Poplars Pantry in Central Bedfordshire

I’ve given one star as there’s plenty of seating. I’ve visited the restaurant a few times and just the servers were having a bad day. But this is the last time. Staff are awful, non friendly, and they don’t wear gloves when handling food directly. The food was cold, coffee was cold, bacon like rubber. They have a separate coffee shop which is much better, but the restaurant, avoid.

Went for lunch today with my son and granddaughter….we were eating our lunch in the children’s area when a member of staff walked past making a rude comment regarding my granddaughter eating her own packed lunch…I’m not expecting to be berated by a member of your staff commenting on what my granddaughter was eating whilst sitting in her high chair….she has food allergies and her mum provides her with a packed lunch when I look after her…for your information I had purchased 2 lunches and drinks for myself and my son…a little bit of customer care wouldn’t go amiss…we eat out at several other garden centres and cafés and they don’t have a problem with my baby granddaughter eating her own food….

Had a lovely snack of hot sausage roll and salad, together with a hot drink. Sausage roll excellent. Would have been a five star review had it not been for the attitude of a staff member. Went to order and despite the signs showing we could order at either till were told abruptly that we needed to order at the other till. Reluctantly she asked the junior to serve us who was lovely. Same senior staff member also spoke down to the junior in front of customers. May have been a bad day but some basic customer service training wouldn’t go amiss.

Don't get there close to 11.30. I can only assume the staff had their eye on what was left for their breakfast the way they were so unwilling to sell the food that was still there. Didn't bother with anything else and theres plenty of other options for "next time'.

After we Visited Poplars garden centre we was very disappointed with the food tthat we chose in the restaurant we decided to have in the restaurant whi h was tarragon chicken with suet dumplings and roast potatoes and veg ,the chicken was of poor quality no meat and all bone ,dumplings under cooked a nd the veg was undercooked also , exceptionally dry food ...when we asked for some gravy there was none available so the whole meal was unedible and priced at £12.99...

We love this garden centre, a great place to relax and unwind, friendly staff and a great range of products. We used the restaurant for a breakfast, and the food was first class, freshly cooked and cleanly served. Highly recommend the large breakfast.

Well my 1st time there and hopefully not my last. Well laid out and tidy and clean restaurant and smiling happy staff. Now to the main bit the food! Superb choice of breakfast either 5 or 9 items or make your own up. Breakfast was well cooked, lovely thick bacon and good to see fried bread there as well. Sausages were great and a proper size, not the small ones you usually get served. Although I didn't have one, the bacon sarnies looked great and again nice large size. Well done Jack and the Team.

I would have awarded a higher score if it was based on the food alone, but the system for using the toilet for people with disabilities is downright demeaning. You have to enter a code on a keypad, code obtained at customer service or by using a qr code reader, both of which are a real challenge if you have limited mobility. Once I had cleared their loo security and gained entry, the loo was fine and as it should be. Please don't single out people with a disability and make their life a tad bit harder.

Piped in to Poplars to see Christmas section. Amazing as always. Had some lunch which was lovely. Jacket potato’s. And chicken and ham pie. Food was excellent. Service by staff also excellent Portion sizes are good. Lots of seating available. Now stuffed 😊

Have come to this cafe a couple of times with my daughter who has a dog. I feel dog owners are made to feel very unwelcome as they have to eat in a soulless shed outside which is cold. Compare this to Frosts garden centre where dogs are welcome and the waitresses will even bring a bowl of water for the dog to the table!

My friend picked me up from Harlington train centre and Poplars garden centre was close by. I was really impressed how beautifully the garden. furniture, toys, clothes, food , plants and many other items were displayed . Nothing was squashed in and it was bright & airy. We went to eat at the restaurant and the food was delicious . The eating area was clean and the staff pleasant . I would definitely visit again .

Happen to stumble upon this garden centre whilst recently in the area. Had been to others nearby and couldn't find soil i was after! Bearing in mind it was 30 mins to closing I was able to find everything i needed and more and didn't feel rushed by any staff member. Everwhere neat& tidy,clean and indoor plants looked great unlike some places you visit! A gem of a place.

