The Filling Station in North Dorset

what a amazing small business! friendly and knowledgeable staff, and a wide range of food and cake selections. Very generous portion sizes, fresh ingredients and thick sliced fresh bread! Fantastic from breakfast to afternoon tea, a quick pit stop or special occasion. Definitely one to visit!

Went here for a breakfast and was very disappointed. It was £10 for a breakfast and even if you take stuff off the standard breakfast you still have to pay extra if you want to replace something. I find this really quite mean. Also after paying good money to the be given a mediocre breakfast with cheap unpleasant catering sausages this just does not represent good value. Greasy spoon quality at premium prices. Have to say the guy who runs it was not particularly friendly and rather abrupt. This will be my first and last visit here.

Only used this cafe once. The food was good, but I ordered a sandwich with no mushrooms, only to find that there were mushrooms in it. I was given a another sandwich, with " you could have taken them off, they won't kill you!". IF I WANTED MUSHROOMS I WOLKD HAVE ASKED FOR IT... COSTOMER SERVICES, LEAVES A LOT TO BE DESIRED!

Tasty hearty breakfast and coffee this morning

Fantastic location and delicious food. We really like The Filling Station. Table space can be limited, but worthwhile.

£7 for a hot chocolate that tastes nothing like chocolate and a pan au chocolate that's supposed to be warmed, not blasted in a microwave so the inside is so hot it burns your mouth? Very rarely do I leave a place feeling absolutely robbed. Support your local business? Support ASDA across the road instead. EDIT: Its staggering and frankly embarrassing that its taken you four months to respond to a negative review of your business but hardly surprising. When you do, you fill it with lies. You did not tell me the hot chocolate would taste different, you stated it would look different. In addition if I tell you that you blitzed the pan au chocolate in the microwave far too long then that's what you did, no if's or maybe's, just an accurate truthful description of what happened.

Without a doubt the best cafe in Gillingham. Not the cheapest but you absolutely get what you pay for. Always freshly cooked with top quality ingredients and the coffee there is just fantastic. Clean, fresh and a pleasure to eat there. If you need to eat in Gillingham this needs to be on your must try list.

A lovely little café to stop at for Eggs Benedict or a baguette or something in the afternoon. They also do breakfast pancakes that we had with hash browns. No complaints. Indoor and outdoor seating options as well. We were in a rush and despite not mentioning it, we were seated, served, had eaten and paid. In and out within 30-40 minutes.

Just excellent. I only had a Bacon Brie and Cranberry panini but it was excellent, served with super fresh crisp salad. A chap called Malc looked after me and I can honestly say I will be going back whenever I get the chance. Place was spotless, atmosphere friendly, and food and coffee excellent. Will use again without a doubt.

Went today with my dad and my daughter, amazing service throughout and well worth the money, very good value and will certainly be returning :))

We were served by a lovely young lady and gentleman. Friendly professional service, we were made to feel very welcome. The establishment is clean with excellent facilities and the food was lovely in terms of quality and great value. I would recommend a visit. Thank you to the Filling station from an appreciated son and mother 03/08/24.

Lovely little cafe by Gillingham station. Was a little sceptical based on the branding but served a great range of delicious cakes/traybakes, very reasonably priced. Service was quick and friendly

An absolutely impeccable business: immaculately clean, decorated with love caf run by a smiley team who obviously really care. And that’s before we get into what is probably the best breakfast bap I think I’ve ever had: non gristly bacon, perfectly cooked egg, fluffy roll… Why I something so simple often done on wrong? Not here. But really, it’s the little things here. Isn’t it always? The little cute sign on the loo door, the way the white toast is cut thick and the butter spread oh-so-evenly, the coffee with the sugar labelled just so. This is the standard all British cafs should strive for.

Very poor Experience, abused my grandmother of parking ‘not right’ - refused tap taper with a paying meal? Absurd service. Food OK at the most. Definitely not one to return, abysmal service, and will never recommend. Seems we aren’t the only ones. - a business that needs closing

Collected a pre-order business lunch for 8 - Can't fault the service and the food and good plus also well looked after in terms of Gluten free food too - Thank you Carole - We appreciate the service

Always a warm and friendly welcome. Delicious breakfasts and great coffee.

Bloody brilliant, small cafe but wow, the bloke took order quickly , the food was hot and tasty , the toilet , so clean I could eat dinner off floor will be back if ever back in area

Just used this place for take away prior to catching the London Train (0952) two bacon baps....good portions ,one tea nice brew and a white Americano ...14 quid absolutely hoofin ...defo use again excellent

Always a warm welcome, good food and coffee, thoroughly recommended by myself.

