Mackenzie & Cruickshank in Moray

Lovely restaurant with very friendly staff. Really good prices. Had coffee and the Victoria sponge which was absolutely divine. Will definitely be back.

We have passed this place many times but this time decided to stop. We were pleasantly surprised how lovely the shop is and garden centre and laid out very well. We ordered breakfast from very helpful staff and didn’t have to wait long. It was reasonably priced and very nice. We will definitely be calling in again rather than pass it by. Thank you

Slow,slow,slow .Waiting to be seated. Waiting for the menu . Waiting for order to be taken. Waiting for the order to come, total 25 minutes for 2 coffee's and one scone. And not all that busy!! They have changed the format from the old " grab a tray and get in line " . The new format is not working. Coffee and scone very nice !!

My husband and myself visited today and it was extremely busy as it was mother's day however we didn't have to wait long and thoroughly enjoyed our food We regularly visit here on a Sunday and always find the service prompt and all members of staff very welcoming and friendly

Probably the worst customer experience and nasty waiting staff I have witnessed in 2023. I won’t ever visit this cafe again.

Stopped on journey to refresh at this garden centre. First visit and will be a regular stopping off point. Restaurant/Café well managed. Staff friendly to customers and to each other - great atmosphere. Sensed staff were happy and enjoyed working there. Food really good with generous portions and quick service. Clean as were the facilities. Well done.

We were staying in the Forres area and liked this cafe so much that we went three times in total! It is attached to a garden centre on the roundabout to the West of Forres (the one beyond Lidl) but has uncommonly good cakes and bacon sandwiches. We also had, and enjoyed, a cajun chicken roll and a small bowl of homemade carrot & butter bean soup (which was as large as a large bowl in some other places) and came with an excellent slice of brown bread. But the cakes were the things to go for - all home made including the best Battenberg ever! A summer fruit cake was also deemed excellent. In contrast a scone - though generously proportioned - was a wee bit disappointing and could have benefitted from being warmed - and the cream scones are kept ready made in a fridge, so again probably not the best choice. So if in doubt, go for the Battenberg... There's plenty of free parking at the rear, and the cafe closes at 4pm, so don't leave it too late if you want the homemade soups, which sold out most days.

Have been coming here for many years and the food has never disappointed. The service however has. The new system of table service only is Very slow. Sat for over 10 mins before I decided to head to the counter to place an order only then did a member of staff come to take our order. This definitely needs to be revised.

Stopped in for lunch and a look around. Nicely laid out and served drinks quickly and food taking a little longer. Nice selection of food and cakes available. Also went around shop afterwards.

My mum and I were in the cafe we had menus on table and waited to order we were they before people and they waitress served the people who came in after us and my mum and I walked out bad customer service

A few weeks ago me and my Friday group of people came and had a bowl of Cock-a-leekie soup and it was magic thank you for the soup ☺️

Poor service. I ordered Green Pea soup, and got ‘orange’ carrot soup. When it was delivered I thought perhaps it was the wrong order, I was told “I don’t know why it’s that colour”, so I queried it again, it looked like carrot and tasted like carrot, another staff member told me “it’s made from a green pea base”🫤and another told me “it goes like that when it’s puréed” 🫤. Very strange! As a consumer and as someone who has been making soup for years (professionally as well), I know the difference between pea soup made from peas and puréed carrot soup. Why they insisted it was Green Pea when clearly it was not is a mystery, perhaps because it wasn’t on their menu, had they told us it was carrot we would of been happy enough as it tasted fine. It was insulting all the same. Their decaffeinated coffee beware! Quite possibly the worst coffee I have ever had. We noticed on our bill it had been from the filter machine and I assume it had been made hours ago, thin, bitter and stewed. There are some fantastic cafes, coffee huts and coffee roasters in Moray selling fantastic coffee, Mackenzie & Cruickshank sadly is not one of them. Whether it’s decaf or not, as a consumer who is paying for it, we expect a quality cuppa. I will add a soup was deducted from our bill however that wasn’t really the point, I have also contacted M & C since my visit and before this review, however they chose not to respond. Overall a very disappointing visit, a place which used to be good years ago but sadly it’s lost its way and trading on a previous good name.