Popped in here yesterday with daughter & granddaughter & bought a child's cheese sandwich which she did not want so we took it home. On getting home, it was taken out of the wrapping only to find the smallest possible piece of cheese in the bread. Really poor value for money & one purchase I certainly won't be repeating at the price of £1.99. Check before you think of buying this!

Lovely atmosphere. It states " vegan options " but there are very little. You can get a jacket potato at lunchtime, take off the coleslaw and butter. There used to be some vegan cakes but it's hit and miss if there's anything available. What a shame.

Having used this restaurant many many times it has really gone down hill recently and having read others reviews I’m not the only one to think that Ordered a salad with the beetroot option I received a bowl with shredded lettuce and beetroot and onion When I asked if the salad should have tomato and cucumber with it I was told no ! So basically you get just some shredded iceberg lettuce and some beetroot ! Not worth the £6.99

Advised by cafe staff that cream scone not included in "two free coffees if you buy a cake over two pounds" Please make that clear in promo material (not mentioned). Otherwise really like Poplars cafe/restaurant.

We've started going to Poplars in the afternoon. Travelling from Newport Pagnell. So far we have found the centre and especially the restaurant excellant...hence 5 stars.

Thought we would go for Sunday roast dinner big mistake !! Long queue which moved extremely slowly was going to buy a cold drink when I saw the price £2.79 for a small Fanta I thought not paying that. Eventually got served and had turkey told had to wait as ran out of roast potatoes and Yorkshire new item came out got a drink and so did the other two in our party. Sat down turkey Yorkshire and carrots excellent but the roast potatoes if you would call them that were undercooked hard on inside and not brown on outside and stuffing was awful and dry and as you only get one scoop of gravy dinner was dry and no condiments, I wanted cranberry mint sauce none available !! Anyway charged £46 for the pleasure won’t be coming again which is a shame as the garden centre is excellent itself.

We are local to Poplars and are frequent visitors - very good garden centre and the cafe is always a must on our visits (good range of food and snacks, excellent staff). Recently however we have had a number of disappointing visits - with cold or luke warm filter coffee which has spoiled otherwise pleasant visits. Very disappointing given the high usual standards.

The garden centre has a lovely Christmas feel, great displays and lots of choice. The best part is how welcoming the garden centre is for dogs. We ate in the dog house which is a brilliant idea, keeping dog families separate from the main cafe in nice warm surroundings. My only complaint would be the food is a bit pricey and the cafe staff really need some customer service training. However, it didn't ruin a really enjoyable afternoon Christmas shopping.

This is the worst place a have visited in a long time that have had such a bad Gluten free choice. If you are gluten free don’t bother going unless you have happy with a portion of chips.

Before I start this review is only about the coffee shop and not the garden centre. Both my wife and I went to poplars garden centre today. We had a good look around as we always do. Great garden centre until we wanted to have a coffee and a cake. That's when my disappointment started. When you go to choose a piece of cake and they want to charge you £3.49 for 1 piece and over £3.00 for a cappuccino. I think this is just decusting and very over priced. Don't get me wrong I don't mind paying when you go out and totally understand a company has got to make a profit. But these prices are a total rip off and very much over the top. I stated my disappointment to the restaurant manager and of course the COVID word came out as a excuse and the lorry drivers plus the delivery problems. All this I found to be a very poor excuse. I know I can just walk away and that is what my wife and I did .The vist to the garden centre was now very disappointing. G.BISHOP

Personally,I and my wife like this garden center very much, apart from the variety of the flowers and the layout of the restaurant and what the most impressed me are their staffs working in the restaurant ,one named Michelle and the other named is Paula ,we found them very helpful even they're not involved with the other department .At that time ,we're looking for a garden table and Paula guided us which section to go to and explained things we didn't know.

Popped in for a coffee, could it be any weaker and completely tasteless. Really disappointed in the quality cannot comment on anything else as only wanted a coffee.

Since the restaurant was refurbed I find it expensive, without the same choices. Staff unhelpful unfriendly. Food on offer is average and not worth the price.

