Theatre Cafe in Hart

We went in for a cup of tea at this self-service cafe. The service was slow because a new member of staff was being trained but not properly guided or supervised. We then looked for a table. The cafe was less than a quarter full but there was not one clear table to sit at! There were no clearing staff in sight so we cleared a table for ourselves, but of course we could not wipe it down. About 10 minutes later a member of staff appeared, surveyed the tables and left without taking a single item with them. Shortly after another member of staff appeared and cleared one table (one down only forty left) and took a full tray out. Two minutes later she came back and started on the next table. Then the first member of staff came back and started remonstrating with the one clearing the table. She then went off and the table clearer took a second tray out. At this rate she was never going to clear all the tables as new ones were being created quicker that she could deal with them. A bit of common sense is required: use a trolley so that several tables can be cleared at a time.

I have finally given up with breakfast here. Have been going weekly for over a year. Over the last few months they have lost the ability to toast bread properly. The sausages aren’t that great, the bacon fatty and flabby, the pancakes are soggy because they’re served over wet compote. I’ve worked my way through the breakfast manu and none of it is currently good. Twice recently, I’ve had to send back toast twice! I’m honestly not that fussy but.... On the other hand most of the staff are lovely and cakes great later in the day.

I have also posted this review against Redfields Garden Centre as its the same place! Visited with friends recetly for lunch and although it was busy there was plenty of seating. The food is good but I would have to say a bit confusing to order when you first visit. In fact I have been there three times and only discovered on the way out last time that they do burgers! There's a 'cake' section, an icecream section, a section serving quiche etc with a choice of salads and a hot food section. This is where the burgers came from! The waitress walked past with the most enormous burgers with a bucket of chips and onion rings - looked very filling! We opted for the roasted aubergines topped with roasted veg and cheese along with a choice of two portions of salad. Very nice. One friend had plaice and said it was very tasty. There is much to see and do here and they sell eveything from books to clothes (as well as gardening stuff). My only complaint is that it was far too hot. Not just customers but staff also were complaining - they need air conditioning as its like being in a greenhouse. Nice for the plants but not for us older flowers!! Food orders are taken on an i-pad and then brought to your table. There is water available - as much as you want, with ice. Staffing is a little fluid - we went up for ice creams and there was no one at the tills - we walked off and ate our ices and then returned to pay when someone turned up. The staff are however very friendly and helpful, when you can find them!

I often get a cake here as their egg custard tart is to die for, however, that is the only thing I have found that is worthy of praise, I don't drink the coffee it is very bitter - big mistake we stopped here for a Sunday lunch - roast beef, beef way over cooked (we ate at twelve) gravy like water, potatoes were horrible, broccoli and carrots were hard - all in all not very nice at all, there are some amazing pubs near by you'll pay around the same but get a great tasty well cooked meal, shop here but don't eat here

This garden centre must be laid out by the same people as did Ikea They make you go round some convaluted one way system to try and get you to buy a load of useless Heart shaped rubbish you don't need or want We just wanted to visit the cafe and with one person in a wheel chair its a real nuisance system Food was okay. Drinks were better. Ordering system is ridiculous. Everything comes randomly with many people sending things back And what's with the poor English speaking iPad clutching girl trying to up sell to hot food you don't want This place is huge and lacks organisation and just a robbing money pit Will go somewhere more genuine where you don't feel uncomfortable in American upselling concept

Sorry but this cafe requires to improve, for the first time visitor it has a crazy ordering system when achieved that eventually our baguettes arrived, hard as a brick outside and soggy tasteless filling, unlike the garden centre staff the cafe staff could or would not help at all. However the coffee was fine, but all on the expensive side.

Visited the cafe yesterday for Sunday lunch and unfortunately it has not improved since my last visit which was also a bitter disappointment. The queueing and ordering is still as shambolic as ever; no clear instructions and customers wandering around aimlessly totally confused and looking for somebody to explain the chaotic system they operate. Having looked at the different counters to see what is available one then orders drinks at a different counter, then you have to pay at the till some distance away and order food there. Hubby had roast beef, I ordered a coronation chicken baguette and we had a pot of tea for two. The bill was just over £22. I noticed when looking at the filled rolls etc available that the preparation area looked disgusting as did the area where the hot drinks were prepared, discarded dishcloths littering the counters which looked as if they hadn't been cleaned for some time. We decided not to sit in the main restaurant indoors but to sit in the outer area inside the nursery. This could be so pleasant but as I've found before is let down by the poor service and the filthy tables. We had to clear the crockery left by the previous customers and move it to a neighbouring table which was completely covered with dirty crockery as were two others nearby. Staff bringing out food walked past these tables making no effort to clear them. We were there for thirty minutes before anybody started to clear away the mess and then it was done in dribs and drabs. Hubby's roast arrived before my baguette and he had almost finished by the time it arrived. Why can't they coordinate things to arrive together? Considering how expensive the food is Redfields need to review how this cafe/restaurant is managed. Basic cleanliness and attention to detail is sadly lacking.

12-45 and lots of items sold out very confusing ordering system food overpriced and undercooked veg all in all not good

What a lovely place. Went for breakfast Good bacon roll and quick service. A very attentive 'waiter'. Going for another walk round now.

I have been going to Redfields Garden Centre for many years - back when it was a family run concern with The Bunnery as the restaurant. Now it is owned by Blue Diamond. It has tripled in size with a brand new extended building and now has two eateries. The Treetop cafe (aimed more towards children despite being upstairs,) and Cafe Theatre (not Theatre Cafe as per this entry , but hey ho) on the ground floor. Easily accessible by wheelchair or for those with walking difficulties. The tables are well spaced and the eating area is a truly beautiful space. Whoever designed it deserves a pat on the back. On every occasion I have been there the eating area has been immaculately clean, with tables cleared promptly. The area for purchasing food is not so good. It is dimly lit, with the oddest of queuing systems , nor is there clear signage to let you know where to order different things. We were there at approximately 11am. It was total chaos. Many different queues - like a service station but without the efficiency. Far too few staff. I stood in one queue for over ten minutes to order a single coffee. I then had to stand at an unmanned till to await paying for it. The cashier was also helping out with food and drinks preparation - commendable given the queues, but poor as people then had to wait to pay. I saw a number of people waiting at the unmanned till whilst I was queuing. This is indicative of the lack of staff and not an indictment of the individual. We also ordered food - there were a number of different set breakfasts available, sadly no vegetarian option - rather poor in this day and age ....so we had scrambled eggs on toast and poached eggs on toast. My coffee was cold by the time the food came. Having waited in a separate queue for 10 minutes my husband paid at 11:10am, according to the receipt. The food came to the table at 11:22. The scrambled eggs ( free range) were "excellent", the poached eggs were overcooked - and whilst I know some people prefer them this way - the norm is to have them runny and only to over cook them if this is requested. The bloomer bread - toasted- would have been nicer than average if the poached eggs had been drained properly. Sadly the toast was soggy from the wet eggs. We paid £7:90 for the food and £2:75 for one coffee. This was a regular not a large. Overall, for the price, we were both disappointed. Plus they promised us a bicycle rack years ago and there still isn't one. Nothing to do with the cafe but perhaps Blue Diamond might read this and build one ....... you never know .......

Scones under cooked. Panini is so so awful. It's dry and lacking in taste So disappointed. I really wouldn't want to come back here. £14 for a boring snack.