Had morning coffee in this excellent restaurant. A nice friendly welcome and excellent service from Sandra.the sausage in a roll was fabulous. The home baking is amazing. The cheese scones to die for.it is very conveniently situated on the outskirts of Forres on the A 96 with ample car parking. A must to stop at.

We made a visit to M&C potting shed today Absolutely amazing , staff were sensitive to our needs, we were offered a quite table. The table service was excellent. The plates and cutlery were spotless The food was so well presented and extremely tasty 100% recommend. I can’t fault anything. Thank you

Stopped here on way home and I was pleased to see Eggs Benedict on the menus- my favourite treat. Have to say this was the nicest I have ever tasted. Properly poached eggs, silky hollandaise and proper bacon. Hubbies breakfast equally good. Will definitely be back.

We visited M&C for breakfast with santa & had a wonderful time. We were a large table of 12 with 3 children & a 70th birthday. The food was lovely, service was fantastic and always with a smile. Our boys had fantastic time with lots to keep them entertained (even if they were scared of santa at first). M&C also surprised us with a treat for granny's birthday too. Thank you M&C for such a special day.

We used to go there quite often but they haven't moved on from Covid restrictions unlike most other places. Have to wait to be seated then table service only with an order taken by someone using a fancy i pad. Notices up saying card payment only. We waited 20mins for 2 coffees and 2 scones to appear and walked out in the end. Won't be back. Worth driving the extra couple of miles to Brodie Country Fayre

Basically, taken to a corner table in the Pitting Shed area and forgotten about for 20 mins and even then, presented with a dirty cup. This place has gone down hill recently; just go to Brodie Country Farye and enjoy yourself.

Visited 2 weeks ago during our trip to Forres - had 2 jacket potatoes, the first was Cheese and Coronation Chicken and the second was Cheese and Cajun Chicken. Both jackets were cooked perfectly and and very filling. Generous portions of chicken and the Cajun was not over spiced. The salad was fresh and complemented the meal. The meals were fairly priced for what you received.

1245 on Friday 21 Oct 22, myself and my wife standing at the Restaurant to be seated to be told there is a 25 minute wait despite there beingb7 empty tables. Staff were obviously not bothered to accommodate any service by their words, actions and attitude. They want to give you a buzzer to walk around the store yo buy things rather seat you at a table. Funny how I saw the same faces from the car park in Brodie Country Fayre 10 minutes later. What is the point of Mckenzie & Cruickshank ? Smacks of desperation by the Owner.

Our first visit to this garden centre restaurant, we were welcomed by a member of staff, she explained where everything was, the menu and specials that day. Very good service from all the ladies that served us, food was excellent, the fruit scone was amazing....

Encountered the Potting Shed near Forres by happy accident. The cafe was very busy but the staff were exceptionally efficient and friendly serving generous cheese scones, excellent orange and white chocolate loaf and delicious coffee. The price was a fraction of what I usually pay...

My grandmother and I popped in for a light lunch on Thursday afternoon. We were greeted nicely and seated with a menu and a woman, I believe called Thirska came and took our order which although it was almost full, came out in great time....

Great garden centre and the restaurant is fantastic. Staff very attentive and friendly! Food always hot and is served quickly

Have been coming here for a long time.... I have probably tried the whole menu 😃 pretty much.... after all this time I just want to say I am so thankful to them for their hard work and perceverance throughout the Pandemic. I just had...

O m g .the worse cafe I have eaten in.can still taste the over brewed coffee 2 hours later. We ordered toasties they tasted dry.like the toast had been made hours ago. Mentioned our complaint .at the till .What the cashier said (whilst making sure...

We are retired pensioners and we go to the coffee shop twice a week for lunch and have always found the food and the the staff excellent and very friendly

Fantastic cooked breakfast and the flat white coffee is excellent. Friendly and attentive staff with plenty of seating.