In these times I do expect things to be difficult but you can make it easier. We waited outside for about 15 mins for a table, that was fine. The guy who showed us to our table did not wear a Mask at any time...

What fantastic service during these difficult times well managed table service well organised staff gave fantastic service food great

Visited the garden centre on Wednesday, started with the Christmas shop. We arrived early as my daughter is in a wheelchair we need plenty of space. No problem getting in, the display was beautiful as always. Coming out at the bottom near the waste bins...

Obviously due to the current circumstances I’m sure they are trying their best but we sat down at 1.20 It wasn’t very busy but after numerous people were served before us that had arrived later, we had asked a member of staff who advised we...

Not a very attractive "cafe" certainly not a restaurant. They could get tips from Frosts in Woburn...now that is a very good restaurant.

I haven't been to Poplars in some time. What an amazing surprise. The food was so fresh, the price was brilliant and I spent an hour just relaxing and enjoying my surroundings. Infact still sitting writing this review. I'll be coming back for some presents...

I regularly visit Poplars restaurant either for lunch or just a coffee. I love to try out the absolutely amazing scones. They do a special one which changes each month and they are always delicious. The food is always served hot and the staff are...

We regularly visit Poplars as its a lovely garden centre and a great place to meet up with family for a catch up. We always have lunch, but our visit today left us a little bit surprised. One of our party had ordered a slice...

Didn't visit the restaurant but did enjoy the huge range of Christmas items at affordable prices. Staff should be congratulated on the quality of their Christmas displays. Well done

Visited the Poplars for the first time to meet up with a friend. We had a superb chicken and mushroom dinner at a very fair price. We then perused the rest of the shop managing to find some great young childrens books for Christmas Presents...

I don't mind garden centres when I'm in need of garden supplies. However, from October to December, these places morph in to Christmas gift centres and craft centres. Time for a nice piece of cake. Was that Jacuzzi really for sale at £17k ?

After a pleasant hour wandering around and choosing plants etc we had lunch here and both chose the artisan banquets which were fresh, tasty and filling. Served with salad and coleslaw. Would go again.

We meet some friends here on the way in to London the food looks amazing the cakes especialy look brilliant and if I wasn't on a low calorie diet I'd have jumped right in but unfortunately I am so I have to look for the...

We come here all the time, either for a little lunch date, pop in for coffee & cake, or bright & early on weekend mornings for the delicious breakfast! This time I took my parents in for lunch ...... who let me tell you, are the pickiest and most critical when eating out........they loved Poplars restaurant too

What a wonderful place, such a wonderful range of fantastic food and great service in a spacious environment. And how lovely to see managers on the floor who are friendly and helpful. Makes you wonder why others don't follow their example. Keep it up Poplars, you have the formula licked

The pizzas are very delicious and a very reasonable price ! Chips are totally yummy and always hot! I will admit that it does get hectic on a Saturday so probably best to go in the week !! I have not had an afternoon tea but they look scrumptious! We did take our grandson for an after school treat and we all had a basket meal which we enjoyed. The staff are always very pleasant and helpful and the place is always clean. Overall a very pleasant place to eat. As a garden centre it is very good with so many various areas and of course good plants and garden equipment!! Great place to spend a lovely afternoon!!

I visit visit regularly for business and pleasure and I can honestly say it’s the best garden centre I’ve ever eaten from, infact it’s better than most high street restaurants!! Keep up the good work and high standards, see you soon.

Have been here before but not on a Saturday! it was super busy and we had to wait over 20 minutes to get a cup of coffee and pay for our food. Had sausage rolls and chips which were cold by the time we sat down. Great choice of different food just chaotic. Need to get more cash points in the restaurant! Will go again in the weekdays!

This place gets better and better as well as busier and busier but don't worry it doesn't matter how busy it gets it's always well staffed, plenty of food and great service. Guess that's why it gets better and busier with every visit. Keep it up guys

I have eaten here several times and the choice is always excellent. Big portions with usually three different veg, potatoes and chips to choose from. At Christmas I came with a large group and the Christmas meal was fantastic value and beautifully cooked. Lots of lovely gravy too! If you just want a snack there are lots of cakes plus a scone and hot drink option.