Went for breakfast with my family but very unclear where to order from. When ordering breakfast they told us an hour wait for food. Weren't happy so just ordered coffee and a pastry. We sat down and heard another staff member saying it's 10-15 mins wait. Went to query and they said there were no delays. No one really knew what was happening. Really frustrated, we spoke to the manager who really wasn't interested. Pretty chaotic experience for a Sunday morning. Won't be going back.

The strong design ethos of this 'garden' centre was totally unexpected. I loved its unique style and the width and depth of its product offering. We only went for a short visit but stayed most of the day, buying Xmas decorations, toys, books, crockery and gifts. All their garden and lifestyle products are stylish, carefully edited and well priced. I'm disappointed reading the reviews re food and restaurant service. It didn't match our own experience although we were visiting midweek. We had coffee...with several yummy cakes ( taster sized, but worth every calorie) late morning on the upper level Everything tasted home made which surprisingly it was! Hence little appetite for lunch until mid afternoon, so we probably missed the rush. It was busy. Living in London I felt it brought the ideology of Petersham Nurseries to Hampshire ie restaurant quality foods from great ingredients....and beautiful garden supplies. Loved the food displays under glass domes and uniquely being able to seeing bakers working in full view of the counters with cakes in the ovens behind them. Apart from baked goods I was surprised to see real Patisserie also made on site. The design of the restaurant and seating areas is contemporary and makes for a destination in its own right. Well considered, stylish interior and great attention to detail in display, crockery and cutlery. Everything we ate was delicious, living near central London sadly its a little far away to pop in for coffee and cake or lunch. However, if you're anywhere near do go and visit. It's well worth a detour.

Redfield's itself is wonderful and we love it there! The Theatre café looks wonderful and has a very good first impression..... but seriously guys... what is with all the waiting around and the a*se about face queuing system??? We had to queue like three times just to be able to get what we wanted and pay for it... The front of house team really (really!!) need to pull their fingers out when it comes to service, everything is snail speed! The waiting staff however are great, smiley, happy and helpful... The roast dinner left a lot to be desired about and the chips that my nan ordered on the side of her hideously priced panini were raw in the middle :-0 ....I am under no illusion that you get what you pay for, this is why I was so disappointed!

I have given Cafe Theatre one star simply because the system does not allow you to give no stars, but please don't be fooled. It does not deserve any stars.I took some visitors to Redfields, thinking they would enjoy a browse in the garden centre and a Sunday lunch. I was ashamed of the ordeal they were subjected to and we had to leave Redfields without any lunch after an experience that most restaurants would be ashamed of and would be bending over backwards to rectify. Redfields, however, seemed unconcerned.We arrived at the restaurant at about 1pm. Using the ridiculous ordering system (staff wandering about with ipads and doing nothing in between customers). We ordered roast dinners. We then queued for 25 minutes at the drinks counter, where one young man was completely alone. Though he worked hard, it was clear that one person could not cope with the ever-increasing queue. It took him 5 minutes to make one fancy coffee, and while we were there, disappeared into the kitchen several times, fetching ice and teapots, leaving a long queue of disgruntled customers waiting at an unstaffed counter. I spotted the manager and alerted him to the problem, but he did absolutely nothing to improve the situation.When we had got our pot of tea (25 minutes later), we then stood in another queue at the solitary till, where there was only space for one customer at a time to put down their tray, so everyone else had to stand holding heavy trays. You are supposed to collect cutlery at the till, but there was not a single knife, fork or teaspoon. As it turned out, however, we did not need them because, on arrival at the till, we were informed that the roast dinners had run out and they would not be fulfilling the order we had placed more than half an hour before. I was so disgusted by this that I left the pot of tea on the till and left the restaurant. On the way out, I saw the manager again, at one of the counters, shovelling chips, which by then may have been the only food the restaurant had left, into bowls, so I went over to complain. The manager did not even look up, just muttered a meaningless apology and continued to shovel chips. We were not the only people to complain as there were people complaining all over the place - in the endless queues, at the tills, and all over the restaurant.A restaurant that cannot estimate how many roast dinners it can provide on a Sunday, and continues to accept orders long beyond its capacity to fulfil then, does not deserve anyone's custom. A restaurant that cannot see that a system that involves queuing three times, with insufficient staff at each stage, so that the queues become hideously long, does not deserve anyone's custom. A restaurant where the (clearly unqualified) manager cannot even make an attempt to give a sincere apology does not deserve anyone's custom.To compound matters, when I went to the Customer Service desk to make a complaint, I was handed a form, with a postage stamp size space for comments, which I was supposed to complete and post in a cardboard box. Clearly Redfields has no interest in customer feedback.Our day was completely ruined. My visitors must have wondered what on earth I had brought them to. I will certainly never make that mistake again, and have now crossed Redfields off my list of places I ever want to revisit.

I went in for a coffee and ended up having lunch. Both me and my friend tried the baked potatoes with chilli con carne and they were the best I have had to date. We probably waited 3 minutes and our food was served right to our table. Very relaxing environment with friendly staff and lovely food. The cake selection looked amazing too. On my next visit will have to try one of the desserts.

We hadn't been to Redfields for some time now, but decided to go this past weekend. We had food from the deli which was just out of this world and my partner tried the signature burger... Wow!! Very happy and helpful staff serving us and a young man which I presume is the manager was very friendly helping us to our table.Will most definitely make a weekly visit to Redfields from now on.Keep up the great work.

On my many visits to the garden centre I've never given the café a second thought, but for some reason I decided to check it out this time. Well, was I in for a shock. All the food looked great, but the patisserie counter was in a class of its own. Everything was exquisite, and the biggest shock was that it was all made on the premises. Right in front of you in fact. They were happy for me to buy to take away, and I eventually decided on a custard tart and lemon creme brulee tart. It was a difficult selection because everything looked so good. But I chose well, and they were both faultless. Really, really good. Not cheap, but definitely worth it. I will be going back for sure.

Stone cold breakfast with incorrect items, waiter came back with correct breakfast that was still stone cold. Came back again with same breakfast warmed over. Slow service despite being empty.

We have visited this garden centre several times but we don't go any more because the Theatre Cafe is so bad. Obviously a lot of money was spent on decor but sadly they ignored the important things. It was made too fussy when I'm sure all visitors want is a coffee and a cake in comfortable surroundings and maybe a lovely lunch at an affordable price. I get the impression this cafe is trying to be more than it actually is. The coffee isn't that good and the food is average but the prices are the same as the good coffee shops. There is a ridiculously complicated iPad or counter system which in my opinion is unnecessary and the whole layout looks like Harrods food hall!!!! Please make this a pleasant garden centre to visit and not this annoying waste of money.

Took my daughter for lunch to the Theatre Cafe yesterday because we think their chips are the best in the whole of the world! And yes! They were equally as good again. Wonderful lunch-time selection from hot foods to salads, sandwiches with your choice of fillings. Wine by the glass or bottle, soft drinks, tea and coffee . And you can sit on tables and chairs, or in the conservatory in plum armchairs and sofas. Really excellent lunch!

Good place for a relaxing coffee in local area. Free wi fi if required and helpful polite staff. Get Diamond card for rewards.

