable) includes indoor soft play area and the outdoor Big 40ft Tractor. The layout is perfect. We enjoyed lovely coffee and home baking and ordered a jug a juice for the kids as they just wanted to play. We all had a great time and we will certainly return ourselves for a look around the garden centre and shop. Our grandchildren certainly want to come back.

Have been to the to the garden centre on a number of occasions (formerly called Nurseries Direct) and never been anything other than completely satisfied. They is a good choice of food with wonderful home baking and helpful friendly staff.They also cater for children and our grandchildren all enjoy the kids play area.

I have been to Gemmells many times now due to the quality of food and the welcoming atmosphere. I'm too old for the play area but if I'm honest I was itching to get a go of 'The Big Tractor'! Highly recommended if you want a place to have a great meal, especially with a brilliant cake!

Been there a few times and just love it. Hot meals are fab and as for the cakes (well delicious ). They also have a fab soft play for the kids and my kids just love the big tractor.. And the staff are very very friendly too what more can you ask for.

My family and I had a lovely breakfast at the Gemmells Coffee Shop. We have been here several times having different meals or snacks.. The service of the staff was outstanding, they were friendly, cheerful and helpful. The food was delicious with excellent coffee to finish off our breakfast. We would certainly recommend visiting. The gift shop was lovely with some different and unusual gifts for everyone. The BIg Tractor looked great though my children are too old to go on it. A great day out for all.

attended burns supper tribute by local burnsonian talent and music and song by castle folk had a lovely meal of haggis turnip and potato shortbread tea /coffee awonderful afternoon all served with a smile from a lovely bunch of girls

Nurseries Direct has now reverted to Gemmell's Garden Centre and somewhat specialises in attracting parents with children. We came on a Christmas shopping expedition and enjoyed a coffee with a bite to eat at the Seasons Coffee shop that you get to by walking through the shopping areas. It has a little section where the history of the centre is explained with framed photographs and the toilets are here, at the entrance. Gemmel's is near Stair and Trabboch, basically in the middle of the Ayrshire countryside and the cafe is a welcome place to get sustenance. Parking is not a problem which is just as well seeing as cars are the only way to get here. It is self-service and supplies a reasonable range of home baking and more substantial food at a price that is fairly average.

I'm a real foodie, a baker and having recently had a baby also need a bit of customer service. These guys do it all. I've watched the garden centre, shop and coffee shop go from strength to strength over the years. There is a real family feel to the place..it's someone's personal project, not a chain...The baking is really the best ever. I believe some of the local farmers wives are involved. As a baker, I wish they would offer a recipe book or some master classes... The main meals and snacks are all homemade, very fresh and offer great variety. The coffee shop is exceptional clean and well kept.Finally, the staff are super helpful and friendly. There are lots of children facilities including a new soft play and outdoor area. The coffee shop offers high hairs, bottle warmer and microwave. Well done guys!

I visit this garden centre to meet up with a friend for lunch every other month .I always enjoy the food and the sweets are just to die for .Its a bit pricey but on par with the other garden centre thats in the area. All in all you get a nice lunch with friendly staff.

Visited the garden centre and cafe today (01/04/14) and found the quality of the food to be good. The raspberry cheesecake was great and my uncle really enjoyed his apple pie. Found the prices to be very fair

I would just like to revise my previous review slightly.Having been a few times now I believe the quality of the food justifies the slightly higher than average prices.Best Beef Olives ever with superb fresh veg and the Chicken Curry is recommended as well.Massive selection of tasty and tempting cakes too.

A lovely drive in the country and arrive at a decent sized garden centre with a nice coffee shop.Good quality food and cakes although the prices are a bit steep. Strawberry cheesecake to die for helps you forget how much it cost in the first place.Worth it for the drive and location alone but do try the cheesecake. You will not be disappointed.

Nurseries Direct is a great place to visit for browse round and a meal or a coffee.The food is fresh and well prepared and the staff are efficient and friendly.But for what is essentially a cafe in a garden centre it is a bit pricey but that is my only criticism.I do recommend a visit.

I would like to recommend Nurseries Direct for a day out, with lots of plants and gifts to look at, the staff are very helpful regarding the plants and then a visit to the coffee shop is a must, the soup and sandwich combo is excellent, as is the home made beef burgers and then a cake to finish off or to take home for later, this garden centre is well worth a visit.