Always a pleasure to visit.. Great service and excellent food.. definitely recommend the milkshakes

Very friendly cafe by Gillingham station, great menu and clean. I had the full English breakfast, well cooked and presented, full take service as well

Pre ordered one sandwich for lunch which I had to wait 90mins for and the food was then not what I ordered. Verbally abuse, bully and shame there customers in front of other customers and refuse tap water for paying customers.

Went in there this afternoon with my assistance dog, a small terrier, was told no dogs at all and that I can sit outside. Asked if that included assistance dogs and was told all dogs. No wonder the place was empty.

I had a cracking full English here (extra Black pudding and Hashbrowns) before a wedding in Mere. Was sorely needed after a lively evening the night before and kept for going for another late night of overindulging. The chaps at The Filling Station couldn't have been more welcoming to a man on his travels in slightly odd attire! Thank you very much!

Service from the waitress was good however the owner is rude and un-accommodating. Poor quality food. Wouldn't recommend.

The first time of going there, the food was grear, so was the service, really friendly and welcoming, I am certainly going again.

The pastries and shortbread specialities are an explosion of sweetness and a feast for the eyes and are delicious. Thing is, that's it. Over the last 18months I've tried all their usual café fayre. Only the delights I've waxed lyrical about above are worth going through the door for. Oh and the nice clean loo. They have a highly heated display cabinet for sausage rolls &c and yet contrive to produce a dry grey sausage meat disappointment. Then there's the coffee. As has always been the case and continues still, the friendly staff are conscientious and don't rush. It is as it would be in an exemplary café. So how disheartening must it be for the crew to be keeping up their side of the bargain as they swap quite the thinnest weakest Mocha, say, I can ever remember. Yeah, yeah oh my coffee's pretty poor. So unimportant, so quotidian. These have been getting harder to ingest over the last year or so and I'm afraid that this time, I took four sips of the over-hot wet stuff and then poured it into the gutter in despair. I've given these lovely people the last of my train journey tea time tenners as I'm resigned to going without unless I can get to Waitrose and back in time for the Waterloo service. Good luck to them.

Egg and bacon bap with MAYO! YESSS. Fab. Should have had it with Mother's Pride trash bread. My bad. I could have had any form of bread choice going! More fool me. But Brioche with savoury? Who are these weird people !!!! They had air con but insisted on the back door being open, so it was drafty. Shame bout that.

Love the milkshakes, favourite place to go after shopping, car park isnt big but its always worth going 😁

Great little place...clean and food cooked well. An excellent place for breakfast.

Great food there Sandwiches are packed and cheaper than other places around here. Milkshakes are delicious.

Great value, lovely food and friendly staff🤗

The milkshakes are a firm favourite of my daughters, and the staff are always welcoming and friendly.

Not the greatest food. The manager seems to want to rebrand as a Karen's diner. Servers seemed to want him to act out as they instructed customers in ways he later showed he dislikes. He was bothering customers about others. He belittled me and attempted to bully me from behind the counter in a small but busy cafe. Would not recommend using for catchup with friends. To do work. Or for a single drink as these all showed in several occasions to be cause for his bullying. Highly advice Asda food on opposite side of the road and steering clear.

We stopped off here on one of the hot rare summer days before jumping on the train. Ordered a cheese and Ham toastie, a freshly baked pasty (filling was mushy baby food - avoid) and two diet cokes - we also asked for a glass of tap water. We were asked if it was for the dog or us. Apparently if it was the Dog all would have been fine but alas not if is for human consumption you have to buy mineral water. The lady looking after us was both rude and sarcastic. Sadly in this day of age we expect something called service and this place does not make the grade - avoid if you want service and a simple glass of tap water......

Great little cafe nestled in Gillingham not far from the railway station and main high street,great friendly service and nice grub. Nicely kitted out and atmosphere. Plenty to choose from. Downside is not much parking but this cannot be helped.

Absolutely love this place. 5 stars all day long

Great atmosphere, lovely staff and good food. I'll definitely be going back

ordered the A303 breakfast and i was not disappointed the tea with it was in a pot to boot

Great little cafe. Staff couldn't do enough for us

Stopped for some lunch, looked busy and food looked good. So hubby and I both ordered a sandwich, coffee and a glass of tap water. Server apologised but said we could only have water on medical grounds or could buy a bottle. I said this was unacceptable. Owner arrived to say he was within his rights to refuse us a glass of tap water. So we left. As we don’t buy water in plastic bottles.

