Thurlaston Garden Centre & Tea Room in Blaby

Service wasn’t great. Had to go up to the counter to ask if we could order. Went here for a themed afternoon tea and it was diabolical. Nothing was fresh! For vegetarians, there was only jam sandwiches, had to ask for a cheese one. Scones were freezing cold and not fresh. All the dishes were dirty, even after they swopped the dishes, still received coffee in a dirty mug. Wouldn’t recommend coming here at all, not worth the money at all

Slow service, attitude of staff needs to greatly improve, not friendly Management. Food, when it arrived, was nice but..overall not a good experience.

We have visited quite a few times and it's been OK, today unfortunately it was terrible. I took my son for a treat as he loved the fish finger sandwich he had previously from here. My food was great, but on my sons white bread crust I noticed a squished dried looking half moon shaped thing. I picked it off to look closer, to me it looked like a dried up grub or very small larvae. It was flat and stuck to the crust so I assumed it had come in on the bread. I showed the waitress and suggested that they check the rest of the bread. She went away and spoke to the chef, she came back and told me it definitely was not a seed and they don't know what it is. Then she went to walk away. I stopped her and asked what are they going to do about it and she replyed with 'what would you like us to do?' I was shocked, at this point I wish I'd taken a photo of the grub, asked for my money back and left but I didn't want to cause a scene. So, I asked her again to check the other bread, if this is a larvae then it's serious. She then whet to fetch the manager who asked 'what's the problem', shocked again I told her what I found and how the waitress asked what I wanted them to do. The lady replied with, 'they are just young staff, the bread is brought in and sealed, implying it wasnt her problem or infact I'd made it up. She then said, I'll go to the kitchen and see for myself. We waited and waited, she never returned. We needed to go to collect my daughter so we went to the counter. This is what annoyed me the most. I asked if the lady in the kitchen (assumed she is the manager, she never said) is coming out, I don't want to just leave if she's expecting to talk to me and resolve the issue. The girl at the counter came back out from the kitchen to tell me, "Sorry, she's too busy to come out, they have a whole list of orders to get through." I was fuming I had already told the mamager before she disappeared that I don't want to make a scene but, now I'm left there after finding a highly suspicious grub looking thing on my sons food feeling like I'm an inconvenience and if she ignores me I'll go away. No apologies, no offer of refund, nothing but rudeness and terrible customer service. I will never return! Customer care does matter, read your reviews! Disgusting!

Came for some cake and a drink. Decided to take the cake away, was shocked that it cost £5.25for a small piece of cake. The portion sizes have 100% been reduced and prices hiked. I felt truly ripped off and it has left me feeling that I will not return again. Really sad as it's a nice place but just out-pricing everyone.

Lovely looking cafe but shocking service. Were seated for about 5 minutes when another 2 couples arrived and were seated. 4 staff behind the counter chatting and eating, nobody serving. Waitress eventually came over and served the other customers before us. That was the end of my experience there as we got up and left. Very bad customer service in my opinion.

Came here Easter weekend so it was really busy, staff all friendly, food was perfect and drinks beautiful. Will definitely return! 10/10

Went here for breakfast recently, first time I had breakfast here but been here on several occasions before for light snacks or lunch and it had been ok , breakfast was well presented when it arrived but bottom of the plate was swimming in grease , it looked like the whole breakfast had been in the deep fat fryer together, sausages were quite long and thin , they tasted disgusting and cheap, also beans were very minimal actually only enough to fill an egg cup It is not the cheapest breakfast and deserves a bit of quality and attention. Definitely won’t be back here

Absolutely lovely cafe with great vegan options which are so yummy, especially the cakes!!! 😋🍰 The staff are always friendly and helpful, we have never gone away unhappy with our experience and enjoyed it every time, it's becoming our local go to place to meet up and have food, plus its dog friendly so you can bring your fur babies along too! Can't wait to visit again soon! 🎂

Lunch was very nice, difficult to manoeuvre a wheelchair I struggled with doors and ramp was very steep