Perfect! Great food, great coffee & a lovely play area for the kids outside which includes a big sand pit, play house, tables & chairs, pirate ship & a chalk board wall! Brilliant 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

What can I say .. EXCELLENT, FANTASTIC !! My daughter and I had lunch here today . We had the tai butternut squash soup brown bread and tea .

I often visit the Restaurant with friends for Lunch, the staff are always friendly and helpful, one of my friends loves their Pizzas, their hot Vegetarian choices are lovely, but my favorite is their Liver & Bacon casserole.

My wife went here with her mum and mother in law for afternoon tea last Saturday and had a lovely afternoon. Choice of food and quality was great. Also had a good look round nursery afterwards. All 3 enjoyed it and price was reasonable too.

Great place, great food. Faultless service. Highly recommend. Come here often and always enjoyable. Well done

Had the please of eating here this week again, what a wonderful place, lovely food and made special but the friendly staff that help you at every need. Looking for some where to eat for any reason, I would go here every time.

This was the first time I chose to have a meal with my wife while visiting Poplars. The restaurant area is now a large open expanse catering for a variety of food stuffs from a simple cup of tea or coffee to cooked meals. We chose jacket potatoes with a prawn filling, accompanied by a side salad and small tub of what appeared to be home made coleslaw.

Visited the restaurant today and was blown away by the food, both choice and quality, topped off by fantastic staff. Absolutely worth a visit.

Clean, cosy, nice staff, free parking, spacious, on the pricier side, my chocolate cake was a little dry.

...and now we come here because of the food. Good portions, tasty food and friendly staff. Must remember to pick up stuff for the garden next time...!

Very pleasant well presented cafe. Staff extremely freindly and helpful. Great choice available and at great prices. Deals offered for pensioners and kids which alllook good.

I’ve been here several times. I meet up with family who use Just Go for their motorhome (Just Go is opposite the garden centre and both are a very short distance off the M1 at the Flitwick turn, eastwards on the B5120).

This garden centre is fabulous. What a joy to find customer service of bygone times, from the main garden centre to the restaurant. The garden centre has some a fine array of quality products. There as been criticism regarding price in the restaurant. well if you want cheap, mass produced food - go to one of the well known chains. This restaurant does everything right in my opinion. Everything is made fresh. I live over an hour away and visit at least once or twice every month. We need to continue to support these fantastic independent businesses or we will just be left with large corporates who care about profit and little else. Well done Poplars - keep doing what you are doing!

Stopped into my regular haunt but saw 2 coaches in car park. I thought the restaurant would be mobbed. Yes it was but miraculously everyone whisked through and you didn't even notice. Very well run and organised, no wonder coaches come here instead of moto services.

Nothing speaks more loudly for food than a clean plate, and that’s what we had a lot of today. A group of nearly 40 booked in for a special Christmas lunch and they coped admirably, the food being hot, plentiful and delicious. As per last year, the sprouts were cooked just right - not too squishy, not too hard.

Stopped off here for a cup of tea and a cake great service ,comfy chairs only disappointment this time was I didn’t really enjoy my mint cheesecake Not much flavour to it

Noticed this place just off M1 and arranged a work meeting as it had Wi-Fi. Actually found out it was bright, modern and airy. Even though quite a few people around at breakfast we had our meeting without noise disruption. Great coffee and breakfast and service outstanding. Going to make it my regular meeting spot! Well done Poplars

Had a great meal here before, so thought I'd pop in again with the wife and kids. Lots of new things on the menu so thought I'd try the fish cakes for a change. Wasn't disappointed, very nice and you must try them. Service was quick and easy, table clean and ready, staff looked happy and came across happy to serve. Will be back again. Keep up the good work guys

Me & my little girl come here all the time, she loves having lunch here & so do I! When I ask her where she wants to go for lunch, she will always say here. She loves to see Roary the big dinosaur & of course loves to eat the dinosaur cookies! There is such a great selection of food here & they make a really good coffee too. Not to mention the homemade cookies ... the power up cookies are my fav!

Prices in both the restaurant and shop are far too high. Also not enough to choose from which is also disappointing.