Very nice straight forward food, enjoyed a lot sat outside in the sun👍

small but perfectly formed. Wide range of eat in and take out dishes. Excellent quality and sensible prices. Friendly staff.

They are simply the best Sandwiches, and milkshakes cakes I have tasted are used to live in Marlborough Wiltshire and I would say they were even better than the poly tea rooms😄

I've been here a couple of times already! Let me tell you, today's omelette was one of the best I ever had. Served with a fresh, crispy salad and a coleslaw. I'll be back! Highly recommend ! 👌

I was very disappointed with the service I received on a recent trip. I was refused tap water and forced to buy bottled water despite purchasing a coffee and a bacon sandwich (as a previous reviewer has already said this is blatant profiteering). I quite understand the need to make the business work, but a glass of tap water when purchasing other items is surely not unreasonable. In addition I was told I could only charge my laptop for max 10 minutes (never ever had this anywhere before) and even told to unplug the charger despite it being switched off at the plug. Service here really not welcoming and I won’t be returning.

I love the filling station, it's a friendly small cafe that always makes you feel welcome as soon as you walk through the door, on a warm summer's day you're lucky to find a free table, it's very popular but that's the joy of having take out as an option too l. The staff are always friendly and welcoming, the food is always fantastic and the milkshakes are always delicious. I cannot recommend enough.

Dreadful and sarcastic customer service. I said I didn’t want eggs or mushrooms, could I have a hash brown instead……we don’t do swaps you’ll have to order it as an extra. I checked the extras and said, okay I’ll just order extras to build the breakfast I want…….we don’t do that order a breakfast then add extras……. Very sarcastic attitude all round. Zero customer service.

only went in for a small bite to eat and a drink - absolutely amazing staff were kind and quick, fast service while it was packed, and food was brilliant. highly recommend and definitely visit again 10/10

Great cafe. Excellent food and drinks. Fantastic friendly service.

Lovely little cafe. Lovely coffee and food, service with a smile the staff are lovely. Always in there😅

Shocker do yourself a favour go up the road!!

Whether you like sweet or savoury food you will enjoy this busy little hub of the community. Poached eggs on mashed avocado toast is my favourite brunch but I can’t decide on a sweet winner as I’m still trying them all! There’s something for everyone.

Ordered a coffee black. Had to throw away as tasted like dish water. Is it so hard to make a decent cup of coffee? They need to clean the equipment. I mean your a coffee shop! That’s all you have to do. It’s not like I went into a pet shop and ordered a coffee. Back to Greggs next time. At least there you are going to get a nice coffee and not brown water. Horrible!

We regularly visit the Filling Station for lunch and also buy the most fantastic bread which is brought to the shop, freshly baked in the early hours of the morning. Malc you really are a star 🌟for that. Carole's delicious food is so beautifully served and brought to the table by lovely Ellie, always friendly and smiling. What I would say, is ignore the bad reviews, the writers of those definitely have a problem. The water issue should not be an issue and it is the height of discourtesy to expect to be able to consume one's own food in a coffee shop with only a glass of water.

Wouldn't provide me with a glass of tap water. Would only sell me a bottle of water, despite already having purchased coffee.

Absolutely lovely cafe! Staff are always friendly and welcoming! 😊 Prices are always very good! Food is top notch!

A lovely place, excellent food and service. Would recommend a visit you will not be disappointed.

Under duress I have deleted my comments upon your conduct, I certainly will never return to your establishment.

Cheap and chearful. Very clean. Varied choice of lunch items. Be warned the fella there has a hatred of cyclists and isn't shy about telling you about it. Be respectful and on your best behaviour and he loves it 😘

Love this place, can be so tranquil, but does get busy quick during lunch times. Superb staff n real care taken with customers.

I enjoyed my drink (the coffee is alright) but the manager fired a worker right in front of everyone - She looked quite young and most people around seemed sort of sorry for her. Could have at least done it in the back or somewhere private.

4 of us had various toasties, eggs benedict and a bacon sandwich. Everything was beautifully prepared, delicious and with generous servings. The service was helpful, friendly and efficient.

Great food and atmosphere, staff are friendly and professional, I would highly recommend a visit.

Food nice lots of it Sat outside which was more comfortable

Lovely milkshakes!! Sooo many to choose from. We really enjoyed our visit staff were very helpful and friendly. The shop was extremely clean and set out beautifully. An enjoyable little treat thank you.

