Sticky Bun Tea Rooms in East Dorset - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Two cheese toasters please We don’t do cheese toasties but we do cheese & tomato but we can leave out the tomato. That makes it a cheese toastie But we have to charge you for the cheese & tomato OK Anything else? Yes a cheese & tomato sandwich please We don’t do cheese and tomato sandwiches only ham & tomato but we could replace the ham with cheese 🤷🏻‍♂️ Food was fine though and staff pleasant

Well worth finding. Lovely environment, clean, tidy, and welcoming staff. Good menu - we were there for breakfast and chose scrambled eggs. Arrived promptly, well cooked and good portions. Definitely recommend.

Pop in usually once or twice a week for our usual breakfast. Honestly can’t fault it the cafe is always clean bright and cheery (even on rainy days). The staff are always very friendly and polite and always accommodate my fussy girlfriends requirements! Food is hot and plated nicely as they say we do eat with our eyes! It’s become a regular haunt for us and we will continue to go and support our lovely local cafe! See you soon for breakfast :)

Having been regular customers for many years, we once more travelled from Salisbury for lunch, arriving at 2.45pm. I dropped by husband at the entrance and he went straight in to order (arriving at the counter by 2.50pm as he walks slowly with a stick) while I parked. However the lady behind the counter refused to serve him as she said the kitchen was closed. We appreciated that lunch wouldn't be served after 3pm over winter but thought 2.50 wasn't the same as 3.00. We thought there was ten minutes between 2.50 and 3.00. Businesses can't be run like this. People need to know they can rely on you to honour your promised opening hours. We'd travelled a long way specifically to eat there. It wasn't as if the teashop closed at 3.00 as it closed at 4pm so there would still be an hour to eat the food. My husband, who's in his eighties, was extremely upset by the lady behind the counter who refused him service despite years of loyalty. He's bewildered by the way he was treated but reading other feedback I can see that others have had similar experiences. There was no apology, no reason just a very abrupt and unpleasant refusal to a gentle, elderly man - oh the power. So of course once bitten, we won't go back, won't buy all our landscaping for our new home currently being refurbished, won't buy our new shrubs and the many trees we need and of course won't subject ourselves to the risk of being treated so disrespectfully again.

We've made the point of stopping here on our many trips to Shaftesbury, Larmer Tree Gardens etc. Always good value and imaginative, tasty food. Unfortunately, it seems to have fallen into the usual catering trap...... more money for less on the plate ??? PLOUGHMAN'S LUNCH consisted of very bland cheese, tiny silverskin onions and 3 pre-cut HALF slices of thin bread. No crusty bread, no 'proper' pickled onions. My near TEN POUNDS also bought me less than quarter of an apple, some shredded lettuce, and some 'razor cut' pieces of red pepper, tomato and cucumber. This was once a mighty plateful, which is why we were happy to travel out to Wolvercroft..... No more.

Called in Sunday 12th as we went past on our daily walk to grab a takeaway and support a business in our village. Ordered and food came quite quickly. Pleased to receive toasties in ecofriendly and compostable deli boxes. Put food down on garden centre display table and opened tea to check teabag not left in and husband had quick sip of coffee. Staff member from cafe came rushing out telling us takeaway only, we were not allowed to eat on the premises and we had to leave and find somewhere to sit outside the gates! She went back in before we could say we were just checking order before putting boxes in backpack and not intending to have a picnic! Instead of looking round the garden centre we left before getting into more trouble from the takeaway police. Sat on a wall outside the gates and ate watching the cars entering and leaving the lane to garden centre as 'we are open' board still covered. So, nice walk, tasty hot food and drink. My husband summed it up "They're not mean with the cheese, shame about the attitude!"