Firstly, I'll say that the restaurant area was lovely if a little cold (it was a very cold day!). Likewise, staff were all friendly. They couldn't offer tea or coffee due to the pipes having frozen but could offer hot chocolate, so no big deal. The reason I'm giving this two stars when it could easily be four or five is simple: I was made to feel like my custom didn't matter. My daughter had the kids breakfast, my wife had the eggs royale and I had the main breakfast. I don't like beans or eggs, never have and never will! I asked if, as I was wasn't having beans or eggs, whether I could have an extra rasher of bacon. I was told that they could add any additional meat, but they could add on more toast or hash browns. Fair enough. I asked for a hash brown instead, and the waitress said 'do you want two?' Yes please. Two minutes later, the waitress came back and told me that the person in the kitchen (I assume either the chef or the owner) said that I could only have one harsh brown, and would I like to pay for the other one?! I declined paying for one as politely as I could muster. Honestly, it isn't the hash brown itself, it's the principle here. I was made to feel like my custom didn't matter. An extra hash brown would have cost next to nothing - certainly not more than the eggs and baked beans I'd omitted. It's such a simple thing, but coming back to the table to tell me I could only have one felt demeaning quite frankly, especially as the waitress herself had suggested it! The breakfast was nice but the flippant treatment ruined the vibes for me. Customer care matters!

Just had a wonderful Christmas afternoon tea, my niece took us for a treat and we loved it. It was presented beautifully. The cold weather had burst a pipe so no tea or coffee due to no water, but they gave us mulled wine or spiced apple drink in with price. I think the staff done well under the pressure. Would highly recommend.

Family of 4 having a little Xmas treat left really disappointed. The sandwiches tasted like they had been prepared hours earlier . The scone was so dry and lacked any taste . Very understaffed one pot of tea between 4 and no offer of refills . Sadly won’t return .

We have been many times and it is always buzzing. Most beautiful homemade cakes I have ever seen. Yes, not cheap but huge portions so would probably share next time. The ciabbatta with brie cranberry and bacon is the best I have ever had. Beautifully presented, generous bacon and cheese. The side salad is so tasty. The coleslaw very nice. Their chips are gorgeous.. my cappuccino was hot and awesome. My mum's fish finger sandwich I had to take photos off unbelievable a meal ..the service was always quick and very professional. It is a unique place. The doggy area is so cool.. You can sometimes see the staff are very busy rushed off their feet. If there was a negative observation the ceiling has leaked water for sometime and needs fixing. Asap.. That one thing alone is spoiling it. But as for service and food 10 out of 10 for us.

After ordering a drink item from the menu, when it arrived it was a tea instead of a latte Upon viewing the receipt I had been charged the price of a latte but underneath they had written do tea instead So very sneaky charged me a higher rate but to his staff written to make the cheaper drink When I pulled them up on the mistake they had a poor excuse and only offered to refund the difference Furthermore I waited over ten minutes for the manager to come and see me (it was actually him that had severed us) He had also done this on a previous occasion charging us a pound to add a small portion of crisps to the side of a meal Yet when we came the following time we were not charged this Very annoyed at the customer service and believe they tried to pull the wool over our eyes

I ordered quiche with salad and chips. Was told the quiche of the day was cheese and onion. When it came it was about 3” across and the filling was about 1/4” deep and completely tasteless. Such a shame as everything else was nice.

My mum and I went there today a gentleman guided us to a table with a menu. We studied the menu for a young waitress to tell us there wasn't anyfood available due to the time. It was 2.20 and the cafe closed at 4...

We ordered lunch just after the table next to us who received their food ten minutes later- we then waited 45 minutes. When we asked how long the food would be, we were told they had been really busy and it would be another ten...

Excellent food with a great choice for vegetarians. Massive slices of cakes and lovely coffee. Dog friendly with choices for dogs to eat too!!

Popped in today for a meal and a browse through the gifts and plants. There was a great menu (better than Dobbies where we'd visited earlier in the month) Our order was taken by a friendly masked member of staff. My wife had a ham...

We came for breakfast as a treat the day before the Nov lockdown. Perfect choice as it was delicious. Good quality produce, great coffee too. We enjoyed some cake later; excellent cheesecake, really creamy, my lemon cake was pretty good, very generous slice but not...

Good cafe with huge choice of lovely cakes and other lunch treats.. especially like the soup , sandwich and fries. Some of the tables in the middle feel just a bit close at the moment but can ask to sit around the edge.

