Meadow Croft in Chelmsford

Great place, friendly staff, great restaurant too.

Very friendly and great stock and food

Great service, nice food extremely expensive, £79 for 4 light breakfasts, 7 coffees and a tea. It does have a good selection of plants though.

Had a wonderful breakfast experience at the cafe - service was brilliant, food was delicious but on paying for our plants at the garden centre cashier we didn’t even receive a hello or welcome when paying for our order, we waited for her to finish the gossip conversation until she had come to the till to start scanning our items or to ask us for our meadow Croft app number just scanned it from my phone resting on my arm when she glanced over . No customer services at all as the cashier was too busy gossiping with her younger colleague. She hadn’t even told us our transaction had gone through until we had waited and asked. After spending money here I wished we hadn’t. Your meant to engage with customers and provide them with a good image to the garden centres name and we didn’t receive that. Poor show.

Had brunch here today. Very friendly staff but have to say service was slow. Had to call over for service twice and plates were not cleared away whole time we were there. It was very busy and food was nice. Very clean, and food was tasty. Garden Centre is lovely, not particularly cheap but lots of nice gift ideas. Luxury hot chocolate which was a bit of cream and few marshmallows was £5, bit steep! Will go again maybe minus the hot chocolate lol.

Thank you for the best Afternoon Tea me and my mum have had. Absolutely delicious, and lots of it, we had to take some home. Thank you for the attentive, friendly service. Will most definitely be back. We will be recommending to family and friends. Thanks again 😊

Great garden centre have been her twice now loved the visits

Loved it exceptional restaurant

Garden centre is well stocked of everything u can think of. The restaurant has lovely staff and food

Lovely place expensive had food the eggs Royal the Salmon was very salty, and sourdough toast was very hard. Left half of it.

Large and modernised Garden Centre selling a wide range of goods. A good restaurant as well!

Ok but gone too gift based and choice of plants limited. Doesn't allow dogs so won't be going back.

Attempted to book the cafe for Mother’s Day back in February for a group of 7, were told they ONLY accept bookings for numbers greater than 10, when we and a LOT of other people in the queue (several dozen people at my count) got there on mothers day we were told they were ONLY accepting bookings (which they declared they had been advertising since January, so before we attempted to book) and they only reserved a few tables which were filled within seconds. Ourselves and a LOT of other customers were very unhappy and had to go elsewhere. Thankfully nearby Buckhatch was accepting bookings and we could go there.

Very nice clean and has lovely staff

Great food with large portions. A little on the pricey side but worth it for decent food. A very busy restaurant. Let down by the long wait to order, felt we were ignored for far too long. Friendly staff though, just a shame about the wait.

This was my first visit since the cafe was turned into this beautiful restaurant. It was a lunch with my friend. When we first arrived I was really impressed with the decor. It was clean, tidy and stylish. Whilst we waited just a few minutes to be seated, you can see the wonderful display of desserts at the counter. Needing seating which was more supportive for our poorly backs, the waitress Anita quickly changed our seats for more appropriate ones. No fuss, no bother. Very much appreciated. Then when we came to give our order, we had special requirements which Anita was happy to cater for. All of our requests were met with a smile. Then our food arrived. It was perfect and delicious. Couldn't fault it at all. It was a comfortable, airy and interesting location. Would also be perfect for private events, even weddings. I would definitely go again.

Absolutely love this place. The new restaurant is fab. The garden centre is so very well Presented. They make everything look beautiful 😍

Meadow Croft is a very large garden center. It has a lovely restaurant and I had the Pastrami roll which they call The New Yorker the roll is made out of pretzel dough and has cheese, mustard and pickles along with the pastrami and is served with triple cooked chips and it was delicious, the staff in the restaurant were super friendly and helpful and the prices reflected the quality of the food. The garden center itself has loads of different sections to browse through and the staff in the garden center are also very helpful and friendly as well.