I've visited this cafe a lot because they have play areas for children and it is great to be able to have a coffee and be able to watch the kids. Upstairs is more child friendly, but there are no toilets upstairs. With a toddler and a baby, if they had a baby change and loo upstairs it would make going to this cafe so much easier when going by oneself.The food has always been very good, apart from one occasion only when the side orders were overdone.If you eat downstairs, staff with iPads will take your order and you pay at the cash desk, which is a great idea at peak times. All in all this is a lovely cafe, but please sort out easier toilet facilities!!

Loved going to the "old " style Redfields and Bunnery restaurant. Was worth the trip from the other side of Reading. Now feel it is not worth going back, as much for the food as the shop which rarely changes. Service in the Theatre Cafe (why this name?) has always been variable, never brilliant, mostly ok'ish but sometimes feel as if the customer doesn't exist. Staff don't appear interested or happy. Often have long waits 20-30 mins for food which doesn't need alot of prep or cooking. Have had the wrong food brought despite receipt being correct. Today was awful...the smallest, practically COLD jacket potatoes with chewy skins. We had asked if they came with a small side salad and were told they did...all we got was a side serving of mixed sad looking lettuce leaves, no dressing or mayonnaise. We usually go to garden centres twice weekly for lunch and have far better food than here with better prices and service. Decided to give Redfields a wide berth for now.

We did not understand the ordering system but a Scottish gentleman explained it to us.We ordered the food and it came quickly.It was very nice and we had picked a table outside and had a really good time.We would like to say that the staff were very pleasant especially the man who explained the ordering process. He should get a salary increase for his attention.

We have visited here a few times and every time has been complicated and expensive. Now don't get me wrong the food is good especially the sasuage rolls. But the ordering system is so so poor, the hot drinks are made poorly and have no taste and the service is extreamy slow, we ordered 3 sandwiches which took 30 mins to arrive all that was needed was for them to be warmed. I don't like to be all negative the seating area is really nice inside and out and all the cakes are handmade and amazing.

Went into the treetops section , even with only 2 people in queue waited 15 mins to be served .only one serving and 4 staff laughing and talking in the background, the assistant kept disappearing into storeroom , i suggested they get more staff to be told Yes . Time i got served another 5 people waiting and still one very very slow assistant and 4 staff still talking , staff seemed uninterested

Taken here with our grandson by his mother and what a pleasant surprise. We had lunch first - there was a vast selection of food on offer from English breakfast, sandwiches, salads to roasts. Our order was taken by a greeter with a tablet and once we had the drinks made our way to pay, given a number and then could sit in or out in the very comfortable eating area. High chair was provided and within 15 minutes my roast lamb with all the trimmings arrived along with the two soups ordered by the wife and daughter-in-law. Grandson was happy as were the grandparents - and the shopping was good after. We had tea upstairs where there was a soft play area for toddlers - a good time was had by all.

Disappointing service Why overfill coffee cups so they spill into saucersSlow service on the Paninis But they were good The acoustics are terrible here Creates a din that would give a paracetamol a headache Till staff Jackie M was great

We've been here a few times now for lunch and again today with my Mum and 3 children. There is a large selection of options for both hot and cold lunches/meals as well as very tempting looking cakes! The variation of bread types available is very impressive, offering rye, panini, wraps, gluten free etc. The children's picnic bags are superb. With a range of freshly prepared sandwiches, sausages, sausage rolls, crackers with cheese, fruit, dried fruit, crisps, sweets...really I think anyone could find something suitable for their child there and there's a nice selection of drinks for them too, flavoured milk, juices, water etc. My children really enjoyed filling their bags with 5 items plus a drink for £5.95. There are several staff members standing by the counters, ready to take your order on an Ipad. You then collect drinks and go to the tills at the end to pay and get a number to take to your table. Unfortunately we have had two occasions where our orders haven't been correct so I'm not sure quite how effective it always is but staff have always been extremely helpful in rectifying any problem. The restaurant décor is lovely and the seating is really nice. It is spacious and so lovely in fact that I'd chosen to come here for my birthday lunch with the family in February! It certainly isn't your average garden centre restaurant. I would definitely recommend arriving at 12 for lunch as it does get very busy and we have experienced long waiting times as well as some dishes running out. We are hoping to come for breakfast in the future and also their afternoon tea is very nice looking. Overall I would definitely recommend coming here. It is a lovely restaurant and the garden centre is really nice to look round after!

Food is ok, but before you buy from the store, check out Squires at Badshot Lea. We bought a gas BBQ that we were lead to believe was on special offer for £349. The next day we saw the same one in Squires for £299.

The theatre cafe is within the garden centre which is really cool. There is an incredible selection of nice food and quality ingredients. The service however is appalling. You pay for a croissant and a coffee and you get the coffee at the bar and then sit down and wait for your croissant which arrives by the time you finish your coffee or it is cold. Maybe rethink the system?However the Brie and bacon panini was really nice but cold. Shame really

Excellent food, ordering system very slow but worked well, plenty of seating very clean, waiting staff could have looked a bit more interested in what they were doing. Food is delivered by non smiling waitressesVery very noisy, screaming children

We live locally and have visited many times before. In recent months I have felt the standard of the food has started to slip. However we decided to pop in for lunch on Easter Monday and I can honestly say we won't be coming back! The roast park was inedible it was so dry and tasteless and the chilli con car e my partner has was bland. I don't mind paying for good food but this was far from that!

I visited here with family after someone recommended it. We were not disappointed, excellent breakfasts and the decor refined. The interior is light, airy and really high class. The lunch food in the cabinets looked great on the way out (stuffed aubergines, wraps, salmon fillets etc.) will be back to try a roast soon too. Gluten free bread was also available.

I thoroughly enjoy visiting Redfields Garden Centre as it is pretty well faultless. An immense range of products, friendly staff and a very good cafe. The food is very good and service is quick. Good value. I would go more often if they could sort the WiFi out. As I would regularly take lunch if I could connect.I mentioned the regular lack of connectivity at the customer service desk and happened to be stood next to the Manager responsible. He laughed it off, saying " we cant fix it". !!! I was gob smacked with lack of interest. I travel extensively and can connect everywhere. I guess their business does not depend on it. If the system is not reliable switch it off and don't advertise it.

The restaurant, which is within Redfields Garden Center is spacious, comfortable and has a good ambiance. The food ordering system is a bit unusual. You have to select your food from one of the food stations where it is displayed, and then place your order right there with one of the staff who enter it onto a tablet. You pay at the checkout. You are then given an order number which you take to your table. Our order arrived fairly soon. The food was very reasonable. Prices are fairly average -maybe a bit on the expensive side. We had a slight problem with one of our orders which was sorted out very quickly by a very friendly and helpful member of staff. The restaurant was busy but the staff coped quite well clearing vacated tables fairly promptly. They do apear to have quite a comprehensive menu ranging from salads to fully blown Sunday roasts ! I would recommend this restaurant.

Had the most wonderful meal of chicken skewers with an excellent squash salad with honey and edamame beans... superb! I often go to the café and it's always tasty, excellent food. I've read a few of the other reviews and the one that explains about ingredients etc etc.. well.. I'm sorry if you're that fussy, take a pack lunch out. I can't see any time that I've visited that the food has not been healthy and tasty. It's not your usual churned out café food. Even the jacket spuds are wonderful. The staff are friendly, hardworking and an asset. You can see all the food being prepared if you wish and the selection of healthy foods for adults and children are there to see too. Thanks to all for continued tastiness each time I visit.