Went today for a look around and for a cup of tea and cake. Lot of emphasis on clothes and gifts which seems to be the trend at garden centres these days. Tearoom expensive which I had heard previously e.g. £4.50 for a slice of...

We went for afternoon tea, there was about 5 people behind the counter, some on phones and nobody greeted us. We had to try and get someone’s attention so that we could get our table. The cutlery wasn’t very clean but they did change it....

The room was very cold had to keep big coats on and waited to long for food .When it arrived it was very good

Great for gardeners - reasonable priced plants and lovely tearoom. Extension now added for dog owners to enjoy a cuppa and a cake. Good selection of food served by friendly polite ladies. Definitely worth a visit .

Ordered 3 cakes 3 meals 3 drinks Only 2 meals arrived When I question it I was told only 2 meals were out in the till Waited 30 mins So 2 of our party had lunch Not happy at all £38.99 for 2 meals and...

Visited her on a busy Saturday lunch. It has had a make over which is much improved and service at the till is certainly more efficient than it used to be. We had coffee and sandwhiches, all of which were lovely. The staff were friendly...

Recently call in for a light lunchtime snack for first time. Nice and warm and a lovely menu. We had tuna and cucumber and a egg mayo sandwich. Both very tasty. Great service and so busy tells you it's good. Great to see so many...

We've been here for our Christmas party for three years now and it just gets better. We had a superb hot and cold buffet, everything you could possibly hope for and all served with big smiles from Carly and her team. Lots of lovely gift...

We booked for approx 22 people for our daughters 17th birthday breakfast. (11 adults & 11 children). They were very accommodating with such a large hectic party. Happy for us to put up balloons and a banner. Even squeezed an extra 2 people in last...

Lovely atmosphere and very friendly staff, but oh so cold in this conservatory area. So cold I couldn't part with my coat and looking around most people had coats on too. Great choice of food, tasty and fresh. The big down side for me was...

First visit here, loved it, food was delicious and the staff were very friendly. Stopped off to have a look at the pumpkin patch too. We will be back soon!

We dropped in here en route home and were really surprised with the menu but more especially the home made offerings

Very pretty and chintzy tearoom added to the nursery which has all been refurbished. Good cakes and snacks and lovely outside seating area in sunny weather!

We enjoyed a tasty lunch this week - sandwiches, crisps, scone, butter and jam with coffee for just £5 a head (a specal offer for the over 60s). The staff were friendly and welcoming. The cafe is pleasant and airy and quirkily decorated. We should...

As a regular visitor to the cafe I can honestly say the food is always delicious and I have no complaints at all about anything I’ve ever had. However they are just too slow serving and you often have to wait 20 minutes to be...

After visiting the tearooms a couple of times before and really enjoying it and recommending to friends we were really surprised by our visit last weekend to be greeted by a very rude staff member! We decided to take my husbands parents for lunch as...

Visited the cafe today and wanted a child's sandwich as it came with strawberries and cucumber sticks, but was persuaded to have the meal deal by the pushy assistant, the meal deal was an extra £1.50. The child's sandwich arrived, 2 quarters. One of the...

I really want to be more positive with my comments and I keep going back as this is at my favourite garden centre but each time I go nothing changes. Counter is way to small so only one member of staff serves at any one...

Counter too small, no where to stand when busy. Too expensive. Staff too busy to be friendly or give decent service. Drinks cold.

Booked for my daughters birthday for afternoon tea. When we arrived the place was empty despite being told she could just squeeze us in after consulting her diary when I rang. We were sat near the entrance - the worst table possible. First thing I...

saw a few post on facebook from friends, so decided to have a little trip. had a walk round the gadren centre which is small but very nice with a good choice of products. after looking round we went into the tea rooms which was...

This was a gift which I really enjoyed. It was very busy as we went on bank holiday weekend. We had booked in advance. Extra tea was readily available and there was plenty of food too. Staff were friendly and approachable.

Had a lovely lunch at Garden Centre. Everything seems homemade and is really lovely. All food made to order. Cake is beautiful. Really enjoyed visit to tearoom in the countryside

I was surprised to see some poor reviews about food and staff. I have been to the gardeners rest a number of times over the last two years, as a couple, with dogs and by myself. The counter area is not very large, or the...