Lovely experience.. Great attentive staff (even thou they were rushed of there feet).. Very clean.. Food as expected/ordered.. Clearly a popular place so was a tad noisy.. Overall we feel it's worth another visit to explore the menu .. thank you..

I think this is our favourite nursery cafe. It's a bit dark inside and can be a bit noisy as it's so popular but the staff are great, offering table service, which is so convenient. We were between jobs so just stopped off for some toast and coffee. Very nice. Extra butter and marmite. Yummy.

Very nice garden centre and great discounts on the app

If you like hot food don’t come here, food precooked can’t even heat beans, can’t change any dishes as they can’t cope. Worst breakfast ever. Nice coffee though

Lovely garden centre and wonderful home accessories

Very attentive staff in coffee shop. Fantastic selection of plants reasonably priced. A definite place to visit again.

We had booked afternoon tea to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We were served by Diane who was a delightful waitress; warm and friendly and helpful as all who dealt with us were. It made it a memorable experience for us. We always have very good service at Meadow Croft Kitchen whether it is for breakfast, lunch or, as now, afternoon tea. It was a tasty selection of sandwiches, scones and cakes and good value for money with all the teas and speciality coffees. We know it was half-term but a quieter corner for this afternoon tea would have made a great time even better.

Nice range of products .Staff were friendly.

Lovely garden centre and a good cafe

Sorry to say our experience was not to good expected more, firstly the coffee wasn’t hot the our meal turned up before the main meal, they took it back and returned the meal after the starter, the meal looks like it sat under the heat lamp as the chips were cooked to a crisp, the ham was of poor quality and they forgot the peas,not a good experience

In the depths of this lovely garden centre is a fabulous restaurant unlike one in any other garden centre. To start with every member of staff had a friendly smile for everyone, so nice in this day and age. We did queue to be seated but not for very long. The menu was a joy to read, my daughter and I are both vegan (I’m not above the occasional cheat but my daughter is very strict) and that can sometimes cause problems. Lots of places use tomato based vegan meals like pizza or pasta but Meadow Croft Kitchen had plenty of options. Even if you are just stopping for a coffee you should be tempted by their glorious cakes. The joy of being offered a choice of three was amazing and not a chocolate brownie in sight (thank heavens). Fabulous coffee too and they also had coconut milk! I can’t praise this place enough. Did a fair bit of shopping in the garden centre too - it’s a lovely place for unusual presents. Thank you x

Great place for flowers and plants. Lovely restaurant as well. Great choice of food.

Had the breakfast banquet. You have to book in advance, and we had to book about a month in advance. The food and service were excellent, even with the restaurant being almost full.

Lovely garden center, plenty of parking with generous sized spaces Nice range of plants and tools. Lovely staff too.

Lovely pleasant time at meadowcroft. Had nice and well presented lunch. Professional staff 👌

Just enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea, made by Carli and served by Sheldon, thank you ladies for making us feel so welcome.

Firstly would like to say the staff here are great, always very friendly and provide a good service. We had breakfast here many times last year, sometimes a few times a month as was a real favourite of ours. Took a break over Xmas as with the Christmas market in the garden centre it was too busy. Visited last weekend for breakfast and sad to say it’s gone downhill and unlikely we will return. Please note - not all vegetarians are vegan!! There is a vegan breakfast on the menu but not suitable for vegetarians who still wish to have an egg for their breakfast. I asked the server if I could have an egg instead of avocado to solve this - “yes but I’ll have to charge you (£1.50!)” - even though I’m taking something off to add it?!?!? Would be better if the menu had a vegetarian and a vegan option for breakfast. My husband (annoyingly is fussy) and likes certain parts of the breakfast - this used to never be a problem and he could ‘build a breakfast’ of 6 items - in the 10-15 times we have visited previously this has never been an issue but apparently they don’t do this anymore which is a real shame. Also our food came out almost immediately, drinks followed about 5 minutes after which seems to be a common thing after reading some other reviews. Would be nice to enjoy some of my coffee before eating! And if the breakfast can come out within literally 2 minutes of ordering then does make you question how fresh it is. Genuinely disappointed as this has been one of our favourites for breakfast in a long time.