We were in today for a Gardeners (Afternoon) Tea and cannot praise them highly enough. Lovely food (of which we ended up bringing quite a bit home) and the staff and service could not have been better. Very happy, friendly staff. We thoroughly enjoyed it...

Lovely soup and sandwiches followed by delicious battenberg cake. Friendly staff, altogether a lovely lunch.

The service we received was excellent. During this Pandemic I have not visited many places. This garden centre is excellent and all the staff were so helpful. The way they are operating their system in the restaurant is so quick and efficient. I was impressed...

Came in for breakfast and coffee with my wife. Our details were taken for track and trace and we were promptly seated. Our order was taken shortly afterwards and we didn't have to wait long for the food to arrive. All the staff were friendly...

Talk about a local secret - what a find. Staff were amazing, friendly, professional and had a sense of humour. My friend had special dietry requirements and the young man helped her with available menu choices and completely professional - brilliant. Everything arrived as described,...

Lovely latte, scone and catch up with friends. Staff were helpful and friendly. Will be back again soon.

Excellent service by polite happy staff. Food was excellent, soup was as good as my mother’s and piping hot. Well worth a visit and will do so very soon.

My daughter and I only wanted a scone. I went up to the till and they said table service only so I went sat down and waited 15 minutes for someone to take our order after order we waited but never got our scones so...

Family group of four, three of whom require dairy and egg free food for medical reasons. This was communicated clearly to our extremely pleasant waitress, who clearly marked our order “no butter, no cheese, NO DAIRY” Unfortunately, the kitchen sent her back twice to say...

Came in with family for a catchup. We were seated and seen quickly which was great, and all details taken for track and trace. However when our order arrived, the toast had hardy seen the toaster, and we had to correct our drink order twice....

We were staying close by and used the cafe several times during our stay . The scones were amoung the best we have tasted (and large ). On arrival we sat down the waitress asked if we would like a bowl of water for the...

A new feature in 'The Potting Shed' is their version of afternoon tea 'Gardeners Tea'. In fact we were told that we were the first recipients. The first course consisted of a plate of sandwiches each and a plate of mini-quiche and mini sausage rolls,...

We took my friend here for a birthday lunch today. All the staff made a real fuss of her and made us very welcome. The food was lovely and they couldn't do enough for us. They did her a special little almond cake. Can't wait...

M&C is a fantastic place to go for a coffee and scone. We have been customers for years and it's lovely to be back, even with covid restrictions it is well laid out which makes you feel safe. The staff are really lovely and friendly,...

Visited this establishment today, the food was excellent. Service was superb. On entering the building all the staff were very friendly and welcoming. The restaurant we Staff were excellent ,great attention to detail. The food was beautifully served,all freshly prepared. We were served byEilidh, what...

Excellent service and always with a smile from the friendly and helpful staff. Choice of meals, cakes and scones is hard to beat and very good value for money. With plenty of space, it's clean and well organised. Right by the A96, it's definitely worth...

We visited for the first time since restrictions were eased. Good to be back. However must say that service very slow despite a lot of staff. They maybe are just finding their feet again but just didn't seem co-ordinated. Each staff member seemed to have...

What a lovely polite, friendly and welcoming staff you have. Good food. Nice, unpretentious, good value venue which is unusual in garden centres. Even 20% off for eat out to help out scheme set up by management. Well done guys.

Really impressed with the service and cleanness.poached eggs on toast and cakes to die for bonus 25%discount this week

Très bon scottish breakfast et pour moi scone, beurre et confiture. Excellent service et personnel très sympa. Achats de souvenirs...

I appreciate times are tense with COVID but it was not very welcoming. I tried to exchange an unwanted gift even although it was in the original packaging and even had the price still on the box but the shop would not entertain an exchange...