Today we visited the wolvercroft garden centre and purchased a couple of items having looked around the store and also seeking further items we could choose for christmas gifts to return to the store. I state ‘we’, as in myself, my friend and her young daughter. This year, as known, the public have had to be within private households, rules of six or within support bubbles and this has been ongoing throughout this year due to the covid pandemic. I am living within a family unit, our friend, whom I was with today is a single parent who lives on her own with her two young children, she has been within our support bubble throughout this whole year and will continue to remain so. This is legal! Upon arriving at the cafe after our purchases today we waited to be ‘welcomed’ into the cafe and a lady came out and we asked if we were allowed to sit inside today, as it was the end of lockdown and so ‘take away only’ was no longer valid for a tier two. We were allowed to sit within the cafe as a family, or a support bubble according to the law! However the lady asked us, ‘are you a family’? We stated we were not a family but within a support bubble. We were then asked ‘are you’?, a little stunned we stated we were again, a support bubble, and again the lady asked ‘but are you’? To initially be questioned like this and re-asked if we actually were a support bubble took us a back somewhat. The lady went on to state that should they allow us in and we were not a support bubble then they would be heavily fined and would have to shut down! She went on to ask us if we had mixed with any other households, and truly had we!!! Upon this insinuation of us already being liars, the lady then turned her back and walked away. We were then greeted by another lady who asked us ‘are you a family’ we tried to state we were not before she butted in and asked if we were a mother and daughter! Myself and my friend are aged 36 and 40 and we had my friend's 4 year old daughter with us. We were not sure exactly which way round the mother and daughter was insinuated towards however again, a tad rude after we had already been insinuated as liars and now insinuated that one of us looked considerably older than the other! I continued to state that we were, again, a support bubble and that we knew the rules especially as my friend - support bubble- was a nurse and my husband was a firefighter in London having worked with the LAS throughout covid wrapping bodies from covid! As I was stating this, this woman, as the other, simply turned her back and walked away. We are legally allowed to be within a support bubble and act as one family unit when one is a single parent. It is more than understandable to initially ask if we are family or within a support bubble and the answer given should be enough for the staff to accept. To be questioned, interrogated and then have insinuations against us is abhorrently rude, disgusting and has actually upset us a lot. Should you be so utterly worried about fines being issued to yourselves then I can only suggest you form some kind of disclaimer for people to sign and to state the truth towards yourselves, you should also perhaps believe people when they state what they are and not simply presume all people are liars and trying to pull a swift one! No doubt you would have thought we were ‘lying’ after we decided to walk away however we decided to walk away and go to another cafe and feel welcomed and enjoy a coffee together. May I also suggest that should your concerns be so high regarding the legislation that your staff within the garden centre are to adhere themselves to the 2 metre rule as twice I had a gentleman walk right next to me and knock into the mistletoe I was holding, the sanitising station could also be a little more ‘advertised’ as we both initially missed it upon arrival and another lady walked straight past us with no adherence to distancing! We came to support you as a smaller business and have, as a support bubble, been excruciatingly strict this year and careful as I had covid in march and was very ill and living with my mother who is elderly as well as working within the NHS and Fire Service we are more than aware of the consequences of both health, and the economy, and for small businesses. We shall not however be supporting you in the future and are not only angered by your approach but incredibly upset. It’s a shame as we would have bought a lot more christmas gifts from yourselves and our christmas tree however we will support another local business who are welcoming, who will not be rude, interrogate and question, nor insinuate to us as we try to have a coffee with each other, the only people we have had a coffee with this whole year! Please note that it appears you vet your reviews on facebook and only post the ‘recommended’ reviews rather than the negative reviews! A little one sided! I shall however await to see if my review is posted on your facebook site.

Having had a sharing ( giant ) tea cake in the past - we thought we would try a birthday breakfast, and what a treat. Friendly staff, hot plates and a great start to the day. Dog friendly also - highly recommend.

Very friendly staff who were attentive to our needs ( dog and a disability ). Tea cake was huge and the menu looked very good for lunch - will have to come again.

Stopped of for lunch today we were in the area.Although the meal was okay it wasn’t a very big potion.We both had Ham Egg and Chips ,only 1 slice of ham,2 fried eggs and a handful of chips probably enough for a child or teenager but certainly not enough ham or chips for an adult. It wasn’t expensive probably why the portion size was small.

Been twice this week for lunch as i have week off work. Lovely fresh food. Tables well spaced and clean.welcomed ,seated and Served by shirley. Very polite member of staff

This is a perfect place for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea. The food is is great quality and value. I would definitely recommend a visit here.

What a lovely place to have Lunch or Tea. There are two outside eating areas as well as an indoor one. Plenty of room with Social Distancing in place. A limited menu at the moment but hot food is available. We just wish that the Staff were not so miserable! (Not all but most). I still give 4 Stars though.

Everybody must go back there is no risk running very well good food and service as always mist this gem for 3 months great to see it back and running .Thanks S Read

lovely little tea room would highly recommend, just the job after a walk around the well stocked garden centre

The tea room is a nice cosy and clean place. Food was cooked fresh and was well presented. We had a jacket potato with two toppings and a bacon and brie toastie with chips. All tasted very nice and at a good price. Mid day on a Monday, nice to see it had plenty of local support. A nice find.