Great cafe. Many special offers.

Nice service and my modern cafe.

Met a friend for breakfast and it was delicious! One of the best breakfasts we have had locally. Lots of vegetarian/vegan options. Very friendly staff. Clean, airy environment. Would highly recommend.

Had brunch here staff very good but the breakfast I had the sausages were rock hard so spoilt it for me.

Great garden centre good restaurant has a miniature golf course good shop and helpful staff

Great experience in the new dining area, fast efficient service. Great food and lovely cakes. Need to look at the mushrooms on the full English as they are a bit rubbery, try cooking them fully submerged in rapeseed oil with garlic thyme and rosemary for 40 mins at 140 degrees

This Christmas wasn’t as good as last year. Different layout, better for food but didn’t seem to be as many Christmas huts. Disappointed with the choice on offer this year

Super friendly staff and a lovely place to go

Great garden centre with a nice cafe

We only visit here around Christmas time, but as with most local gardens centers the range of goods this year(2024) was much smaller and considerably more pricey. Worth a visit but very much depends what you're looking for. The German hot dog stand was charging laughable prices.

We come here every year from quite far away specifically for their Bavarian Christmas Market. It's outstanding. The staff are great and even if the place is busy they have stewards on hand to get you parked. Highly recommended around Christmas

Amazing garden centre and absolutely delicious food in lovely cafe. Small park and mini golf too! Almost a family day out 😀

Good menu although a bit pricey restaurant was really busy so food took a bit longer to arrive however food was excellent nice and hot. We were served by Keith he was very polite and attentive. Although we didn’t have any dessert afterwards the cake selection was exceptional. We will definitely return again and would highly recommend this restaurant.

Have visited several times and it’s a firm favourite of mine. Can’t book but the queue goes relatively quick as there are a lot of tables inside. Favourites of mine have been the soup and sandwich and the egg baguette. So many choices of cakes, best one to date has been the Bakewell cake plus there are several vegan options. Only small niggle is the hot drinks are small for what you pay and also don’t keep hot in the earthenware crockery.

December 2024. We decided to go earlier this year..... oh my, it was fantastic!! Lots more to see & buy all wonderfully laid out in a quaint village setting. Definitely recommended but don't leave it too late!! Lots of authentic German crafts on display, not the cheapest but lovely quality. We were disappointed that all the German sweeties & biscuits were all sold out before our visit though.

We recently visited Meadow Croft garden centre/German Christmas market for the first time and we were really impressed. There's so much to see and so much choice in gifts, etc. All the staff were very pleasant and helpful, which made the day a lovely experience. We also had lunch in the Meadow Croft Kitchen. The meals were superb and the service from the staff was second to none. Thank you, Ron & Sue

We had a lovely experience at dinner at the Meadow Croft restaurant, enhanced by a lovely young lady called Ruby who was attentive, polite and an outright gem. The Sunday roast was absolutely delicious and enough of it to fill you right up. We were a little disappointed by the German Market, last year it was very effective and full of lovely stalls, this year it failed somewhat with atmosphere.........

This was our first time at Meadow Croft Kitchen and we couldn't have been more impressed. We had a lovely welcome from the lady at the desk and all the staff were very attentive. The food was first class and nice sice portions too. We can highly recommend this restaurant and very much look forward to going back. Kindest regards, Ron & Sue

Went with friends to visit the German Christmas Market and check out the gift area as well. I always enjoy visiting here all year round.

Very cute Christmas stalls. Restaurant had great service and food. Clean toilets

Firstly was taken to a table that was dirty so we had to stand and watch the history clean it before we could sit. Another member of staff came and took our order, we got our food before our drinks arrived which was unusual quick, on tasting it was just warm not hot as expected so at the check back I informed the waitress and she said sorry I will get fresh food for you. The second meals arrived nearly as quick as the first lot, they were hot this time but microwaved within an inch of overcooked. Extremely noisy environment, could not hear each other talk. Didn’t even get a teaspoon with my pot of tea. Very disappointed. We won’t return.