First and foremost during Covid pandemic: it was clear all steps have been taken to ensure customer safety. So important and they have got this absolutely right. We phoned ahead asking to book a table for 6 people for 2m today and they obliged. We...

lovely garden centre and very friendly staff good selection of goods so we spent a little time looking around

Macaroni cheese £8.50 for small box it was ok but far to pricey for a average Mac cheese 3 portions for £7 in marks Spencer defo over priced I will not be back

The service in the restaurant called ‘The Potting Shed’ was very good and the lentil and bacon soup was very tasty. The restaurant itself is artificially lit and there are no good views to the outside. This is a major drawback to what was good food,

We have been going to MacKenzie Cruickshank for years and have never had poor service - until today. We ordered baked potato with haggis and cheese. It arrived 25 minutes later with hot potato but cold haggis and cheese. It was removed and returned about 7 minutes later with slightly warmer haggis . I hope this is not indicative of future meals - the place was not even busy.

The cafe was extremely busy when we arrived but we were served quite quickly. Disappointing that there was only one type of soup left at lunchtime. We chose coffee and scones/cakes. We had to ask for a table to be cleared as there were lots of staff sorting dishes in the kitchen and only one person clearing tables! An impossible task for her. The queue was also winding past the tables where people were trying to eat.

Have been here multiple times and the cake is always great. Food is normally nice too. Unfortunately though some of the staff are far from it. All the ladies are lovely and friendly! There is an older guy that is repulsive though. And younger boys that are just standard teenagers (but this shouldn't be the case in a work environment). Rather than getting on with work as usual they like to take the time out to stare at my friend and myself and make comments. We've tried to ignore them on multiple occasions. With the older one telling the young boys "not to stare" jokingly with a smirk on his face. Although he chose to spend the entire time staring at us in a much more inappropriate manner than the young boys. If teenage boys are employed in a cafe/restaurant they should really be told not to watch young woman and giggle between themselves, they're just boobs calm down. However a grown man watching your every move (with a look on his face that makes you dread whatever sick thoughts are going through his head) is unacceptable. The younger staff members in their first job need to learn what is acceptable and what's not. Whereas if I'm aware this behaviour is wrong, the man twice my age should be. The reason for writing this review is that our most recent trip unfortunately became worse. My friends name, unfortunately, is known to the man. After staring at us solid for at least 2 minutes from the kitchen, he came out to the serving area. He spoke to a woman next to us, the entire time watching us. He then turned to my friend and told her a boy out the back wanted to know my name. My response "It's irrelevant. I have an engagement ring on my finger". This wasn't received well. The staring continued, but obviously became more uncomfortable. Various young boys then appeared from the back to look.

Enjoy a coffee and a scone here after a boring food shop - looking to see what funky scone flavours are on for the day but my favourite is always the cheese scone. Large menu for those who prefer a hot lunch and a wide selection of cakes too.

The Potting Shed cafe is located within the garden centre, a lengthy line of customers was a sign of the popularity, this made service a bit slow, but the wait was worth it. Staff were friendly and helpful.

Come here quite often with elderly relatives who have mobility issues. On arrival all disabled spaces were full including one which I suspect had a staff member's vehicle in it(no blue badge). Had to drop off relatives(which meant blocking the only exit route) and then find another parking space further away. Had the same palaver on leaving also. Had previously asked if they had a wheelchair for use of customers and was told 'No this is a health and safety issue so we don't!). After struggling in was served by a very surly female who was really dour. This has really marred our visits and we will go elsewhere in future to places who value all customers. Come on M&C-improve your service! There were a lot of people there on the day we visited with sticks so they could make it easier for less able. Entrance door also very heavy. (visited 7 May 2019)

The Potting Shed is a cafe/ restaurant located in a lovely garden centre on the outskirts of Forres. There is a large menu with breakfasts, lunches and snacks available. We have dined here on many ocassions and up until now been very impressed with our meals. Last Sunday we opted for breakfasts and both our breakfasts were overdone with the bacon and sausages to say the least very crispy and slightly burnt.Every chef must have an odd off day and I am sure this was the case on this visit, as from our previous meals here and the number of excellent reviews from other diners, this seems to have been a temporary blip.

