Dobbies Garden Centres - Royston Reviews 240

Good service and good product range.

Always helpful. So many products especially now it is Chrismas time.

A good experience in cafe.

Yet again no proper food and said that all hospitality is the same.
Not correct we use lots of garden centres and no staff or supply issues

The Royston Garden Centre part is fine, good service at the tills etc, though it would be great to see more evidence of environmentally friendly features, such as actually caring for the birds- eg bird feeding stations, given you sell a very good range of this and have lots of space.
Plants are well set out with a few bargains here and there.
The new garden buildings and hot tub centre is a great addition- very stylish and professional.
And great to enjoy the Club Members' 20% discount last weekend ,( though I only received postal notification of this, with vouchers on the following Monday!).
However, I feel the restaurant environment and staffing needs better management.
Since August when it was sunny, the outside area has been closed off, " due to H&S and repairs needed", though looked ok to me and others, thus leaving customers to eat in an often hot and stuffy internal area. Once my guest felt so hot in the enclosed space, with not even a door or window open, that we had to leave before ordering.
And outside is still out of bounds, albeit not such an issue now, with the colder weather.
Surely an organisation the size of Dobbies, could have got this fixed much earlier on?
As to service in the restaurant, there is always a friendly welcome on entry, plus there seems to be a better menu now, including in terms of vegetarian choices.But then on 3 occasions recently, including last weekend, I had to wait far too long for someone to take my order.
Indeed, last Sunday- 14/11, having been warmly greeted and invited to sit anywhere, after choosing a small table near the window, I waited and waited. The place was busy but not crowded, with plenty of space. I noticed a couple nearby had also been waiting a long time, with the young man who eventually took their order, apologising. I hoped he would soon come to me, but even after delivering to them, he just breezed past. Yet I observed several people in the lounge area near the counter being served immediatrly they sat down.
Eventually, I approached the young man at the till nearby to ask if someone could take my order.But he was dismissive and flippant, just saying the staff did different
areas at a time and would eventually come over, adding " but it might be a while yet".
Hence I left then and am not now inclined to return to the restaurant any time soon.

Managed to get exactly what I needed for the garden . Bit of a wait in the cafe but all staff very pleasant. Sorry that Regatta is no longer in store.

The garden centre has a great selection of plants and associated garden items. The store has a good selection of items and the restaurant serves lovely food... however it is the staff that make this store 5 star. Always extremely helpful and polite.

Need more experience meaning staff and need to be quicker service oh and the scones where a day old not good for Dobbies

Enjoy a trip to wander round Dobbies near Royston. Staff are very helpful

The food hall was great with lots of very good choices. Sorry but the restaurant has really gone down in service. There were plenty of staff but they didn't seem to know what to do and who was doing what. People were milling about and no one seemed to be in charge. Orders were taken but service was so slow and it was very disorganised. Not like the old Dobbies that we know and love Maybe its under new management I don't know but it needs looking into.

Made a visit to my nearest Dobbies just outside of Royston in Hertfordshire, and purchased two trays of Halloween pansies, all now planted and doing well, lovely colours.

Excellent shop, with great helpful Staff. Love shopping here so much. Only but is, I feel that the cafe/ Restaurant desperately needs air-con because it is so very ,very hot in there especially in the Summer months. Thank you .

Excellent range of sale plants. Plus good value light meal. Thank you.

always happy staff and happy to answer any?s very helpful

Helpful Staff, plenty to look at, and Offers too.We had a nice Lunch in the Cafeteria, which set us up to look round further.

May I add that the Disabled toilet was the cleanest I've ever been to..Thank you.

In and out very quickly, having found what I wanted very quickly. Assistant pleasant.

Went to the cafe for a coffee and cake, waited 25 minutes for our order to be taken and another 15 to get it. Coffee was luke warm. There were young men walking around looking harassed and confused and a lady behind the counter making the drinks when she eventually got the orders. Why oh why could you not go to the counter and order for ourselves keeping a safe distance this would have been so much more efficient we definitely wont be going again.

Only ordered a small breakfast and a tea cake. The Tea cake arrived but the breakfast was so slow we left....
Other customers also complaining that they had been waiting 40 minutes. Are they cooking one breakfast at a time?
sadly the new furniture doesn't make up for really bad, disorganised staff and no food.

Plants looked very healthy and lots at reduced prices that also seemed good quality. Cafe - good service and nice and clean. All very good