Being the festive season, we went along to see the Christmas display. This year they had changed the layout, etc., and it was even better than before, with a lot more space, even more stalls, and delicious German market-style food!

Food selection of plants. Many grown at their own nurseries. Very nice, waitress service restaurant on site too.

Went to see to see the german Christmas market. Parking was organised well. As you enter the centre you walk around all different Christmas themed items, this leads to an open undercover space full of german themed, and Christmas themed items. Very nice. German food for sale from a very clean food bus.

Had a lunch and mooch around the Christmas market

At the moment German Christmas Market taking place.

The garden centre is fantastic but we go for the Christmas Market!! We were made aware if it november 2023 and plan to go each year. Not only is there so many things to look at but it's also a magical outing for the kids! They really go all out with the German Market with all handmade items you can purchase for yourself or as gifts. Then you can walk through their decoration centre where they have trees and decorations everywhere! Also there is no pressure to purchase, I tend to do a walk around with the kids to get some ideas and then go back again for another visit and make my purchases. Plus all the treats and sweets and hotdogs and fries! The centre has its own cafe as well which has pretty impressive food; although it is popular so you may have to wait to be seated at times! I always forget to take photos as I'm always too busy looking at everything!

Had a lovely Christmas afternoon with grandchildren bought lots of lovely gifts we look forward to this adventure 😊

I've been going there for a few years to visit the Christmas market etc. This year, they have redesigned the layout. I presume to get you to walk through the garden centre part first for potential sales. I'm not so keen as it seems to have lost the atmosphere. The German market doesn't appear as big in the new location but the prices, in my opinion, are bigger! We used the restaurant for lunch, which is still good value. Lovely coffee and hot chocolate. The brie,walnut,onion chutney focaccia was very nice. However, on the busy day we had visited, it was full, and the noise was excessive, and it was difficult to hear the waitress and for her to hear you. I felt sorry for the staff working at that noise level. I think the acoustics need a re- think!

Loved the place. Great day out.

My friend and I visited Meadowcroft Garden Centre for afternoon tea on Monday 9th Dec 2024. The car park was like a mud pit. As I got out of the car, my feet sunk into the mud and it splashed up onto my tights and shoes. We waited in the queue but as we had already booked, asked one of the assistants if we could come in and take our seats as it was 11.50am and freezing cold. We were told that it wasn't yet 12pm so go back and wait in the queue. I had ordered one afternoon tea with a selection of cheeses and the other one vegetarian. The vegetarian one consisted of two quarters of dry egg mayonnaise and the rest of the sandwiches were cheese as requested by my friend. My friend was disappointed that there wasn't a table cloth on the table or any nice China cups and sauces or plates. We had heavy earthenware teapots and cups which didn't really represent an afternoon tea experience. The cake selection wasn't very attractive either. It was extremely noisy in the restaurant and we found it difficult to hear each other over the noise in the restaurant. It would have been much nicer to have afternoon tea in an area away from the main restaurant as it was for a special occasion and we didn't get that feeling.

Kitchen is amazing in here! Staff are wonderful, Ava was our server.

🎅🎄German market this year so much smaller, less to look round, not the same atmosphere at all.❄️☃️ VERY DISAPPOINTING 😞 Shame because all staff,restaurant and food were lovely as always.😊🎂☃️❄️🎄🎅

First time coming to the German market and I thought it was brilliant well set out lovely atmosphere and the staff are lovely and very helpful thank you for a wonderful experience 🌲🎄

New restaurant arrived last autumn 🍁Well worth a visit, good food at reasonable prices, nice new venue and has an area to hire for functions. Also have special evening events. See their website.

Lovely German market for Christmas. Great selection of gifts and food. All the bits you need for a special Christmas

Excellent German Christmas market

Lovely garden centre out in the country very nice restaurant well worth a visit

Friendly and helpful staff in both the garden centre and cafe.

