"Currently sitting in the cafe... the floor is filthy and cluttered with dropped food, sandwiches, crisps etc, a dustpan and brush wouldn’t go a miss."
"The cafe itself is dirty, tables needing cleared and cleaned, upholstery disgusting."
"Very slow service in the Restaurant."
"The restaurant is filthy and should be renamed the crèche."
Customer Service
Pros:
"Very attentive staff, who can offer great advice on plants and planting wherever needed."
"Staff in the fish shop were very helpful and that area is just as good as it always was."
"Join the club and get 10% off your plants. And a free tea for 2 once a month."
"When I was looking for information and some advice Colin was friendly and knowledgeable a real asset to the garden centre."
"Just went to have a look to see what kind of roses they had if you have a Dobbies card you get 10 per cent off you purchases and a free cup of coffee once a week all staff Very polite and friendly nothing is to much bother for them."
"Friendly, chatty staff and quick service."
"Staff were very polite and helpful."
Cons:
"The woman serving breakfast was unfriendly at best, some might say, abrupt."
"A group of us waited for 10 mins, being ignored by the numerous staff working in the sandwich and coffee sections."
"Staff made no attempt to talk to us, handed us our tea and hot chocolate without a word, not even making eye contact."
"Service in the cafe was slow, only one barista working what seems like a 2 person job."
"Me and my partner recently decided to go for afternoon tea in the dobbies restaurant... none of whom decided to ask if we were okay or actually serve us."
"Staff in the cafe are downright obnoxious and the food is always cold by the time you get to the table."
"Some staff also need a personality transplant."
Cleanliness and Maintenance
Pros:
"Covid arrangements are good, limit on numbers entering and sanitising facilities at the entrance."
"The tables were well spaced out."
"It’s a beautiful garden Center worth exploring."
Cons:
"Lack of running water features in the outside section leads to a dull atmosphere compared to what it used to be."
"Been there few times and standards are pretty low on cleanliness (dust, spider webs, crumbs, smudges...) considering that they have little kids and toddlers crawling round."
"The outside garden centre is going down hill too... so many plants, flowers, shrubs etc being left to dry out, wither and die."
"The area you sit in was filthy. It had obviously not been cleaned."
"Stirling, filthy filthy toilets always stink no matter what time you go."
"The comfy seats had smeared bird poo on it from the birds flying around inside."
"Sitting now in a most depressing, dirty restaurant."
Value and Pricing
Pros:
"It could be slightly pricey and in the same time it’s easy to spot some really great deals."
"On recommendation from a colleague, I went on a brisk walk from home to the Dobbies Garden Centre. I was not looking for anything in particular but can back with two jars of Scottish jellies on sale at half price."
"The plants are top quality for a very good price."
"Disappointed at the quality of takeaway baguettes and the extortionate price."
"Christmas display was a huge let down - expensive and not imaginatively displayed at all."
"If I could have put in below 1 would have what I thought was going to be a treat total let down understatement... prices over inflated almost £7 for a sandwich really."
"Went in yesterday with my niece to the cafe, ended up getting just 2 cans of Lemonade and 2 slices of rice crispy tray bake, came to a total of £8.10!!"
"Cold overpriced food."
"Prices in the cafe have rocketed and portion sizes & quality have gone downhill."
Facilities and Environment
Pros:
"Not just a garden centre it's like a shopping complex the sores next to it are linked so you can browse from one end to the other."
"Great garden centre, with cafe, little sainsburys shop, essential items and big outdoor area."
"Ideally located just off the motorway. A modern building with adequate parking facilities."
"A very nice store, with a good range of garden supplies as well as other concessionary stores offering other complimentary goods."
"The garden centre is large, with extensive ranges of plants and related products."
"Quality garden centre that has now been split into units with other retailers."
"Garden centre has a great selection of goods, love the food hall and the homeware department."
Cons:
"Very little choice of tools and electric garden equipment such as garden vacs."
"Garden centre so run down."
"The garden center is uninteresting, and mundane, and seems more set up to sell tacky kids toys and overpriced 'boutique' foods."
"The nappy bin overflowing, it looked like weeks worth of nappies."
"Very very disappointing the lack of effort put into the displays this year."
"Cafe advertises 5.30pm closing. Went today, Thursday at 2.30pm and told we could not get any food as it was closing."