We visited for morning coffee on Mother's Day and were impressed with the service and quality. We are regular visitors but today really liked the fact that tables were being allocated on arrival which meant that had planned to be busy and had a system to deal with it. The cakes, including gluten-free, were tasty and good value. A lovely treat for Mum .

Can I say first I'm so shock by the reviews that have been written, I use this cafe every couple of weeks, meeting different people for coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, I have even been for Sunday breakfast with my husband and I have never experienced anything like has been written.My father is elderly when asked if he can have a children's meal as he doesn't eat much, they couldn't be more helpful, I think the iPad system is such a good idea I never have had a problem or have had to wait a long time for food. There has always been a good choice of cold or hot and the food has always been good and hot, I wouldn't think of not using the cafe whilst at the garden centre, I find it a relaxing place and we always try and sit outside on the comfy sofas.

As others have mentioned , what do you get from where? asked a member of staff with an i pad about ingredients in a food, off she went to find out, never to return with the answer! then went on to serve others behind us. When eventually we were seated, one order was incorrect and contained cheese, we strictly asked for none for dietary reasons. Then we had to hunt down another meal, by the time it arrived everyone else had finished! is it too much to ask to eat together? Cups were cracked and chipped, glasses had smear marks! better signage of what to order where would be of great help!

Strange set up here various locations with different types of food which you choose and then locate a staff member with an iPad to order it.Food was average but took too long to arrive, system of ordering a bit chaotic. Won't put me off going again as its a nice environment.

I really like the selection of food and think it's all very tasty. Great that they cater for celiacs. I always find the ordering and paying system a bit confusing though and end up joining lots of queues.

A lovely atmosphere with very friendly staff, unfortunately the food does not match this. A second attempt eating there has now left us very disappointed, we always like to give the benefit of doubt. we had the Sunday roast today, the broccoli was hard, potatoes cold, gravy watery, scolding plate but cold food. The meat was very dry and the crackling impossible to eat, a real shame, for such a lovely looking place. We are told the breakfast is great, I doubt we will ever find out though.

An amazing garden centre such amazing top quality items giving great inspiration for displays, that theatre cafe is very well laid out with great selection of choice although noisy it's well worth a visit

Wonderful small garden centre with a really well decorated main restaurant. There is an extensive menu and in my opinion the best full cooked breakfast I have ever had. But... only one size of coffee which is small and never hot enough and nearly always half foam (even in the latte), really expensive; we calculated the same 4 x coffees and cakes would have been at least 30% cheaper elsewhere and the service can be awfully slow during busy times.

We came back for our second year of department Christmas dinner.The reason why. Where do I start. The food was amazing in face the best Christmas dinner I've paid for in a long time!The staff were so friendly and very attentive and looked after your every need. The chef even coming to advise that the soup was dairy free as we'd asked for no cream in the soup. The roast beef was cooked to perfection Also the price for £15.95 for two courses for so much food was a bargain!We will be back again next year I'm sure. Thanks !

I have used Redfields for many years for business lunches with clients, even going back to the days of the original garden centre, it has always been a good stoppng place. Yes it's busy because it's good. I have over the years got to know the Manager Lea and she works extremely hard to deliver a good experience. If she is on site ask for her and I'm sure any problem will be resolved so you can then post a positive review.

We had our 16 year old granddaughter with us for our visit to Redfields Cafe Theatre. They are always fussy and we thought we should be okay, but Redfields were at their worst. We could not get the drinks we req/d.The food selection changed for unknown reason. Hot drinks were warm, food poorly presented with gravy and food scattered all over the plate, luke warm food. How can so many people report poor service and poor food and Redfields not doing any thing about it..Also dirty plates filled most of the tables.I am also worried about hygiene as the young staff doing cleaning and serving dishes without cleaning their hands.We attended the opening of the cafe theatre on its first day and now it is a poor reflection of its first day.SACK the manager before you get a visit about food not cooked properly and poor hygiene.

Busy busy today but no excuse for poor service I'm afraid!Recommended for teas, coffee's & cakes, but if your ordering hot food be prepared for a long wait.For a busy cafe like this they may want to revise their ordering & table service so it runs more efficiently. I'm not sure the staff are at fault here as they are kind, courteous & trying to resolve many complaints at the same time!

Had the chance to visit Redfields today, as well as to enjoy tea and cake in Cafe Theatre. The fare offered is typical of a garden style cafe, but my experience was enhanced by the genuine interest and warm personalities of the staff. Thanks to Lee(sp) the manager, and her crew. Sometimes it can be a thankless job, but I saw support and encouragement for each other which translated to the care and interest in my family and our selection of food.

Over half an hour to wait for a sandwich, to then find out the other sandwich order filling had run out. Tried a few times here but if they are even slightly busy, don't bother.

We waited 20 minutes for service in a very small queue, while 5 members of staff bumbled around behind the counter doing nothing. We ordered 2 mozzarella, tomato & pesto paninis and 2 cokes, which came to around £15. Please also consider that the cafe was not busy at all during this time.I expected a high quality of service which matched that we received in the main garden centre, considering the price of such simple food. We waited a few minutes shy of an hour (and one questioning of where our food might have ended up) before we were brought the worst paninis I have ever had the misfortune of eating. The bread was not toasted properly, the mozzarella was not even melted & the entire thing was on the verge of going cold. No apology from the staff. We overheard several other customers complaining about not receiving their food in a timely manner.I have never received such bad service and such awful food in my life. By all means visit Redfields for the wonderful garden centre, but stay clear of any temptation to dine on site!

Redfields garden centre is an excellent place and serves quality food and drink. However it is spoilt by the chaotic service. I'm sure the idea of someone taking orders with an iPad as you go in is a great idea in theory but it is negated by then having to queue and pay for your food and then receive a token which you then hand in to order your food which is then brought to you. Crazy!

We have had coffee and cake here before but not lunch. The current system of trying to locate an individual with a tablet and then ascertain what was available (none of the food in the deli display was labelled) is both confusing and inefficient. The queue to order was long, the queue for drinks very much longer, and the subsequent wait for food was the longest of all. Furthermore, two of us had ordered vegetarian quiches and were served with quiche Lorraine - we mentioned it to a member of staff but as we by then quite hungry we just got on and ate them. The food itself was quite adequate and the staff were doing their best and were amazingly cheerful in the circumstances. But next time we are in the area we will definitely go elsewhere for lunch.

We've been before and the service and confusing ordering system is still going on. We popped in for tea and toast. The toast took 20 minutes to arrive even though it wasn't busy. In the end I had to ask where it was and found it had been made but no one had brought it over to my table. It was cold and unpleasant by this time. Why are they not taking the poor reviews on board and do something about it? Definately won't bother to go there again as there are far better places to eat.

Had lunch with two of my friends today. Very confusing layout re ordering meals. Have visited before when there were ladies with IPads taking orders but no-one in sight for a time today. One did eventually come into view and we ordered our meal. But then had to go to another counter for a drink and another for a dessert!! We asked for a glass with our cold drink, only one available!! They had run out. We then went to collect some cutlery-you guessed it virtually all gone and waiting for replacements!! A rude waitress told us there were other collection points around the dining area without telling us where!! Not at all customer friendly. Also no people at the tills. The food took a long time to appear. An experience we really hope not to have again!!