This is a superb garden centre... lots of unusual decorative garden items, massive selection of plants, etc. Oh and you can get a loyalty card and get points on all your purchases. We also popped in for coffee etc. The scones with fresh cream were delicious. Great selection of Homebakes. Oh and big containers with water and mint. Lovely. It’s nice and clean and the ladies friendly. Lots of tables and it’s a very popular place. Recommended.

Visited this place whilst on holiday in Elgin. Nice garden centre with lots of lovely plants and garden ornaments. Also really nice café with a good selection of meals and lighter snacks.

Well after some garden shopping we had coffee and two cakes. Flat whites we're good. Victoria sponge with fresh cream was very nice just as it should be. Chocolate cake 3 layer was a bit disappointing with over cooked sponge and filling was a bit sickly sweet. Overall yes I will go back but stick to Victoria.

A nice wee cafe within the McKenzie & Cruickshank garden centre and retail outlet. It's called The Potting Shed which is all very twee but no complaints at all about the tea and scones which really were top notch. They do lunches too which we haven't tried but wouldn't hesitate to have a go.

Always friendly and helpful staff, lovely food in their cafe and an amazing selection of goods, cards, gifts and healthy plants

The food here is excellent, very large menu, home made meals, cakes and pastries Highly recommended, very reasonable restaurant prices.

I had a latte and a scone. The cheese and mustard scone, warm, with butter was one of the best scones I have ever tasted.

Arrived after 3pm with parents and partner looking for a light lunch.

Food okay, as usual took an age to get served even though there is more staff than customers. Totally ridiculous car park, do you not realise we drive on the left in this country.

A good place but far too expensive but I asked for help they were amazing and spot on with there advice. Coffee shop ok but how kuch do you consider reasonable for a coffee.

My myself and my family decided to visit the Xmas market, which I found was a poor layout, terrible stalls, no one could get moved cause they were all jammed packed together. I needed to visit the toilets and when I got there the ladies queue was out the door. To find there is only three toilet cubicles, one was out of order which has been for some time and one wasn’t flushing. So we were down to just one. This is really poor for the size of building and the amount of visitors that visit. We have been coming for years manually for the cafe as I find the shop has dramatically gone down hill in the choice of items.

Prices are reasonable ....lovely atmosphere ....staff friendly and helpful...wonderful food and gifts selection ...

Such a lovely place with a variety of gifts and a very nice cafe. The quality and condition of the garden plants and trees is exceptional. It's worth paying that little bit more for the quality. Always good garden offers on too.

Great place to visit very good garden centre good food in the potting shed restaurant and good gift departments. Very friendly owners and staff Always a friendly welcome

Great scones and tea also delicious choice of soup with bread and a good selection of cakes to suit everyone.

Perhaps if there were less people behind the counter they would stop tripping over each other. Food okay, good choice of cakes, poor vegetarian choice.

A fantastic establishment to visit. I went with a friend, to enjoy the most delicious cheese scones, along with a refreshing cup of tea. These were served in the coffee shop, by the friendly and courteous staff. Of course there were plenty of other food temptations we could have enduldged in as well. We then wandered through the gift shop and garden centre, picking up some small gifts along the way, and some bird seed. Well worth a visit.

Offering a variety of soups and main courses our favourite in this restaurant are it’s scones. Many different and changing types are on offer and we have never been disappointed.

Having heard that Mackenzie & Cruikshank serve vegan cakes we decided to visit today. The cafe is indoors with no apparent outdoor seating but is a pleasant enough space at the end of their retail offerings.

The cafe is really good, the food is great and the scones are excellent. The potting shed is our favourite place to sit as it is nice and quiet. The garden center is also very well stocked with plants and garden accessories. Definitely worth stopping if you are passing.

I had heard favourable comments so decided to try the ‘Potting Shed’ at the garden centre on the A96 on the outskirts of Forres when we passing and looking for a light lunch.

We stopped here for a quick break and were surprised how busy it is. The locals must use it regularly for lunch and I can understand why it is busy. The drinks were good as was the service and it is well priced. The cakes and food looked good and I would have been happy to have eaten there if I had been hungry enough.