Extremely busy, German Market offerings were quite generic and expensive. Great selection of other Christmas gifts and decorations - wax melts were awesome. The parking attendants were so well organised - no issues parking despite the number of vehicles arriving/leaving.

Excellent especially now the German market is open

lovely lunch, food excellent, staff very helpful and friendly

Lovely garden centre. Restaurant very excellent. Xmas German market on. Lots of choice. Worth joining the Garden Centre membership.

Wow, what a difference in 2 years! Meadowcroft Kitchen has relocated and matured into a great venue with a coffee & cake shop, a large restaurant and a function room not to mention the garden tables The restroom facilities are brand new with a seperate baby change area. The German Christmas Market is now in full swing. Trees and plants as well as everything garden is still there and growing along with the gift and food areas. If you are stopping for coffee & cake make sure you allow plenty of time to enjoy it and also to look around. This place just keeps innovating. Check back regularly. One last observation about the food. As you get older your ability to gorge your way through magnificent breakfasts and meals fades. Please consider removing the ageist Childrens menu and rebranding it as a Smaller Plates menu for all ages offering smaller portions of everything. Thank you.

1st time coming here and what a great atmosphere. The German bar was tasty. Highly recommend the hot chocolate. The stalls were a litte expensive but they did have certain offers on. Loved the little boards of information. Has a few photo corners for your socials, which was fun. Good parking

Visited today and really enjoyed the German Christmas market,fantastic atmosphere and produce for sale,definitely worth a visit.

Great German Christmas Market, every year.

Just gets bigger and better, love the new restaurant, excellent service.

Best Christmas Market, the staff are all amazing, the perfect festive day out for the whole family. Loved the Bavarian curling 5+

Love this place. Cafe is great really busy but served quickly and efficiently. All very tempting bought Xmas goods and new mats

The best garden centre around, by far. The staff are lovely and it's an amazing place to visit all year round.

Quaint garden centre that goes all out for Xmas trading.any decorations and gifts available with Bavarian bar and curling available on late nights

So many plants to choose from, gifts etc for Xmas but a little disappointed that the German market took up so much room the traditional Christmas displays were quite small

Amazing place. Cafe was excellent. Probably the best garden centre I have visited

Wonderful Christmas German market.

Great and Quick Service from Becky!

We went to see the German Market, and it was absolutely beautiful and so very festive! Also, the whole garden centre was packed with beautiful Christmas decorations of all styles and varieties, it was an absolutely lovely afternoon that we spent there, I highly recommend it!

This year the German Christmas market has changed, its nowhere near as nice as last year, everything is overpriced, the position of it is different, and if you want a coffee and german food its outside which was freezing. A big disappointment this year , big shame as it was lovely last year.

Lovely cafe and delicious scones!

Brilliant restaurant, and a wonderful Christmas market.

A lovely German Christmas Market not been here before, but will definitely go back , well impressed

Unexpected visit to the garden centre, but was pleasantly surprised with how much was on offer. Great little Peruvian market, and it's definitely worth a visit.

Great place for Christmas decorations and lots of fun activities for all the family. Also had coffee and a cake in the restaurant. Would highly recommend a visit, but it is so good it's extremely busy but not overcrowded.

Great selection reasonably priced, friendly staff

Very busy but lots of tables. 5 of us in our party and with lots of waiting staff, it was a quick service. Ordered 2 x fish and chips. The batter was so hard you couldn't cut it and the fish was overcooked. We sent it back. I ordered ham egg and chips for £16.50. It was not worth the money. A few chips 1 slice of processed ham and 2 eggs. Not good. Even with the 2 meals taken off it came to £90 for the 3 remaining meals and coffees. Quite expensive gor a garden centre. The staff were very good someone from the kitchen came out and apologised and took the price of the meals off. I feel it was too busy for the cooking staff which is a shame because we won't be going back