I visited today with 2 friends. This is a great shopping venue! However, the catering experience is less impressive! Coffee upstairs was on the edge of vile. I do not have sugar in my coffee but had about 5 cubes today as it was so bitter. The cake selection.Hmmmm. I DID NOT BUY A CAKE OR BISCUIT!!! SHOCK HORROR GASP!!! The floor shook as people walked down the stairs! We carried on shopping and then decided to have a light bite. The paninis , baguettes etc are not individually labelled or priced so you have no idea about content or price. The offer price includes 2 salads which we did not want. The girl behind the counter was helpful as she told us prices by looking through pricing labels but as the food was still not labelled afterwards it was hard to remember all the information. A lady with an iPad came up to take our order. We then queued for the one till available ( but 3 people with pads taking orders?!? ) ! Ordered a beverage and paid.To be fair the wrap arrived very promptly, nicely served with a little salad and crisps. It was very tasty and pleasant, not at all bad value. Nevertheless I feel the catering here needs some serious management!

Been to Redfields on many occasions and generally more hit than miss. Yes, its a bit confusing on how you order if you are new to things but to be honest we usually go upstairs (more traditional counter for serving) as the tea room there is more relaxed for us with small children.Great bacon baps (chargrilled bacon) although there can be a bit of delay getting the order completed - could definitely be quicker. All that said, I wanted to paste the below email I sent to the restaurant after a wonderful afternoon tea I had there with my wife and family to celebrate her birthday. Specifically, how some simple gestures from the staff can raise the whole occasion way above the actual food you eat (which was a lovely afternoon tea)"I just wanted to pass on my thanks for the afternoon tea at Redfields on 7th October which was booked as part of the celebrations for my wife's birthday. When I originally called to book the table I was told that afternoon tea's weren't usually served at 12:30 but you were happy to take this booking and I thank you for that flexibility. But I also wanted to make a special mention of Teresa who served us - she was friendly, attentive but more than anything she made such a special effort to wish my wife a happy birthday and even gave her is a kiss and a hug. This absolutely helped make the day so special. Please pass on our thanks. Too often we can take to social media to complain, but I wanted to take a few minutes to say thanks for a great effort and a lovely afternoon tea."

Came here for a first birthday party and had a really nice time. Had a large area booked out in the Treetops Cafe area and were served sandwiches and cakes which were all very good. Mini millionaire shortbreads were delicious! Staff seemed friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed. Coffee was very good too.

I have had speedy service and excellent food of appropriately sized proportions. However; I have had to wait quite a while for the ok food of tiny proportions. It is a bit of a lottery as to the experience I expect to receive. This does not reflect the excellent service Redfields Garden Center provides.

This restaurant within a garden centre is good for a meal and a coffee with nibbles. Plenty of seating both inside and out. However, as one other reviewer pointed out, its difficult to know whats on offer as there a menu boards all over the place and its then difficult to know where to place your order.I chose Chilli Con Carney. Some would say it was correct having lumps of meat rather than mince. However, meat with loads of fat and gristle is poor selection of meat for cooking. Putting that aside, it was ok. The coffee tasted bitter, however, coffee is like marmite, you either love it or hate it.In summary, food was ok but could do much better and the layout needs work

We've stopped for lunch at the Theatre Cafe within Redfields Garden Centre on a number of occasions within 2015 and we've been happy on all of those visits. The selection of savoury snack food is great (particular favourites are the BBQ Chicken panini and the Hickory BBQ sausage roll) and the cakes are delicious and so tempting. I think the atmosphere is great - it's relaxed enough to come with children, but also civilised enough to bring friends and family for an impromptu lunch, even with a glass of wine! The waiting time after you've ordered savoury snack food to be warmed up is often a little longer than you might expect, but this has never been a problem for us as we're never in a rush when we come for lunch, and in fact usually are chatting away to friends or family who we've brought so the wait is no problem at all.We're yet to sample the hot food on offer, but it seems like this is really reasonably priced, when the snack food is on the dearer side.

Have known Redfields since it was a family run garden centre in a green house. We have enjoyed watching and utilising its development into a large modern garden centre unfortunately our visit today did not reflect this. The eating area outside of the cafe was very disappointing - it did not look as if the floor had been swept for some time, three members of staff were clearing the tables -none carried a cloth to wipe the tables. The design of the design of the tables meant that a gap around the central "coals pit" harboured debris and even the odd chip. A glamorous look which doesn't cut the mustard - a great shame

In the 'Good Old Days', before Redfields Garden Centre expanded so that it hardly has anything to do with gardens and gardening anymore, there was a quaint restaurant, 'The Buttery', with an 'oldy worldly' charm, where a stop for refreshment was a nice, relaxing experience.These days, visitors have to steer a haphazard course zig-zgging from side-to-side choosing food from here and there, whilst battling an increasingly heavy and unweidly tray, then having to order drinks from another counter, pay (without dropping the lot) pick up cutlery from another location (knives and forks are not even wrapped in a serviette ready to be picked up) and, having found a seat, a visitor has to wait and wait for any hot food to be delivered. I visited yesterday with an elderly friend aged 86. She could never have coped alone with this experience without help, having also to cope with a walking stick. Fortunately, yesterday was a quiet day -(maybe people are starting to think twice about using this location?) - but imagine how it can be like on a 'busy' day. Pandemonium. The system is unnecessarily chaotic and disorganised by the very nature of its design. Whoever designed it has obviously only been concerned with the look of the place, and not with how it actually works in practice.And I've not even mentioned how the food has increased in price since the restaurant moved into its new location! With the cost of the buidling having to be paid for, and with many additional staff now necessary, a visit to the Theatre Cafe has become a pricey experience. But, in this instance, 'pricey' does not equate with 'good'.After giving this cafe the benefit of the doubt on quite a number of occasions since it opened, I feel that I've given it enough chances to get itself working efficiently. The Management really does need to get its act together.I will not be returning. And neither will my friend.

The Redfields garden centre in Church Crookham has been the beneficiary of considerable capital investment which has resulted in the creation of a huge one stop shopping centre of which around 50 per cent is dedicated to products with which to enhance the garden.An important addition is a large restaurant to replace the previous coffee cum light refreshments snack bar.This is so vast that the management has economised on the number of waiters needed to service the large number of customers. The waiters there work efficiently and do their best but there are just not sufficient numbers.The ordering of a meal and drinks is complicated to say the least. Upon arrival the customers are greeted by a huge board on which is listed the dishes available. The copywriter has produced a mouth watering description which alas bears little resemblance to the dish that arrives. The order is given to a waiter who writes it down on an iPad which is then sent to the cashier and the kitchen. The next stop is the cashier where you choose your drinks, select and take number card, pay and then amble round the restaurant and find a table. In the meantime the cashier has sent the table number by iPad to a waiter. When you have selected a table and sat down the waiter, having wandered round looking for the displayed number, arrives and asks whether all is to your satisfaction.Some time later he returns with the food which although adequate does not live up the description on the menu. My wife and grandson had roast pork and vegetables. ( £8.95 ) consisting of four thick slices of overcooked pork loin with overcooked vegetables swimming in gravy. Many do not like gravy on roast and there was no method when ordering of declining the gravy. It was a question of having exactly what was written on the menu. Granddaughter ordered an omelette with three fillings ( £8,95 ) which she thought adequate but added that her brother cooked a better one. I fell for the description of the Angus beef burger and what arrived was a total disappointment ( £ 10.90 ). It was served with thick chips were not up to par. Some parts of the dish were very hot, some warm and some cold. This burger was nothing like as good as the ones served at the national chains.Puddings could not be ordered at the start so we had to go to the sales point, order pay and collect.My grandchildren, experts on puds, considered them to be excellent and the best part of the outing to Redfields.The bill excluding puddings but including two diet cokes and two ginger beers was £ 46.95. All the staff were charming and it is the management which is at fault.We shall not be returning.

