Dobbies Garden Centre Harlestone Heath Reviews Summary

Garden Centre & Plant Quality

Pros:

• "Nice garden centre. Plants are Great."
• "Nice garden centre with a variety of different sections."
• "Loved it. Best Garden Centre I've ever visited in the UK."
• "A really well set out garden centre with an extremely wide and variation of items."
• "Had a good look around Dobbies garden center Harlestone Rd. Staff were really friendly and great range of goods."
• "Lovely place to buy everything for the garden and house plants. Not the cheapest place, but the plants are well maintained, and staff are helpful and knowledgeable."
• "Great garden centre, prices are a little bit high for some of their products but still bargains to be found."

Cons:

• "The rest of the building, lacks definition and feels like a warehouse with stuff just chucked in randomly."
• "Selling plants does not make it a garden centre. Since Dobbies took over Wyvale it has become more of a mixed retail outlet. Garden supplies have dwindled, home wares have increased."
• "Fairly standard dobbies fair, though the lack of plant care leaves a lot to be desired in their permanent plantings around the site."
• "It loses a star because the garden nursery aspect, range of garden products, plants etc is OK."
• "Big changes. Now has Sainsbury's inside. Plants still good and healthy but limited choice mainly for the instant gardener."
• "More a supermarket than garden centre. Very disappointed."
• "I've visited several Wyvale garden centres locally that have changed hands to Dobbies and they all suffer from the same 'corporate sterility and dullness'."

Food & Cafe Experience

Pros:

• "They even have a separate cafe area so you can sit with your dog & have a cuppa & a cake."
• "The fish was amazing, very tasty and moist!"
• "I would like to especially mention the fish.....which is always moist and tasty."
• "The cafe and soft play area are great, service is good as is the food from breakfast to cake."
• "They have a place to eat as well, good breakfast 🍳 and coffee-making facilities."
• "We had the full breakfast which was good value and cooked well."
• "Great cafe that serves well priced, lovely food."

Cons:

• "The jacket spuds was cooked within an inch of its life... People work hard for their money and I doubt the cook would want to eat the muck that he or she have churned out today."
• "Two sandwiches and two drinks (which arrived just as we were FINISHING our sarnies) came to over 20 quid."
• "Cheese on the jacket potato plasticky and a seriously tiny amount of beans, salad was wilting, burger was overcooked."
• "Café was quite expensive with 2 pieces of toast and butter £2.69, extra 79p for jam/marmalade."
• "Now a very clinical feel with extremely overpriced food and cakes."
• "Food is quite overpriced and when it does arrive it's burnt to a cinder."
• "The cafe is the biggest dump trash pile I have ever been to, way too expensive for smaller portions than previously."

Customer Service

Pros:

• "Lovely friendly place. Lovely staff."
• "We always have lunch or just a cuppa but have always been greeted by friendly and helpful staff in a clean welcoming environment."
• "The staff were under a lot of pressure but it did not stop them in giving 1st class customer service."
• "The staff are very friendly and welcoming. The restaurant is a bit pricey but it's very nice food."
• "The staff are welcoming and helpful."
• "Staff friendly and helpful."
• "The staff are very friendly and welcoming."

Cons:

• "Tills not working, big queue, checkout staff unable to fix, no management present, apparently manager was meeting a representative of another company."
• "Lots of tables in need of clearing."
• "Long wait but understandable as they were short staffed."
• "Cafe staff are the rudest people I have ever come across. Especially the older woman. Just grunt at you and the younger staff on their phones while stood behind the till."
• "Waited 20 minutes to place an order, the same again for food, which was incorrect."
• "Service poor, staff clearly not trained as couldn't work the card machine, got orders wrong and didn't know what was on the menu."
• "Be prepared to be totally ignored by catering staff who constantly observe the customers standing, waiting to be seated outside the restaurant but yet completely ignore them and chat amongst themselves."

Value & Pricing

Pros:

• "If you join the Dobbies club for £12 a year, you get 2 free hot drinks a month and for your birthday 2 drinks and a choice of 2 cakes."
• "Joined the loyalty scheme, £12/yr and on your birthday you receive vouchers for two coffees and two cakes!!! (£12.50!)"
• "I managed to get some discounted plants today. £3 hanging basket and 24 pansies for £3. Amazing discounts."
• "Lovely cafeteria and lovely shop, good 50%sale on kids xmas presents and Xmastree decorations (no sale on Xmas lights though), and 50%of all calendars too:)"
• "This time we were able to by some garden furniture and were thrilled with the discounted price in the sale."
• "By joining the gardening club you get all sorts of offers through the post."
• "I have just updated this review as we tried the food hall. It was very good. Decent value with your club plus card."

Cons:

• "Nice flowers but everything costs way too much."
• "Café was quite expensive with 2 pieces of toast and butter £2.69, extra 79p for jam/marmalade."
• "Now a very clinical feel with extremely overpriced food and cakes."
• "Food is quite overpriced and when it does arrive it's burnt to a cinder."
• "Unfortunately the food in the cafe has gone down hill in recent months, portions are small and it isn't good value anymore."
• "Watch what your charged at the tills..... Price labels on the items we brought were wrong, over charged on a couple of items."
• "The cafe is the biggest dump trash pile I have ever been to, way too expensive for smaller portions than previously."

Facilities & Accessibility

Pros:

• "They even have a separate cafe area so you can sit with your dog & have a cuppa & a cake."
• "Nice, spacious allowed pets."
• "Free parking for patrons. At this:- Garden centre. Waitrose cafe Aquatic centre Asxwell as plants and trees, it also stocks garden furniture, pottery, gardening equipment, pet equipment such as dog collars, food and drink."
• "Toilets are located in the front end of the shop and there is a baby changing room there as well."
• "Easy to park. Not busy inside but having to walk to entrance past exit is a pain as you have to stop to let people out. Lots to look at. Went to cafe and had a small breakfast. Really friendly staff."
• "Plenty of parking on site at no extra cost."
• "Very pleased with this garden centre. Our dog loves it and there's an area where you can all eat together."