A pleasant atmosphere. Lovely breakfast. Ample setting. Friendly staff. Lots of nice things to browse.

This is a HUGE garden centre with a vast array of plants and garden equipment available . Gift Shop has a great range of things too ... well, worth a browse .

Lovely cafe. Varied menu. Plenty to suit all tastes. There is a gift shop and a large garden centre. You can’t help but buy something. Great service.

We stopped for coffee and cake and there was a good choice and good prices too. The restaurant was very busy but there were plenty of servers so we didn't have to wait too long. Some lovely plants in the garden centre too.

The best Garden centre Best gift shop Best restaurant Best owners and staff Always made to feel very welcome

This is one of my regular stopping off places when I visit Forres. The Garden Centre is located just off the A96 on the west approach to Forres. The Garden Centre is well stocked with plants plus compost, bark, fertilisers, barbecues, garden ornaments etc. Inside...

Visited this place last week, and decided to have refreshments in the restaurant. Very busy place with a varied menu, with everything from snacks to full meals. We settled for tea and cakes which was very nice.

The garden centre and restaurant is conveniently sited beside the main Inverness to Elgin road. Friendly staff serving a wide choice of snacks, cakes, scones and main courses with a smile. Large gift department and parking on site.

Wonderful garden centre, the dining is excellent and great value for money, always have lovely food there plenty of stock aswell but get there before 2pm or else the soup is sold out!!!

good choice of home baking served in nice surroundings by very friendly staff a very enjoyable expeience

First visit of 2018 still a great place to visit first class garden centre gift department and restaurant. The staff very friendly and helpful

A favourite to go to when I'm home visiting. Scones are delicious and soup always tasty. Would recommend to anyone in area or passing through. Nice gifts in shop too.

My wife and I went for a lazy brunch today and had the most fantastic food. My wife had the MacKenzie Breakfast Bap which was bacon, scrambled eggs and tomatoes in a large bap, which she thoroughly enjoyed. I had the Black Pudding Stack which was epic! Tattie scones, black pudding, grilled tomatoes, crispy bacon all topped with poached eggs. I opted not to have the Hollandaise sauce as I don't like it, but the dish didn't suffer as a result. I would recommend it every time. The only down side was the wait for the food, it was cooked fresh so I was happy to wait but it took nearly 40 minutes. We were advised that the wait would be 20 mins or so, which was fine, but it turned out to be nearly double. If it wasn't for that I would award 5 stars. I'll definitely be back for another Black Pudding Stack though, it's my new fave brunch meal!

Popped in for a bowl of soup and a cuppa. Delicious, home cooked chicken soup with fresh brown bread and butter. Couldn’t fault it, generous portion, hot and very tasty. There’s no frills but it’s clean and tidy. It gets very busy but would defiantly recommend a visit.

This has to be one of the best venues to visit for everything in and around the house and garden. The coffee shop/ restaurant has fabulous local produce meals with great options. Best of all the options for gluten free is second to none. The variety of the menu and helpfulness of the staff are outstanding. I would highly recommend this more than a garden centre. To complete the visit you must go into the Xmas grotto and see what delights they have for everything we need for Xmas . Please visit this fabulous centre of delight.

The cakes are good and the coffee OK. The soup is good if you can get it but they don't make enough and it often runs out. Service is pleasant once you attract their attention which can take some time. The ambience is not good - a bit like dining in the local nursing home if you look at other customers. Their shop sells all sorts of useless paraphernalia that no one could ever possibly want. Even though it is only October they have a warehouse full of the most tasteless Christmas tat, not even tastefully displayed. It should be so much better than it is. If you want to sit somewhere comfortable in nice surroundings then Brodie Countryfare just along the road is a much better bet.

Too long for food and not even busy, staff standing around chatting to each other instead of serving - Manager is grumpy too

popped in for a quick coffee and sausage roll, took far to long at the counter although only one before me, plenty of staff but no counter service. Eventually servide but a wait for the food, left me pushed for time for me appointment.