I would like to say thank you to the staff and management of Poplars restaurant because the way the treat us every time we go is just outstanding. I'm a fan of pizzas and everyday I enjoy the way they cook them for me even when they accept the challenge to surprise me. And from the management they are working hard to introduce new flavors to surprise the customers which is something very nice to prevent falling into boredom.

This time my friend and I both had the Hunters Chicken. The word that immediately sprang to our minds for the chicken breast itself was 'succulent' – it was so incredibly tender. And it was wrapped in lovely lean bacon. The sauce that it was cooked in was equally nice. Tasty, but not an overpowering bbq flavour. I've never had a duff meal here and I'd certainly have this dish again.

My granddaughter was 8 yesterday and wanted afternoon tea a Poplars. Wow, what a great success. Child size scones, cakes and sandwiches. They also had a choice of orange or blackcurrant squash which was served in a teapot! The children poured it into a cup on a saucer themselves. Only a couple of sandwiches left at the end. The staff were great. A wonderful time was had by all. I would certainly recommend this.

Have been here before. Nice lay out if store and garden area. However I really enjoyed the restaurant and in particular the catering manager, Paul. He has to be one of the most happy characters I have ever meet!

Stopped here for a quick lunch and was dismayed at the selection, we actually had to walk past the displays several times as we were struggling to choose what looked best out of a bad bunch. We should have left then, but we had already stopped in town at Chequers but they were so busy they had a 30 minute wait and we were pressed for time. Anyway we ended up with the macaroni cheese at £7.99 and the hand battered cod and chips at £9.99, plus drinks. The macaroni cheese tasted ghastly and left a bad taste in the mouth long afterwards. The fish batter was a very bright orange and the fish and chips were so bad, most was left uneaten. The café itself is large and shabby with dents in the tables, and chipped and marked walls. It looks a bit like a primary school canteen that is not maintained well. Obviously we won't be going there again.

We had four very nice stone baked pizzas at poplars for a Sunday lunch they were huge we had to take the majority of the pizza home and they tasted fantastic,so will definitely recommend

I come to Poplars more and more often... nowadays I come at the start of each month to see what the monthly scone flavour is. This month's strawberries & Cream is second only to the cherry Bakewell scone in April. Where do you come up with these ideas and what on earth will be next? Keep it up Poplars I have never know anywhere like it for creativity and innovation

After wandering around the Garden Centre and spending too much money on plants, we decided to have a Sunday Roast in the Restaurant at Poplars.

A very well laid out garden center with a very extensive choice of plants and gifts plus more. Excellent restaurant serving a wide range of foods and drinks.

Awful food rude staff too expensive. Teapot was dirty and chipped. Teabag cheap and nasty. I will never eat here again.

I went to Poplars for lunch on my Birthday last week. When I got there the staff at the restaurant had reserved and decorated a table for me, we were given a lovely bottle of non alcoholic bubbly and a slice of Birthday cake . It was absolutely lovely.

We took my mum for afternoon tea this afternoon, and it was really lovely. A good variety of sandwiches and cakes, and excellent scones. The quality was very high, and the other cakes and pastries on display also looked delicious. What really made it special though was the service - having found out it was my mum's birthday, Alison arranged for a balloon to be tied to her chair, and the staff brought her a piece of cake with a candle and sang happy birthday. Thank you to everyone at Poplars!

Having become slightly jaded with the 'pensioners' lunches' at our usual garden centre eatery, we thought we'd try here instead. I had the roast beef carvery and I couldn't believe how tender the meat was – it almost melted in the mouth. It was a little more expensive, but you get what you pay for. Unlike their rivals, they don't do a 'Pensioners' Lunch Deal', but why would they? – there were lots of us there anyway!

This place is so good it's scary. Been getting better n better and now new adventure garden I just can't believe it

Dropped in for breakfast- BIG selection and I really struggled to finish (eyes to big for my stomach- as usual). Service attentive, place clean, food honest without pretension; fried eggs nice and runny but not greasy, sausages big and very meaty & tasty, bacon so-so, fried bread was cracking.

