Gates Garden Centre Reviews 

Had lunch fish and chips what I was served was lots of burnt batter with bits of fish I had to try and prize from the burnt batter and hard chips I don't complain I don't Come back and tell others not to eat here

Unbelievable that you don’t allow dogs in your garden centre 😥.I drive quite a long way with a friend I was visiting .This has to be the only garden centre I have ever visiting that doesn’t allow dogs 🤨.Obviously won’t be returning

Visited yesterday and decided to grab breakfast.. Big mistake - after a 40 min wait food arrived and seriously disappointed with the quality. The hasbrowns were that overcooked they disintegrated on touch the eggs were hard and rubbery and if I’d have slapped the bacon across someone’s face it would have bruised! So I complained- completely disinterested couldn’t care less that they are serving over priced and inedible food!

Be careful when purchasing items at Gates Garden centre as the price on the shelf is not always the price charged at the tills. When I queried it although the shelf clearly stated the reduced price they were quite rude and would not honour the price. Check your receipts carefully when at the tills. How many customers have been overcharged when thinking they are paying the prices displayed.

I love Gates - it is my favourite place to be throughout the seasons. We went on our usual get ready for Christmas trip, started to fill our trolley with somewhat overpriced festive delights and felt peckish, so decided to go for lunch. It was VERY busy. We decided to leave the restaurant and try again later. Round 2 was equally unsuccessful - you have to find your own table. When it is full, it is basically survival of the fittest. Your only chance is to stand like vultures around a table that is almost finished and pounce as soon as they slide their chair out to beat the competition of hungry shoppers. I felt so sorry for an elderly wheelchair bound couple, they stood no chance. Long story short, I decided to abandon my trolley and take my family somewhere they could be bothered to seat us like human beings. Gates make more than enough money to employ a member of staff to seat customers. The dining experience is completely ruined when you have to fight for a table or put up with family’s staring at you wishing you would eat faster. Come on Gates - do better for your loyal customers.

You don't allow well behaved dogs, which I understand but only garden centre around that doesn't. What I didn't appreciate is a member of staff saying 'we don't and I'm glad as don't like dogs'. Other staff apologised. I always come here at Xmas.. no more, I will spend my money elsewhere

This is a large, pretty commercial, garden centre and top prices are charged.
This morning we bought plants and bulbs, amounting to almost a hundred pounds.
On arrival home 45 mins later our gardeners (good timing) were here to plant the plants and bulbs.
However the Sedum Joy @£10.99 was damaged and in pieces. Could not have happened on way home as we transported it in a cardboard box.
I called to ask for a refund explaining why only to be told that they would not refund unless I returned the plant. A round trip of 38 miles!
Very rude assistant indeed.
Customer service is really very poor. They have no intention of being fair or reasonable.
Plus to annoy me further a slice of cake (nothing special) was £5.50!
That’s no way to run a business.

Normally my go to place for shopping and plants. Great parking, good variety of products. Good place to eat. However, my recent visit found Christmas has arrived! Really, in early September!! I will stay away until January now.

This garden centre used to be something special. It just isn't anymore. It shouts out greedy owners and poor managers, not quality and unique offerings anymore.

With Rutland Nursery around the corner they’ve failed to welcome the competition in quality and offerings. Rather the opposite. It now seems like a garden Mecca for tat - with very few inspiring features at all.

It’s an expansive, ever increasing plot stuffed with mass produced nothing-special-products. You can no longer see the wood for the trees. A main Restaurant that really shows no evidence of care about your experience. With dirty glasses, dirty seat pads, wasps abundant, couldn’t-give-an-f service and unpleasant food. (I was hoping my last visit was just a bad day - it wasn’t).

I know where I’d go for fine quality products and inspiration and great food in future. And it’s on the side of Rutland water!

What a shame ..but It’s had its day

I do not relish singling out companies I’ve previously had good service from but whose current service offering falls well short of what I have been accustomed to. However, I feel my recent experience with Gates Garden Centre justifies my making others aware of how they potentially deal with genuine complaints relating to faulty goods.

I have purchased from them for a number of years (spending in excess of £1000) and until I purchased online what turned out to be a faulty Lemax Spin Out (from their seasonal shop) I had never had a problem with the service I received.

To begin with I was not impressed by how long it took them to get back to me, having advised them of the faulty product on the day I received it. It took almost two weeks to get a meaningful reply from them (I had to chase a response three times) despite sending them photographic and video evidence of the various faults when I first contacted them.

Eventually, they agreed for the faulty model to be collected and returned to them. I sat back and waited for my refund. Imagine my surprise when some days later I received an email from them saying they could find no fault with the model, totally ignoring the video evidence I’d supplied which clearly showed what was wrong. They agreed to a refund but were deducting a £10 collection fee as they were classing the return as an ‘unwanted’ item rather than the faulty item it most definitely was.

I was very tempted to take the matter through the PayPal dispute process as I believe I had a VERY good case for a full refund. However, I wanted to be done and dusted with Gates Garden Centre as soon as possible so I reluctantly accepted the refund minus the £10. Needless to say, I shall not be purchasing from them again.

My purpose in writing this review is to warn others to be cautious about buying Lemax Sights & Sounds models (the models with a lot of moving parts) online from Gates as you may not get a sympathetic response if you are unlucky enough to purchase a faulty one.

The only thing I can give them credit for is that my refund was processed very quickly - but whether that was because I’d threatened them with taking my refund claim via PayPal I cannot say.