Have eaten at the Sticky Bun fairly often&all is very good The food is freshly made good choice on menu wether you want a meal or a snack .Service and staff are very good good is always not which is how we like it. Also there is a lovely garden centre to walk round especially as they are begining to set up a Grotto for Father Christmas this is well worth a visit you will not be disappointed please pay a visit with the children

I met up with my mum there following her reccomendation for lunch. Lovely tea rooms with excellent food, service and prices. The only difficulty was knowing what food to choose!! A good variety of food, hot and cold, and the portions for everything were large.Will be visiting again no doubt.

Great tea rooms, with lovely home made treats. Sandwiches made to order. Terrific toasted ham and cheese and delicious brie and cranberry. Brown bread was very tasty.

Popped in while visiting the garden centre. Coffee, tea, carrot cake and the largest tea cake I have seen. Excellent price, friendly staff and great service. Also saw they do breakfast so will be back.

This is a nice tea/coffee shop within a garden centre. The food is basic cafe fayre but tbh pretty good and reasonable value too. Like the breakfast menu in particular; very nice. Child and family friendly too. If you can get over the fact that unless you are 55+ you will, most of the time, be the youngest customers it’s really good. If you are an old f—t like me you will be well at home

Went here with friends, coffee good, cake stale and a filled croissant looked and tasted disgusting. Staff need a lesson in customer relations as a response to a perfectly polite question was very snappy and after that our food and coffee was slapped on the table without any pleasantness. Will think well before going again.

My husband and I called by for a sandwich and a cuppa. Bread used was thin and uninspiring - needs to be a better quality and thickness in our opinion. Toilets - spotless!

My partner and I originally went in for a breakfast but as it was past 11:30 they had stopped serving, they had a good menu with specials too but we opted for a toasted teacake with drinks.They were whoppers and delicious, they came out hot and with plenty of butter on the side. It’s a quaint tearoom, attached to the garden centre so we were able to have a look around too. Worth a visit if in the area.

Bog standard tearoom/cafe serving uninspiring food. My sausage baguette was overpriced and disappointing, cheap bread & sausages. Cappuccino equally poor. No table service so need to go to the counter. More like a canteen than a cafe.

What a little gem this place is, it is a shame it isn't a little larger as it is always so busy. The food is really fresh and so tasty, we love the Coronation Chicken Salad. There are also some little gifts for sale in the Cafe and some good ideas for presents etc. This place is a must for a nice afternoon out with a visit to the Garden Center first and then an afternoon tea in the Cafe.

Probably the rudest staff ( 1 person in particular ) that I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. Condescending, unfriendly, arrogant, aggressive manner. Very disappointing.

Found this lovely little tea room and garden centre while exploring the back roads of the new forest. Very oldy worldly and a great place to chill out after a wander around the garden centre. Highly recommended the home made coffee cake.

We called in for light lunch . We were spoilt for choice from the full menu . Amazed to see a wide range of gluten free choices. The jacket potatoes were large and really fluffy .just spoilt for choice with the fillings. Lots of small gifts and cards to purchase.

Lovely little tea room in a Garden Centre. Good choice of cakes, pastries etc. A bit cramped - but well worth a visit.

Llevé a mi madre anciana aquí hoy para un almuerzo ligero y le encantó. Los carriles por el centro jardín son preciosos y llenos de flores silvestres, así que el viaje es parte del placer. Nos impresionó el menú saludable a buen precio y, aunque no consigue café y pasteles caseros estaban y parecía muy tentador.

He estado aquí antes para tomar café y pasteles - recomiendo el encantador y el sabroso merengues, pero no tanto a una comida había tenido antes. Tarta de la casa desde el especiales del día era justo lo que usted esperaría de este clásico; buena sabrosa, casera.

This place is a good find they serve really tasty good their tea cakes are huge nice cakes and at lunch time a goor variety of food for all tastes I like the jackets with coronation chicken

Lovely atmosphere and great light lunches and snacks. Bonus is being able to look around the garden centre after your visit to the Sticky Bun Tea Rooms.

El personal siempre es amable, la comida siempre es bueno. Trate de evitar los fines de semana, cuando a menudo grupos de ciclo de uso de clubes este establecimiento y hace muy concurrido. Práctico regalos/tarjeta. Tengo la suerte de tener este lugar, tan cerca de donde vivimos.

El servicio amable y la comida era excelente, con todo cocina casera. Se lo recomendaría a cada uno.