I am lucky to live just a few miles from Redfields and visit most weeks. The owners have invested heavily in re-building this garden centre and I would call it more of a 'lifestyle centre' as the product choices are vast. There are two restaurants, the Theatre Café and Treetops, the latter aimed at families and children. The Theatre café is on the ground floor at the rear of the centre and serves an amazing choice of hot and cold food. There are cream teas, a patisserie with freshly made cakes, pastries and scones. Panini's, sandwiches, quiches and salads are another choice and there is a great open kitchen serving freshly cooked hot meats, breakfasts and roasts. I have always found the restaurant to be clean and the staff work very hard. It can get busy at weekends, but there are plenty of tables. I love the round booth tables and the décor is very tasteful.As many other reviewers have mentioned, I do feel the queuing and paying system could be improved, but believe the management constantly review this.All I can say is that Redfield's and the Theatre Café is an impressive place to visit and I am lucky to have this facility close by.

What else can I say but I love Redfields. Don't be put off by the few bad reviews, people are more likely to criticise than give credit where it is due. You really cannot find a nicer place to eat in miles and I can't help but think that the negative comments are from competitors as Redfields is the talk of the town and I have recommended and have always heard good things about it. You must try the cakes, the salads, the friendliness of the coffee counter. your food is cooked in the show kitchen there is a carvery on everyday. I will continue to recommend Redfields and it will always be my first choice.

As first time diners, we couldn't find a menu but then we were directed to some plates on a table which offered only 4 hot meal choices. The 'pork' roast turned out to be lamb and arrived on a hot plate. What a disappointment for £9.95! The nearly black broccoli and thinly sliced carrots were barely cooked. It was very difficult to get a fork into either. I returned to a counter (didn't know where to go) and was told that the veg. had to be microwaved to soften it up or I could choose another meal. I opted for the re-microwaved veg. In the meantime, my 3 companions had already finished their meals, one of which was a pork stir-fry freshly microwaved. After a long wait, my meal re-appeared with the broccoli even blacker and the carrots piled up, hot but still barely cooked. The meal, by this time, looked very unappetising.The staff were apologetic, but that didn't make up for the disappointing food.Sorry, can't recommend in any way. The rest of the garden centre has lots to offer but it is certainly unsuitable for those with walking or breathing difficulties. Why make customers walk all round the shop, trying to avoid delicate displays, but just want the restaurant? I can no longer bring my 95 year old mum because she is too exhausted to walk such a long distance to have a cup of tea.

Both came home with dodgy tummies following two sausage rolls. At first glance looks inviting, but then noticed the stack of trays at the entrance which were all filthy, hadn't even been wiped. As other reviewers have stated it is a very confused layout. We waited by the savory food counter for a while but there was no service there, then at the sweet counter - again no service and finally at the coffee bar and got served.A pot of Earl Grey tea had the consistency of mud and the two sausage rolls which looked very appetizing before we ordered had obviously then been warmed up in a microwave making them chewy. To add insult to injury (or vice-versa!) we both had gippy tummies by the time we got home. AVOID!

Very attractive cafe/restaurant offering a wide variety of snacks and meals...if you can only work out what there is! No single menu but various food stations with chalk boards which is extremely confusing. A waitress approached us while we were working out what to eat and took our order on an iPad. You then have to pay before your meals are brought to the table. Out of 6 meals ordered, 5 arrived of which one was wrong and one was completely forgotten about. The restaurant was virtually empty. The incorrect meal was replaced and the forgotten order eventually arrived after the rest of us had finished. They did offer us complimentary drinks as an apology and the staff were friendly, just confused. When we made our drinks order the waitress had some difficulty remembering the 6 different drinks and told us they weren't allowed pads and pens to write it down - crazy! We chose to eat here as we were informed at the time if booking that there was a variety of gluten-free options. There wasn't - not even a gluten-free roll or bread. The food itself was ok but nothing special. It's a shame as the surroundings are nice and the garden centre itself is fantastic.

I really recommend treating yourself to afternoon tea here. Everything was perfect! Sandwiches and cakes were delicious - and they provided a doggy bag, which was definitely needed.

The Cafe Theatre is quite unique in terms of eating places in garden centres, but the ordering of food is very confusing. You get told to go to one person and when you queue up, you're then told to go somewhere else! Also the acoustics in the cafe are terrible. It is so noisy. It sounds as if everybody's voices are being bounced of the wall. We will still go there from time to time,but disappointed that on a few occasions we have left without being served!

Stopped for a coffee and a piece of cake after walking around the garden centre. Although from a distance this area looked comfortable and welcoming on closer inspection the reality is very different. I sat on a chesterfield type leather sofa which was much too soft and once seated was a real effort to get up again. We sat right on the edge of the cafe area and i was horrified to see the state of the floral arrangements they had in ornamental boxes along the edge of the seating area - every one of them filled with dead and dying vegetation - in a garden centre! The floor around these boxes was filthy, dead leaves, thick dust and littered with old till receipts. A number of the patchwork effect chairs in the area were threadbare and torn in places which again, for a cafe that has not been open very long suggests they have scrimped on the standard of their furnishings. The tea was ok - if expensive - the cake dry and tasteless. Redfields appear to be attempting to create a "shabby chic" image here but my experience of the place was just downright shabby. It certinly isn't a patch on The Bunnery it replaces.

I popped in here today having had lunch last Friday. Both visits have been very pleasant. Today I had an early cream tea. I had a large scone? Plenty of cream and jam. I ordered a pot of Earl Grey, with loose tea leaves for a change. I managed to get four cups and it was served in pretty mismatched China. Last week's lunch was a vegetarian quiche with Greek salad and a Raspberry crush. Quite good value as both visits were good value.Beautifully decorated and a plaster to wander around the Garden centre.Well done Redfields.

The ordering of food and drinks is confusing. Many different counters offering food and drink options. But there is no overall menu you can look through and make an informed decision of what to eat and drink. The seating area looks lovely but the noise coming from the serving areas makes it off putting. There needs to be a different system of being able to choose and order food and drinks. Maybe they good old fashioned way of looking at a menu on your table and then going to order at one counter! The staff were friendly and the was food OK but nothing outstanding.

We've eaten here a number of times, the food has always been delicious and fresh, and it's very reasonably priced. Compared to other garden centre cafes this is a real step up, the food always looks appetising and the place is kept clean. I'm not sure how previous reviewers have found it so confusing, it's no different to the cafes at other garden centres or department stores where they have separate areas for cakes, hot food, sandwiches, etc, and the staff with the ipads have always been very helpful when needed.