From the minute i spoke to staff at the restaurant i knew this was going to be a special afternoon tea!! This was a surprise for my daughter 21st birthday and what a lovely surprise it was. My daughter is fussy with her sandwiches but staff were more than happy to accommodate her fussiness and made delicious tuna, chicken and cheese sandwiches which were a huge hit with my daughter! The 3 scones with clotted cream and jam were amazing and the abundance of little cakes were truly gorgeous!! All washed down with a lovely pot of tea. The staff were so good they even took the time to decorate the table with 21st birthday balloons and confetti making it even more special. The staff, sorry not sure of their names were fantastic throughout....so welcoming, friendly and helpful. A huge thank you to you all for making this afternoon tea a fabulous surprise for my daughter and an enjoyable afternoon for all. The food and staff at the restaurant are a credit to Poplars!!

Thank you to Paul who made our day with his friendly and professional manner. We often visit Poplars on weekends and always enjoy a fabulous teatime trip to the Restaurant area. Would recommend it for it’s variety and quality. We will definitely be back,

Poplars offers a wide range of food from sandwiches to roast lunch. Food looks appetising and is well prepared. Staff are pleasant and helpful. If you are travelling in the M1 this is a great alternative to the services at Toddington. Free WiFi available too!

A very well stocked garden centre. The restaurant provides a good variety of hot and cold food. Service is efficient and enough room to sit. Food very pleasant. Ideal place for families to visit.

I am a regular visitor to Poplars Garden Centre and have never disappointed with the service or food. The restaurant...

We were very impressed with our visit to poplar’s restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious and the choice was extensive....

We came in on Saturday for Afternoon Tea. It was delicious, the sandwiches, scones and little cakes were very fresh....

I booked a table for Mother's Day and arrived at the Restaurant, it was so busy I didn't think we...

Called in on way home, went for something to eat, very impressed with service and choice, been back since.

Me and my grandparents have been enjoying lovely lunches at Poplars since over a year. We fell in love with...

I use Poplars as a great place to meet friends for coffee and lunch. Its in a great location just...

Always enjoy popping along to poplars garden centre, it so lovely. Cannot fault there restaurant either lovely food every time , great service and price.

Had a great meal with the family and Paul (think he may be the manager) came over and asked about our meal and experience....unusual to get good food and good service nowdays but pleased with this place and will be eating there again for sure.

Having been a customer for many years I wasn’t overly impressed with the cakes - they looked good but were always dry so were something I travelled elsewhere for. Yesterday I bought my little girl for a treat - she chose a Victoria sponge - I pinched a bit and it was delicious, moist and a lovely flavour! Today I bought my son who chose coffee and walnut and was not disappointed: moist, excellent flavour and I feel the price is justified as the slices are very generous. I mentioned to the staff that the cakes had improved, apparently someone else makes them now. I will definately be coming here for coffee and cake more often!

Relaxing atmosphere, happy helpful staff and a super friendly manager.

Lovely garden center with a restaurant just off J11 of M1 motorway in Bedfordshire.

This is a good restaurant and is well worth a visit. There is a good selection of food and drink and the prices although not cheap are reasonable recent updates to the child friendly area are very good. The staff are friendly and helpful, cleanliness is tip top as are the rest rooms, step out into the garden centre and have a good browse around it’s well worth it.

What an experience , in the wonderful garden centre the jewel in the crown is the Restaurant. Large but full of charm, so much choice it takes a while to see the whole range and attentive yet organised staff who are so friendly and genuine. Children's area was great so we could relax. It's going to be my number 1 location from now on.

Large group of us had the Christmas lunch followed by mince pies and a hot drink and it was delicious. Even the sprouts, which are notoriously underdone or over cooked, were perfect. The majority of plates were sent back empty, which in my book is the best indicator.

Thank you so very much to Paul, Alison and all the restaurant staff for their wonderful afternoon tea for the seven of us. The tea was delicious and beautifully presented, more than enough for each of us and the service made it an extra special afternoon. Very reasonable price wise and I would definitely recommend this hidden gem to anyone wanting delicious food, friendly service and a great shopping experience included. Thanks again and we will certainly be back!