Delicious breakfast in a gentle atmosphere, nice decor and friendly staff. What more could you ask for

Saw the ad. in the free press and very glad we did.Pleasant garden centre and well laid out.All fresh and attractive.Proper tea rooms with lovely Simnel cake.Sunny patio and all very nice, many thanks.

Inside and outside seating. Outside you are surrounded by lovely plants and nice little niece areas. Highly recommend for a treat. Not a budget meal but you deserve the best so why worry about the cost if you can afford to be nice to yourself. Very good value for money for I loved it. Staff superb.

A very good selection of food, the cakes are something to die for. Good for us as we live nearby, so a visit to the garden centre finished off with a spooky.

Real olde worlde tea rooms, small compact, great menu , top class produce and super service, must try the roasts on a Wednesday dinner time.

This is a lovely place to catch up with friends after a walk around the garden centre. Very often gluten free food is lacking in choice, but not here. We had some lovely food, cooked well and nicely presented, and the coffee is spot on too. I will definitely eat and drink there again if I'm in the area.

We visited this tea room for lunch(about 1.20 pm) and it was fairly busy but luckily there were a couple of free tables.We ordered 'light bites' from the quite extensive menu (there is also a good chalkboard menu) and it was served very quickly by friendly staff.The atmosphere is warm and cosy and there are many gifts and cards etc. to purchase.The food was good and the prices very reasonable.We will certainly return.

We come here around once a month. Food good service good if you get the friendly staff!!!! Good glutin free options.

We eat here when we stay locally a couple of times each year. Always a good choice of daily specials and the usual lunch options.

We eat here regularly when we are in a rush. Quick service with good food for the price. Nothing too fancy, just fine for the money.

This place is lovely, the cafe is of good quality. The plants are very good quality too. I've visited several times and the only problem consistently on every visit..... Rude staff, it's surreal they seem to have a disconnection with the ethics of service industry. They must remember we pay the wages they enjoy. Please help the owner of this delightful venue to deal with this stubborn issue.

This quaint old tea room within the nursery serves very tasty and traditional fare with a friendly smile too ... I wish more places served this type of food from wholesome cottage pie with vegetables to yummy cakes, sandwiches and pastries !

One of the ladies behind the counter has a big chip on her shoulder.She got our order wrong and when I questioned this she made sure that everyone heard that it was me who did not order correctly and she was right.This was off putting and as it is our favourite garden centre we shall think twice about going back.The food is normally very good but this woman is so rude.

Nice friendly atmosphere with nice selection of eats! Everything very clean and lots of little gifts to buy. Staff very friendly.

Yes, its a nice little tea room and they have specials every lunchtime which are light lunches really. It is situated within Wolvercroft Garden Centre so you can have agood look around there too.

I love Garden Centres with tea rooms and have been to many but this has to be my favorite. The tea room is fairly large but the tables are placed in such a way that it still remains cosy. The food is top class, freshly made and have never had anything to complain about.The plants and flowers are always fresh looking, nothing tired here, and the staff very helpful and friendly. It's a jewel of a place and sincerely pray it remains the garden centre so loved by many.

We were on our way to Kingston Lacy and fancied a cup of tea so pulled into Wolvercroft Garden Centre.....very nice friendly place........reasonable prices and all the plants were well watered etc....charming tea room with 3 areas to enjoy a snack....we sat outside by the wishing well and enjoyed a nice cup of tea and a massive tea cake..We will certainly return when in the area again.

Good homemade scones and cakes and friendly service set within a small garden centre. Well worth a trip out even on a cold day.

A great afternoon tea stop.A top quality garden centre - good looking, healthy plants, very helpful staff and wheelchair friendly - but the icing on the cake (so to speak) is the tea room : best tarts this side of Bakewell !

Such a lovely cosy tea room. Very helpful, friendly staff and a wonderful selection of cakes. We went for the cream tea to share and a slice of home made treacle tart with clotted cream. Absolute heaven! We will definitely be going back there.

This is a small and very sweet little care attached to the local garden centre at Alderholt, near Fordingbridge. The garden centre is very good and you can combine a visit to thst with a reslly good lunch, morning coffee or afternoon tea. Everything is homemade and it is all very good. They also sell knicknacks like gourmet biscuits, jam, pickles, trays, soaps and all sorts! Highly recommended.

We visited the Sticky Bun Tea rooms for lunch on the way to the New Forest. A very popular venue on a Sunday as most of the tables were taken. Had a very nice freshly prepared toasted tuna melt sandwich which came with a salad garnish, very filling and good value, Hubby had the hot pot which he thoroughly enjoyed. Good coffee and the hot chocolate was also tasty. When we are passing again we will pop in - very pleasant lunch and venue.