My message to management is this - The Theatre Restaurant is a glorified canteen in a garden centre not a Michelin five star restaurant - change the focus from pretentious prices and presentation and concentrate on providing efficient and friendly service at reasonable prices and you may have more happy customers. After navigating the maze of displays with a wheelchair to finally reach the restaurant, my elderly mum and I were again disappointed with lunch today. We really don't like the food layout here - cakes on one side, paninis here, hot food over there, soup down there and drinks all over the place. Not sure if this works better for the staff as they all have their own 'area', but it's very confusing and time consuming for the customer. There seems to be a large number of staff looking busy and rushing around but not actually providing much service to arriving customers. Eventually caught the eye of a lady with an iPad who took our order, but she seemed to have problems with the screen and ended up ordering the wrong filling in one panini (which I only discovered later by checking the receipt to see how long we had been waiting for our food). Had to go back to the counter to point it out and wait even longer for food. There was no apology. Thanks to their mistake it took half an hour to receive just two paninis! We asked if we could have cucumber instead of the salad leaves garnish, but were told there would be an extra charge (for swapping a salad ingredient!) so we declined. It was also extra to have onion added to one panini so decided against. Told them not to bother putting lettuce on our plates as it would be wasted - they did and it was! So it's OK to waste lettuce but not OK to give the customer what they asked for - a take it or leave it attitude which has finally put us off after several visits. £2.95 for a barely warm 'hot chocolate' is excessive and the price of the cakes is outrageous for such a small slice.The rest of the garden centre is lovely to browse through but the restaurant experience has disappointed us too many times now.

We used to be very frequent visitors to the 'old restaurant' before going to live overseas a couple of years ago. Wow! ....... what a change in the old place since our last visit. The initial impression of the whole centre was nothing short of outstanding; until that is we visited the food emporium ......Even midweek the place was buzzing, noisy and 'graced' by mums with unruly children. One such monster knocked a tray out of a ladies hands causing such a mess and slight burns to the poor lady. The restaurant staff totally ignored the lady and eventually made her rejoin the queus in order to obtain replacement drinks. The monsters mother did not even have the good grace to apologise!As for our food and beverage; our coffee was too strong to drink and hot meal almost cold by the time we managed to sit down to eat. As for the cost? Everything was over priced and our meal was completely lacking in taste. In conclusion; the buildings are very stylish and there is a very comprehensive shopping experience for some to enjoy. However; one cannot help but feel that the restaurant and coffee shop are subsidising the lavish building costs, while the garden plants and garden necessities are only there to support the other facilities. Such a shame.

We visited The Theatre Cafe at Redfields this weekend for afternoon tea and thoroughly enjoyed it. They provided exceptional gluten free sandwiches scones and a variety of cakes for my sister who has coeliac. The children's afternoon tea is adorable and it was all very reasonably priced. We'll be back again!

We have now been here at least 4 times for lunch whilst shopping in the garden centre below. There is actually a very large restaurant below, but it has nowhere near the peaceful atmosphere of the Theatre Cafe. The food has always been excellent and very good value. Although it is a place your order at the counter style of place, any hot food is brought to your table. The staff have always been very efficient and helpful.I would always go upstairs to this place in preference to downstairs.

Booked for Sunday lunch was looking forward to roast beef etc, but they only had pork on offer, so I had the risotto, which I must say was rather delicious. The coffee was very good too, I could of easily had a second cup. My family had the roast pork, which said was very nice. Yes I would certainly eat here again. The restaurant looks very grand.

The Theatre Cafe just makes your visit to Redfields Garden Centre perfect. It's just delightful. They have thought carefully about every aspect of the customer experience. Any naysayers must be exceedingly picky (we consider ourselves merely 'very' picky). My sister and I have been there 3 times in 2 weeks for morning tea and/or lunch. The range of food is immense, the staff go out of their way to help you, food delivery (if it's an item that's not instantly available) is fast and to your table and everything is delicious. There's a wide range of teas with something for everyone. It typically comes in pretty mismatched pots, cups and saucers - although for the OCD they will happily locate all matched. Proper teaspoons! (No, I'm 47 not 87, lol) A vast range of cakes, cookies & biscuits makes it very difficult to choose just one - and I like being able to select my own piece too. The word 'vast' also applies to the slices of cakes if you opt for carrot cake, Victoria sponge or chocolate cake, for example. There always seem to be at least 5 or 6 options available of these big sponge cakes too. Yummy!Various soft drinks are in an open, refrigerated, sink-style area so come nice and cold, plus there's a self-service ice bucket. And you can choose your glass. Savoury lunches are glorious: full-on hot meals, a great range of sandwiches and baguettes or a fantastic salad bar. One lunchtime I had a lamb & mint sausage roll (hot), with coleslaw & green salad (mayo or other dressings come in little glass jars at no additional charge). My vege sister had a gloriously tasty, nicely spicy, vege roll (looked like a sausage roll) and she's so used to getting the same bland old vege options she doesn't have high expectations, but has been delighted with that and everything else she's tried. When it's busy the food ordering system is unusual but seems to work quite well: they have people walking the queues with iPads to take your orders so that you can order your food but get your drinks, pay for everything and take a number to your chosen table. You pop the number in a tall holder on your table and they will bring your food and any extras you haven't been able to find. I have to rave about the seating areas too. A choice of inside or outside (under glass, not at the mercy of the rain), with a completely different feel to each area. Both extremely comfortable and well thought out. For our preference we like inside at a table for a meal and outside in the heavenly armchairs for tea'n'cake. Prices are about average for a decent tea-room or small restaurant. And you get what you pay for. Yesterday tea for two and a shared gingerbread man was under a fiver. And if you join the loyalty scheme at the front desk inside the entrance to receive special offers etc, you get a £5 voucher valid after 2 days so we used that! This jewel has now been discovered by many others so if you don't like crowds don't go at obviously busy times on busy days! Time your visit to get maximum enjoyment! But do give it a try - it's a gorgeous cafe in a glorious garden centre with something for absolutely everyone! Enjoy!

My daughter and I went to Redfields Theatre Cafe for lunch on the 2nd April. It was busy, but plenty of staff, all very helpful, and showing us the various sections. We were shown how to order (the staff have iPads, and you just tell them what you want, pay at the drinks counter, and thats that! Simple).We finally decided on prawn cocktail , which was served on the most delicious salad with avocado, sweet cherry tomatoes , cucumber etc, and chips. Ohh! The chips! I defy anyone to walk past them and not want them! With a large pot of tea, this made a really delicious lunch.And afterwards, you have the whole of Redfields Garden Centre to browse round. Perfect!

A trifle over-priced for fairly basic, serve yourself canteen food...Mis-matched crockery may be seen as trendy but it simply irritates me.

Firstly, the food here is great, really delicious and once you've navigated the curious ordering system, arrives very quickly. Expensive but worth it. The main issue with the cafe though, is how confusing it is. There are lots of different counters including a separate counter for cold drinks and hot drinks, so not sure how it works if you want to order both?! The set up is very open but is unclear where you are supposed to go or how you order food. You have to wander up and down for a while first before being able to see what you want and the find somewhere to order it. When it's quiet, this is annoying but ok. When it's busy however, it goes from confusing to downright stressful. Take five separate counters, add in a large amount of people wandering up and down trying to work out where to order or what is being served and unclear queueing and you've got absolute chaos. This is NOT helped at all by being told when you arrive at 11.50 that you can't even order your hot food until 12pm 'or thereabouts, whenever the chef gives us the go ahead' I just do not understand why it's set up this way. Why not order your hot food but be made aware the hot food isn't served until midday so there may be a wait? Or be told upon entering the cafe that this is case, rather than once you've picked up a tray and a cake and committed quite a few minutes of your life trying to work out how to order the food you're about to find out you can't have yet. So your only options are to loiter in the main space until 12 so you can order, or queue up for an age, pay for drinks and find a table and then get up again three minutes later as its midday and you can order your lunch now. BRILLIANT system, especially with a hungry toddler on board! It's a shame as the food is so good, but the whole concept is just incredibly off putting.

