Strikes Garden Centre Reviews Summary

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "Some of the staff are wonderful here, there's the odd one that clearly has no time for people."
• "Staff in all areas are extremely helpful."
• "Staff very helpful and knowledgeable."
• "Staff always helpful, bought a Christmas tree, the young man and lady in that department were very helpful, couldn't do enough to make sure we got the best tree for our needs."
• "The staff were great; calm, clear, polite and friendly when explaining the new ordering system."
• "Staff also very friendly and helpful."
• "The staff have been friendly and helpful when I've needed advice."

Cons:

• "Seeing a waiter kick a fallen napkin further under a table in need of clearing then walk off didn't set a high standard."
• "We were shown to our table and left with no staff interaction for over 10 minutes."
• "I was overcharged by £4 on an item, made the journey from Darlington to redeem the money. Staff very unhelpful."
• "Although the staff never seem to be friendly, the store is amazing."
• "I found the man that took our order quite surly."
• "Manager was very rude. Waitresses really did not know what they were doing."
• "The food is lovely but some of the staff are incredibly rude and have no customer service skills at all."

Food and Cafe

Pros:

• "Cafe open lovely cakes well run safe covid."
• "Had a lovely lunch with my son, Phillip had garlic chicken and bacon baguette I had low calorie chicken stir fry both meals delicious quick friendly service."
• "What a lovely cream tea experience! Chris (who was helping to serve) could not have been kinder or more attentive to my elderly friend and me."
• "Went to Strikes cafe this week very well organised and safe food lovely and plenty of it would recommend."
• "The cafe is lovely with a delicious array of scones and cakes to choose from with your cuppa."
• "Enjoyed refreshments in the cafe everything really well organised immaculately clean and well laid out to observe social distancing."
• "The food is tasty, well presented and the staff were all very pleasant."

Cons:

• "Like the garden center but cafe far too expensive coffee was far too expensive."
• "Ridiculous prices and quality has reduced. Ordered some toast to go with the breakfast and for what they charge, it’s astonishing how cheap the bread is."
• "8.95 for a cold sunday dinner with one bit of cauliflower and one bit of broccoli, no roast potatoes, mash that was like cement. Awful."
• "Whats happened to the cake selection only 3 cakes to choose from, same choice every week."
• "The sunday roast lunch, the meat selection is good but the roast carrots, parsnips and potatoes are under cooked and tasteless."
• "Ended up here today & ate in the tearooms they have here. Overpriced rubbish."
• "The cakes on display looked lovely...When it arrived the first thing we noticed was that it was half the size."

Facilities and Environment

Pros:

• "Lovely garden centre. So much choice that we went back the following week to purchase more plants."
• "Lovely atmosphere lots of chose from gardening to clothes toys Christmas."
• "Hand sanitizer at the entrance and available to clean your own trolley as well."
• "Parking is plentiful at the front of the store."
• "Lots of improvements have been made. Better organised. Great layout."
• "The plants outside are very good quality."
• "Plants and other goods beautifully presented and good value."

Cons:

• "The only issue is that the prices are a lot higher than similar things elsewhere?"
• "As garden centres go this place is an emporium of rather costly luxuries."
• "Called for coffee would have liked a scone but all the cakes and other baked goods are out in the open for any germs to float around them."
• "Service can be chaotic."
• "Food uncovered dry and crusty and looks and tastes unappetising."
• "Assistance is needed to pull the door as it comes towards you. I was unable to turn inside the room as there were heaters and bins preventing me."
• "Almost INACCESSIBLE ~ WITHOUT own form of Transport."