Everything you really want, garden centre, gift shop, hairdresser, restaurant all rolled into one. We bought quite a lot of shrubs last year for a garden project and they look a treat now - thanks to the quality of the plants. The garden centre is...

Absolutely lovely environment. Good quality food, presented well. However queues built quickly as only one staff member taking orders, sorting out cakes/desserts/drinks. No prices available for cakes/desserts etc. Good menu, very varied. Great vegan choice.

I had heard so much about this place. My friend and I went for lunch, as I had seen some amazing pictures of their cakes, only to find out they had the choice of one gluten free - sponge cake. I ordered the cheese and...

We arrived at about 1.30 Sunday for a light bite. The place was busy and looked pretty. I had my eye on a lovely looking cheese cake. It was unclear if we were to be seated or help yourself. So as I stood by the...

First time visit, The staff were really friendly, the afternoon tea was fantastic and reasonable priced, i would certainly be returning in the future for sure!! Can i also note that the lady in the onsite florist was so helpful & kind and we love...

My first visit here in a couple of years ... What a lovely place with extremely accommodating friendly staff, who made us feel very welcome. Nothing was too much trouble. The cafe was lovely , the cakes were all homemade and looked and tasted amazing...

'm not one to write a bad review but feel that on this occasion i have very little option. It was my first visit to the garden centre today and after having a lovely walk around croft Hill with friends and family we decided to...

Pretty, cosy cafe and friendly staff. Got there just after 12.00, quite busy but got a nice table next to the window. Considering how busy it was, queue to order went down quickly. Little bit of a wait for food, but clearly all home cooked;...

We go here for breakfast sometimes and every time the food is lovely and so are the staff they are so friendly. When I brought my 4 month old son here they all wanted to say hello to him what was lovely. Defo recommend it.

Visit here once or twice a month and they are doing more and more to accommodate and welcome cyclists. Always a great cake collection and friendly service. I a bit of problem if a big group turns up and they only have one loo for...

A corner for dog lovers afternoon tea for owners and their dogs great vegan menu lovely ladies fitz loved it

We went for the dog afternoon tea fitz loved it and mammy had the vegan toastier massive vegan menu so fantastic for all very nice ladies with great decorations in the tea rooms lovely cater for nearly all

Visiting the garden centre for an outside garden pot we had a good look around the plants were of great condition and the plant pots were fine. We then went inside the shop was warm and cosy so we walked down the ramp and ordered...

Visiting the garden centre for an outside garden pot we had a good look around the plants were of great condition and the plant pots were fine. We then went inside the shop was warm and cosy so we walked down the ramp and ordered...

What a Lovely Garden Centre and gift shop spent the morning with my dad looking around the beautiful and perfectly displayed gift shop,and then relaxed in the quaint tea room where the staff were very friendly and welcoming the warm mince pies with brandy butter...

Great little cafe but needs more customer care. I stood in a queue for ages, there were two members of staff not attending to customers and one member of staff laboriously taking orders at the till and making drinks for each table cover before taking...

We absolutely love it here. The staff are just incredibly friendly, and they go beyond your expectations on everything from fantastic customer service through to delicious food and drinks. They made a beautiful toddler afternoon tea spread for my daughter's 3rd Birthday and a few...

This is not your run of the mill garden centre, If you want something out of the ordinary this is the place to come. Cards, gifts, clothes and accessories are quality. Where is there another garden centre that includes a hairdressers? It is wheelchair friendly...

Lovely extensive shop, lovely tearoom, lovely people and very dog-friendly. Just the place for a winter's afternoon.

Lovely cheerful decor with cheerful, friendly staff. The place is clean, the food is good and they have the prettiest teaspoons I have ever seen. There is a spot near the outside for people with dogs with water and bowls and glass jars of free...

Have been here a few times before but only ever had the scones and tea which were really lovely - although the service was very slow on every visit. I think this is because the kitchen, counter and the way the staff work are not...

Lovely venue and lovely soup. Lovely tea room overall. Personally I found it very cold so couldn't take my jacket off, a nice ambient temp would be preferable. Queuing to order food was tough going too. I'm sure taking orders from the table would help...

On Mondays over 60's get a sandwich, crisps, scone butter and jam and either tea or coffee for £5 all nicely presented on a wooden board, my friend and I were really impressed and would definitely recommend it.