We recently experienced for the second time, one of Alton's high teas and it was delightfully fresh with exceptional ingredients. We thoroughly recommend setting aside an hour or two during the afternoon and treating yourselves to what is a really lovely experience. On this occasion, it was my wife's birthday and the selection of sandwiches, scones and patisseries made it a truly memorable celebration. Thank you to Alton and all the very attentive staff.

Arrived with a friend just before 12pm she ordered a salad & I went to order a hot meal for myself & my 1 year old daughter to told the chef in the kitchen does not accept orders before 12pm so would have to wait 6 mins to order & pay ??. How ridiculous I agreed initially to this however my hungry impatient daughter made me readily rethink my decision fairly instantly & the cashier by this time had disappeared so I had to wait 10 mins for soneone else to come & retake my order of quicker food from the deli counter. The experience has deterred me from returning

We arrived at Redfields Garden Centre at 10:40, hoping to enjoy a lovely brunch to celebrate Mother's Day in the Treetops Cafe. We ordered our food after queuing 10 minutes, and were told that the wait would be about 25 minutes due to how busy it was. After an hour of waiting with no sign of food, we asked if they had any idea as to when our food would arrive. The staff were extremely dismissive, saying that they had no idea how long our food would be. They did not offer to chase it up, they just offered a refund with no apology. After waiting for another 10 minutes, they finally sent someone down to locate our food, and she returned with the response "it is being made right this minute". Having waited another 20 minutes, an hour and a half after waiting, we left, with no apology from staff or any sign of remorse, making us think that this was a common occurance. A morning ruined, with no intention to return.

First visit ever to Redfields and found the restaurant enjoyable, friendly and lovely situation.It was a busy Sunday morning, but noone seemed to wait too long for their food. Look forward to returning.

Firstly I must declare that I know the Manageress. That said I visited for the first time today when she was on leave. I could not believe the transformation at this Garden Centre Restaurant. Had some great coffee and cheese scones. Everywhere was so clean and produce beautifully presented. Staff are well presented and looked engaged in providing a good customer experience. Congratulations to all involved, you can be proud of your Restaurant.

Visited Redfields Garden Centre,Church Crookham for the first time since it's refurbishment.What a difference, especially the restaurant.It is now light and airy and has quite plush comfortable seating. The menu caters for all tastes, wether you want a snack or a hot meal and all looks very appetising. I liked the ordering system, have a look at the food, when you have decided, give your order to one of the staff wandering around, who record it onto their I Pad and take your name, then go to the drinks counter give your name and pay. The food is then delivered to your table.The roast of the day was plentiful and delicious, as was my friends omelette.It's a large busy restaurant, so if you want to eat in a quieter environment, go up the spiral stairs to Treetops restaurant which looked nice and has the same menu.It all seemed vaguely familiar to me and then I realised that Blue Diamond have a garden centre in Jersey, which I had previously visited and found equally impressive.

Waiting Time: The food is brought to the table so quickly, you order and its there in under 5 mins, very good!Service - Friendliness: All the staff are incredibly polite and courteous!Service - Speed/Attentiveness: Really quick, the staff with the ordering tablets are very fast nowFood - First Visual Impression: Beautifully cooked, we have had a couple of minor issues but they are remedied very quickly by the chefs and staff. They are now leaving the numbers on the tables which they collect a short time after you have started eating to make sure you are happy with the meal, great idea!Food - Taste and Quality: The good tastes great, I asked for my burger to be cooked medium/rare, it was cooked to perfection and the pastry chef is out of this world, I highly recommend the white & dark chocolate desert and the honey cake, its to die for! Excellent quality food!Environment/Cleanliness: There used to be a real issue with staff just not clearing the tables, of late this has improved a lot! All the staff clear up really quickly so there are lots of free, clean tables to sit at now, great job!Value: Fantastic value for money, lovely fresh food for sensible costs!Other (wifi, Parking etc): They have wifi and loads of parking! I also get 4G there on Vodafone and O2Overall Summary: Its a Garden Centre Plus! really worth visiting, very modern and buzzing with energy! I can't recommend enough 5/5 stars!

I visited at lunch time and had the prawn and avocado salad. There were a few prawns, loads of lettuce but no avocado and only one cherry tomato. The chips tasted that they had been kept warm and were not freshly cooked. A friend I was with had the panini, and she said it was ok, but nothing special.The cashier who made my tea and where I paid was very pleasant, but his apron was filty and looked as if it hadn't been washed for a while. There generally feels as if they just can't seem to get it right. It should be a fantastic place for lunch but there are definitely other places that do this better locally.

I've been here a few times and the food and coffee is worth the visit. The breakfast is amazing. Everything is a little expensive but I believe you are paying for local ingredients and homemade food. The thought process behind the order is somewhat lacking, its really unclear how you navigate from menu - selection - payment. When its very quiet it works fine but when there are several customers it can be infuriating as nobody knows what's happening. The dining area is lovely and modern.

Lovely café - great choice of food and plenty of it - excellent service and very friendly and efficient staff. Cakes and pastries are amazing and you can watch them being made!

Treetops serves the same food as the Cafe Theatre downstairs but is more aimed towards children with a dedicated play area. Odd given that people with children often have buggies. There is a small lift. Toilets are downstairs. Same food and prices as downstairs but you have to wait considerably longer to be served and it is far noisier. Not very impressed with it to be honest , neither relaxing or particularly pleasant. High end of pricey - £2:75 for a latte which was more like a cappuccino. Unlikely to return.

The place is a shambles. Hot panini order not received 35 minutes after ordering - they had lost the order. Chased twice more, and eventually received food after 55 minutes. By no means the only one - a steady procession of other people also chasing up lost orders. Less amusing, older customers and mothers with babies waiting patiently for over an hour for food orders that would never arrive.And don't get me started on the iPad ordering, queue for drinks, queue for payment, staff meandering around with trays of cold food looking round for random order/table number system. Who devised that?Never again.

No point in ordering hot food or bringing your iPad or laptop. Restaurant is cold (everyone is sat with coats on) 'Free wifi' drops in and out and on some days won't even connect. Lack of staff. Long queues and waiting time for food is unacceptable. Nice surroundings with poor investment from top management. ( the floor staff and local management do their best)

I met today with a friend at 3.30 and wandered in to see if they were there. I noticed on my way through that it was not too busy.I must say I was a little confused as to where I should start as there is a left and right but found a tray and headed for a cake. I chose a slice of Red Velvet at £3.25 (pricey when one of their whole cakes cost £4) and a pot of Earl grey at £1.95 (bargain). I know there has to be a mark up on it but it was a little steep. the cake was a little dry but that may have been down to the fact it had been there all day.I have to say the speed of service was pretty slow. With one lady in front of me who ordered three lattes that took an age to prepare and then myself, the members of staff did not seem inundated with orders unlike Costa or Starbucks. I was slightly grumpy, when the gentleman and daughter behind me were ushered up to the right hand side and then served in minutes and seated before the lady and myself!All in all a pleasant place to have my pot of tea which provided me with three cups I cannot complain about that.Redfield's itself was getting ready for Christmas and starting to look festive, something I was happy to see. I can imagine it will be heaving closer to Christmas and I will certainly be visiting and then reviewing again.