Lovely place to stop and have refreshments, generous food portion's very nice indeed and friendly staff and helpful.

Great food but told my toddler couldn't have a glass of tap water needed to buy mineral water. Of course she only wanted a few mouthfuls. Never had this before and for the amount of money we spent on lunch thought it was rather mean. Only 3 other people in and staff flustered and forgetful of things ie bringing a glass and serving up cake.

Amazing place, best milkshake I have ever tasted

It's was OK, we ordered our drinks and it took about half an hour for them to turn up to our table, which in my opinion is just a bit to long to wait, but the waitress was very pleasant

Popped in for breakfast, and found this little gem... clean food good owners great in all a great visit. Will go again. Thanks...

Really nice place to have something to eat. We went in for breakfast. Lovely and clean. Will go again and will recommend . They have a small car park as well. In all a very good experience. The owners are friendly the food is good ..... thanks..

I enjoyed the coffee and cake, but I was refused a glass of tap water. I completely understand not serving people who don't order anything else, but I had already placed my order for the coffee and cake, surely each request should be looked at on its own merits.

Went here for breakfast this morning. Ordered two bacon sandwiches and two lattes. I asked for a small glass of tap water to take my morning tablets and was refused, being told ‘we only sell bottled water’! First time in my 71 years that I’ve ever been refused tap water in a cafe! Outrageous blatant profiteering. I shall not be coming here again.

Excellent coronation chicken sandwich and orange juice 👍

It was lovely and freshly made would recommend

you get what you pay for!! the food here has always been a favourite of mine and i love being able to custom make your food to your liking with all the different fillings and extras! staff are also lovely and friendly too and definitely a firm favourite in gillingham :)

What a fantastic find. The owners go above and beyond for you. Freshly baked bread, delicious food and coffee. I would highly recommend.

Absolutely great!! Superb food and lovely people 😍

Modern, Artisan type coffee/deli/cafe. Lovely food, tasty coffee...well worth dropping in. Its by far the smartest place in Gillingham.

Food very good, just need to speed up the service a bit, apart from that all good.

This place is fantastic, always a friendly smile on the hosts and the food is fantastic and great value..

Well what can I say,Malc & Carol and great girls,extremely fast service,absolutely fantastic food always! Also thanks for doing reception/wedding food last weekend,not a single roll left.. Always a complete Pleasure,One day I'll catch you out,change my Quad Coffee Milkshake for Something else now getting cold out... Thanks for everything guy's xxx

Friendly staff, gorgeous coffee, come along and enjoy!! X

Literally no other place warms up your pain au chocolat, very satisfied.

Meh Takes ages coffee is somewhere between fair and tasteless Old lady that works there is very abrupt almost rude Young lady is slow but very pleasant Bloke is a decent enough

Brilliant breakfasts and lunchs. And you have to try their milkshakes

It was very shameful to treat my sick son who asked for hot water to make his own tea harshly.. and they asked him to leave the place..I don't know why you work in the hospitality profession if you cannot treat people with respect or at least smile in their faces

Always a pleasure going in,fantastic service and food..Malc and Carol are lovely,always made welcome..All staff are extremely friendly,Make orders on site,all freshly made,Recently had Birthday Party food Made and Delivered,Daughter was very impressed,thank you for doing this,as short notice! Always buy Fresh Bread here,it's lovely to have this Option again in Gillingham,Thank-you guys,Also Make the Best Iced Coffee for Miles,any flavour,Personal Preference is Coffee with Coffee ☕ Especially if you like strong Coffee! Lovely Relaxing atmosphere,Well Worth Visiting any time of day!

Brilliant food and brilliant bosses

Amazing food, fab service, highly recommended ❤

Very nice staff, good coffee, good cake. Great stop for cyclists.

Went into filling station for 1st time today and it will NOT be my last. Got a feeling I will be a regular. The service was 1st class even when I pilot my milkshake, the young lady couldn’t do enough to help. It was the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time and cooked to perfection. Can’t recommend highly enough. If you haven’t been yet, please do you won’t be disappointed. Thank you all mike.

Very good sausage rolls, a good menu this place has potential the coffee could be better. Thank you

Very bad food the sandwiches I ordered didn’t smell ok. The coffee doesn’t worth the price.

Went in yesterday.. the food was amazing and great price too! The bloke and lady are so kind! Ignore the 3 star user below look at her reviews all bad! Moron!