Always a friendly welcome & homemade food in a pleasant environment. There is always an assortment of homemade cakes & deserts, gluten free cakes are also available.Nice gifts on sale & garden centre adjoining.Recommended.

Always pleasant and helpful staff and decent snacks. I have never had a main meal. The toasted tea cakes are the size of a very large tea plate and plenty of butter provided. Good choice of cakes and sandwiches.

We have had lunch here a number of times as we are fairly local. The food is always well prepared and generous, though not cheap or sophisticated. It's ideal for something satisfying and straightforward - my husband's elderly uncle loved it when we took him.The ladies who run it are down to earth and there is plenty of choice.

Dropped into the garden center on a rainy day. The café was a bonus. A fairly extensive choice of sandwiches and snacks. I had a toasted bacon and brie sandwich which was yummy. The cakes looked delicious but they will have to wait for another day.Well worth a visit for well prepared snacks served promptly by a helpful staff team.

On entering the tea rooms one is met by the smell of onions and gravy. It smelt like a transport cafe in the 50s. We had 2 toasted sandwiches and a pot of tea for 2. As coleslaw was served with the sandwich I asked for it to be removed and replaced with a tomato, this they did for one person by cutting the tomato in half and presenting a quarter on each plate. Cost £14. A real rip off. I complained to the staff but they ignored me.

If you're in the Fordingbridge area, you must have a trip to Wolvercroft World of Plants and of course, the Sticky Bun Tea Rooms. The garden centre is well worth a visit, you will be spoilt for choice, the prices are reasonable, the stock is excellent quality and the retail displays are a feast for your eyes. Talking of feasts, whether it's for home made cakes, cream teas or as we did today, a full English breakfast, you won't be disappointed. The tea rooms are spotless, they also sell local produce (cakes/biscuits etc) and a small range of other gift ideas. The breakfast was good quantity and quality, and with tea and toast it cost just £13.50 for the two of us. Well done ladies and Wolvercroft, we always look forward to our next visit!

Ideal for us as we camp. Always get happy staff and nothing is too much trouble. Also lovely fresh home made food. Also has outside eating area to enjoy sunshine or just to sit, eat and watch the world go by.

My sister had been here before and suggested we came here for lunch. The ladies running the show are all pleasant but can sometimes seem quirky in their manner, this could be seen as endearing or slightly condescending. We both ordered jacket potato's and a cold drink, and sat out in the lovely courtyard garden. The food came quickly and was a good size and looked great, my coronation chicken potato was very tasty as was my sisters. After a break from eating we decided to push the boat out and ordered cakes and a hot drink each. My sister had apple cake with custard and i had lemon cake and a salted Carmel shortbread. My choice was lovely but very sweet, the whole lunch was very enjoyable but mot cheap at around £30 in total. I will definitely be back.

Sticky Buns tea rooms is a great place to relax and enjoy a light lunch or one of the daily special meals. There is a great selection of cakes and the Apple cake is divine - delicious with custard!!The staff are really friendly and always have a smile which makes you feel really welcome and there is a garden area which is really lovely and peaceful. It's a great place!

Good home-cooked country meals in a pleasant Garden Centre setting. Shame the staff seemed to be a bit too busy to be more friendly and relaxed.

spent a lovely couple of hours walking around the garden centre then popping in for a cream tea, delightful.......... lovely staff too

If you are shopping for plants for the garden, this is a great little place to go for a cup of tea and a piece of cake.

My daughter and I stayed nearby and we wanted to get some lunch from somewhere. We saw this sign posted and just popped in.It is a lovely little tea room perfect for a small lunch. My daughter had a toasted sandwich (salad on the side) and I had a pasty. It was quick and tasty. The tables are amongst the displays of the gift shop.

A pleasant 'old fashioned' café situated within Wolvercroft Garden Centre. Wolvercroft is tucked away on the road connecting Fordingbridge and Alderholt and is a bit of a tardis both in terms of the retail areas and the café. The tea rooms are well worth a visit whether or not you intend shopping as well. Traditional food is on offer like tea cakes, scones and toasted sandwiches. I also believe that cooked breakfasts are available and that Wednesday is a roast lunch day so perhaps 'tea rooms' is a tad misleading!We've always found that food arrives quickly at the table and is always hot and tasty. There is an outside eating area as well as indoors.We live fairly locally and think that the Sticky Bun Tea Rooms is Alderholt's hidden gem!