Pre lunch before visiting the circus, table of five, in small cafe, terribly long wait of 40 mins at 12 pm then items missing from order, when we got our food, three of us had the same, and the fries covered in Parmesan/truffles were cold and dire, this should be an plain fries option not part of the dish.
The focaccia was stale, overly thick and inedible, the Brie was huge chunks, and the chutney was awful, no salad dressing available. We did get a refund on the three disgusting plates of food. But a warning To future diners, the catering contract is not what it was, Gates has taken its eye off the ball and seems to be just a money making rip off. kids boxes a rip off, apple, two finger kitkat and a plate of either jam or cheese sandwiches was the choice for £6.99.

They need a food standards check from Melton council and the rating cannot possibly be what it once was. They cannot be allowed to continue to offer sub standard food continually.

The Cirquoise was fabulous, we give them 5stars but suggest they contact another venue locally for future visits, as association with the gates nursery won’t help in the future of their enterprising adventure and we all wish them well for future successful shows.

A visit to my brothers today and we visited said Garden Centre. We had a spot of lunch, followed by an afternoon of shopping. Saw some garden furniture that I was going to check that it would fit the patio and just had a lovely time, then it all went horribly wrong when we paid for our goods. We made our way to the exit after paying and the alarm went off, we were asked to return back to store by what can only be described as a rude member of staff! She took my items off me and then said do you have a handbag… taken aback by this I said do I look like I have a handbag.the lady said what till did you go to. All the while people were staring I thought she was going to call the police!!!!! She asked again do you have a bag I replied again no I don’t she implied rightly or wrongly that I had stolen something she never asked for my receipt. The manager came over and whilst the two cashiers were looking at my stuff and we were asked to walk through again the alarm didn’t go off because most probably it was the people in front that had set the alarms off!!!! Either way I was made to feel as a consumer belittled and humiliated! I will never go back to this garden centre ever again!

After initially telephoning to check stock availability I placed my order for garden furniture. Order was confirmed by email and two days later my order arrived at my door early morning. Was extremely pleased with the friendly gentleman on the phone that took my call and then how quickly my order was with me. Only slight negative was that I wasn't notified of when delivery was going to be with me so was a bit surprised to be woken by an early morning delivery. But on the plus side I am extremely happy with how quick the turnaround was of my order and competitive pricing. I would order from Gate's again!

We had decided to buy a specific Weber barbeque and were looking around to find it at the best price (being quite an expensive item). Attending the Rutland County Show, Gates had a large stand where they were selling Weber barbeques. On the barbeque that we wanted, along with many of the others, was an advertising sign stating “10% off marked price of all BBQs and accessories”.

After we had been around the Show, we returned to the Gates’ stand in order to order the barbeque to be informed that the 10% discount was only on display models, not new ones (which benefited from only a 5% discount). We did consider buying the display model but the lid was badly scratched.

There was also a sign stating “Free Weber Gas BBQ Bible when you spend £75 or more on Weber” (the Bible being a large hardback book with a RRP of £30). We decided to order the barbeque and enquired about the free book, to be told that it was only available if you spent £75 on accessories. We left without ordering a barbeque.

The information given to us contradicted what it said on the signs so, when we got home, we very politely emailed Gates to express our disappointment about the service that we had received. Sadly the business didn’t even bother responding to the email.

We feel that this business was trying to get orders under misleading advertising. Needless to say, we ordered the barbeque elsewhere and will never visit Gates again

We bought the Tuscan furniture set three weeks ago. When it arrived we discovered what I believe to be a manufacturing issue with the table which prevents it from being assembled. Despite various calls, emails, videos of the issue and promises from Gates Garden Centre (where it was purchased) and Bramblecrest, I have been met with a wall of silence. I have had to resort to disputing the charge on my credit in the hope that this would resolve the issue. Not really what I expected for a set that cost over £3000. I’d avoid this company on the basis of poor communication and customer service.

Have used Gates for some time. Recently bought a half bag of potatoes. When drives home potatoes had all sprouted an dried out.
Contacted gates. Advised had to return potatoes if wanted a refund. Advised did not live close by and offered to send photos etc and proof of purchase. Told they would not accept this.
Disappointed at their response. I appreciate the vags are sealed and they cannot check but surely they can be more helpful.They are not the cheapest for products in their farm shop and quality therefore is important.

I bought a not inexpensive bistro set (tiled tops) from them approx 7 weeks ago, it began to go rusty after 5 weeks, I contacted them, advised to send proof of purchase and photos via email to a particular lady/department which I did straightaway, no acknowledgement of receipt, rang few days later and the lady I spoke to said the above mentioned person gets 200 emails, not my problem, however she asked what was my issues I explained, she did they would look into it for me. Many phone calls and emails later they say they have spoken to their suppliers who suggest if I do not want it to go rusty use indoors, this is a garden bistro set and sold as outdoor furniture, so they can't or won't do anything for me, a cop out as the saying goes, I'll not be spending money there again.

Superb food and beautiful healthy plants. Well worth a visit right now!

I just paid a lot of money for a cocoon chair and they sent the wrong colour even though I have sent them proof this isn’t the right colour.
I have been in tears as they refuse to admit it is the wrong colour.
The person I have dealt with was purely arrogant on the phone and not in the least helpful
What a disgrace this garden centre is and they should not be allowed to trade if they cheat people .
I am stuck with a garden chair that doesn’t match the furniture I have already bought in the same range .
I hope people don’t have any dealings with them as they are dishonest.

Went to exchange a faulty product but had no receipt and could not remember the day I purchased they refused to exchange even though it still had their label on. Could they use some common sense if I had stolen the product I would hardly choose a faulty one, finally got an exchange after I remembered that I had to order an extra one as there were not enough in stock. It ruins the whole experience and it will be as a last resort that I go in the future