Dobbies Garden Centres - Marple Avis 333

Although a small garden centre it offers everything I require.

Really helpful garden area lady. Provided hessian packing for garden ornament for transporting in car boot.

Staff are always friendly and helpful,the restaurant is well stocked but could do with a bit of a clean there are a lot of spider webs above the tables.The plants are good quality and are well priced.

Pleasant and helpful staff, quality products (if a little overpriced)

The restaurant has very good choice of food with very pleasant and helpful staff .

We found what we wanted & all the staff we dealt with were so friendly & helpful.

Lady in the outside part of the garden centre is so helpful & knowledgeable. She is friendly and patient ensure you understand and are happy before she leaves you to make your own mind up on your purchases.

Beautiful garden centre and amazing , knowledgeable and helpful staff

Girls behind the counters always pleasant and smiling. Efficient as well. Cakes are really nice as my husband would tell you. Like the 2 free coffees per month. Play area and little train great for when have grandchildren.

Visited for a mooch round really and to view outside plants as I needed some shrubby types. Had a good look round at everything, it’s all neat and tidy with plenty of products to view. Had coffee and a biscuit but find the cafe way too expensive especially the cakes. Wanted a particular shrub but you didn’t have it in, lady said not had delivery and try again in 3 weeks.
2nd visit as had been earlier with friends for lunch which was ok but the sandwiches had thick bread that was far too thick for the fillings.

Bought a pear tree and a large photinia which I’m pleased with your young member of staff Katie was really pleasant and friendly

Advertised dog friendly - the experience… quite the opposite!

For my mothers birthday; I thought lunch and a mooch round a garden centre - fab. WRONG!

Mindful that garden centres might not allow us in eatery areas - I researched on the internet - Dobbies - very dog friendly, water bowls filled by staff, happy to see dogs and a separate inside eating area for you and your dogs - wonderful, so I chose this one out of all the northwest garden centres . How wrong could I be - I find out -very!

Be warned - only 3 tables in the whole (large eatery area) that you can sit at with your dog. there was a lady and her elderly mother - mother sat on a chair next to the dog eatery area waiting for a table whilst people
With NO DOGS were occupying the tables (plenty of room in the other area) - so I politely wait alongside this women and order a tea whilst we wait for a free table.

We and the other people get evicted from the chairs (next to the dog area) whilst waiting, staff saying the manager that ‘is on duty’ wants you to leave the chairs… but we’re waiting for a table… so if u are evicting us for being sat here (waiting next to the dog table - can you evict these for taking up dog tables without dogs - no was the answer) - I stand by the tables instead… no… it’s not raining - you can go outside ….

Well it was on off drizzling and cold (considering we are used to the heat recently) my poor mother shivering on the outside table the tea going cold -quicker than she can drink… I felt awful for her.

Me not being able to relax and enjoy mine, as I keep getting up and going to the door to await the non dog owners to finish and leave the dog seating area - (whilst I look at the dining area at 20-30% capacity and then when they leave, we rush back over - whole experience was awful. Not the birthday lunch I wanted for my mother….

No slight on the staff member she was clearly pained - implying it was that particular duty manager -
Thus; others would allow us to politely sit and wait - which frankly made it worse.

Dog bowls dry - not a drop of water -

How did it make me feel - awful and that I never want to return - moved onto a different garden centre nearby and wish we had gone there first

Staff very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful

Hi me and my partner came to the garden centre today at Bredbury great place pet shop parking and flower selection however the restaurant we were let down we went there to be told no hot food after 2.30 staff seemed in a rush to go home alough on the website is claims hot food till 3 pm it was 2.30 when we were ordering and the cafe doesn’t shut till 4 so why no hot food at 2.30 makes no sense and anyway ordered food walked to table sit down only for one of the girls to shout card declined across full restaurant and everyone staring at me so I knew I did have the right funds so I went straight back tapped card straight away it worked this time so clearly issues with card machine however this was very embarrassing as I wouldn’t even minded but my card hadn’t even declined they could’ve told me personally or said issue with machine instead shouting declined from till to where I was sitting very unprofessional in my eyes seeming my card hadn’t even declined either
I would like this to be sorted going forward in the future
Thanks

Friendly staff

Always a pleasant experience with knowledgeable staff on hand for advice

The plants and variety are always good and the standard of plants very good. The staff are pleasant and friendly and on hand if advice required. The food in cafe is excellent and staff very friendly but a little limited in what is on offer. A slightly expanded menu would be nice.

In the past I have criticised Dobbies Marple for their poor restaurant. Well I have to say matters have improved. I took my mum who is 88 yrs old for breakfast last week and it was very good. The staff were great and provided excellent service.
The selection of bedding plants was also 10 out of 10. Great value and very good quality.

Well stocked garden centre manned by friendly knowledgeable staff