This place is fab sooooo pretty with a beut garden centre and cute little shops to browse too! The food was gorgeous and the tea rooms a little gem. The staff were incredibly friendly I can't wait for another little visit thank you all.

Have been several times and it seems to keep getting better. We had the soup and sandwich yesterday which was great value and very tasty! Lots of nice new cakes too and great service. Great gift shop and nursery too!

A lovely place to visit with my mum; we like to look around the garden centre and the little shopping area as well as enjoying coffee. Staff very friendly and efficient, we didn't queue too long at what was a busy time. The coffee is...

The plants here are always good quality, they always look well cared for, good value too. Always changing stock as plants sell quickly. Great place to get everything for the garden.

What a lovely garden centre.. the food was gorgeous we had something from the breakfast menu and the cakes are just yummy I’d just go again just for the food and the attention to detail (you need to order a cold drink) it did make...

Decided to visit this tearoom after seeing pictures and posts on Facebook. After doing some shopping at Fosse park. Walked through the garden centre and it looked good, shops were little, enjoyed looking around them. Arrived at the tearooms and the cakes looked lovely, order...

I took my two young grandsons here for a lunchtime treat after previously meeting up with a friend for a cup of tea and a chat. The boys both had the childrens' special: a ham sandwich, packet of crisps, small chocolate bar and a drink...

We had a wonderful afternoon tea celebrating a friend's birthday. The food tasted as good as it looked, so many little details make it very special. The service is excellent - efficient and very friendly, nothing is too much trouble. Can't recommend this place enough...

Popped in today on way back from Battle Royale, lovely little tea room beautifully decorated, lovely menu & even offered afternoon tea which I am thinking of returning to try . Food was lovely I had a home made quiche & salad . Son had...

So I'm on a bike on one of the hottest days in the year, on a 120km ride to visit an old mate. The early start had been good, but the three hours chatting in Rugby had inevitably meant the return trip was going to...

A gorgeous transformation into a great tea room attached to a garden centre. Sandwiches, pannini, omelettes, salads and fantastic cakes. Well worth a visit- I recommend the coronation chicken sandwiches. Brilliant, friendly and efficient service as they coped remarkably with 15+ of us turning up...

Visited for the first time today. And we will definitely be coming back. What a little gem! The food in the Gardeners Rest Tearoom was superb, great variety, promptly served, beautiful cutlery and crockery, and reasonably priced. A happy Grandma and Grandaughter! The individual concessions...

This tearoom is getting very popular and no wonder. The presentation of the whole place is lovely, so many thoughtful touches. Friendly staff. The sandwiches were very tasty and welly shaped glasses were fun. The coffee is very good too. The garden centre plants are...

The decor is really sweet, and we'll thought out. The food was perfectly presented and fair value. It's really well set up for dogs with a dog water and biscuit bar, and ideal for kids with an outdoor play area and well stocked loos (even...

What a fantastic little cafe. Really nice, friendly staff and beautiful food and the nursery where the cafe is based is fantastic too! I will definitely be returning soon! Richy.

I would rate this much higher than 5 stars if I could! Absolutely delightful tea room with delicious food and the most loveliest staff we will definitely be back and letting all my friends and family know about it too! Xx

I've been here twice in the last week which says something in itself. It feels very enterprising and there are some nice quirky touches. Haven't had an afternoon tea yet but they look wonderful - served on a mini garden bench with cream in a...

This is a lovely tearoom, delicious sandwiches, cakes and scones. Plenty of tea, all food presented beautifully too. Very friendly staff made this a special belated 'Mother's day' treat!

Took my kids for breakfast, loved it.. Unicorn Hot Chocolate. I had the bacon sandwich. Delicious. And we can take our dog in. We'll be back

The food was the best that we have had at any tearoom or cafe, for a long time, would highly recommend.

Great afternoon tea place, with a set menu with a good selection of sandwiches and excellent cakes and scones. We were offered extra sandwiches, along with refills of tea and coffee. There were some very tempting options available of fresh raspberry pavlova and possibly bread...

this is the correct way to run a tearoom, good food at reasonable prices, good quality food and friendly staff couldn`t fault it staff are so friendly it`s almost like being greeted by old friends this place will go from strength to strength