Burford Garden Company Reviews 23

Terrible customer service. Bought a Bergs Potter pot and unlike ALL the other retailers, Burford sell the pot and saucer separately so I received a pot without a saucer without realising. I’ve since bought and paid for the saucer twice but Burford have cancelled the order at the point of dispatch as they’ve realised they’ve sold out despite showing availability online! I’m now stuck with a pot without the matching saucer and they’re meant to be a set. When doing price comparisons they appear cheaper but it’s way more expensive as they sell them separately. Really disappointed and won’t shop with them again.

Date of experience: April 16, 2025

Passed here ton of times so decided to pop in only to find it completely bans dogs, never ever been to a garden centre that bans dogs, I can sort of understand among the book shop and furniture part but the plants and outside cafe 🤷🏻‍♂️ read they think it’s ok to only let you visit the small outside coffee shop Whoopdy Do 😏
The Cotswolds is a beautiful and very dog friendly place but here? If our dogs ain’t welcome we ain’t coming and spending our money 🤬

Date of experience: March 23, 2025

Having visited this garden centre on many previous occasions, especially on the lead up to Christmas I was very disappointed and offended on my visit today. My autistic partner and myself along with our medical assistants dog where enjoying walking around the various areas, we had brought some items but wanted to continue shopping until it became VERY apparent we had been profiled and followed around the entire store by a member of staff it became very uncomfortable at which point I just put my basket of shopping down and just walked out. Not only where we followed around the entire store we followed to our car and watched while we put our shopping in the boot and getting into our car. We will not be visiting again any time soon as this made out experience very uncomfortable and not something we want to repeat.

Date of experience: December 28, 2024

Previously I had been a fan of this centre, clearly there are building issues - leaks seem a common occurrence and so much stock but little purchasing…must cost a fortune to run and I’d think they must survive from tourism in the local area…unfortunately not the case, customers who are seen to put one foot wrong by staff & the management are treated so rudely and even members of the public expressing a concern for the treatment of customers are provided with a curt, defensive and elitist response. Businesses are struggling in this climate and reputation is everything. Your loyal repeat customers won’t always be there… to the business owner, I explore you to review your staff policies & to the general public be wary until they do. They are also 3 mins drive from a rescue organisation that rescues dogs but bans them from the centre?! Learn a lesson from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home who encourage dogs in local establishments and helps promote dog welfare….

Date of experience: November 26, 2024

I used to eat lunch hear at their overpriced Cafe (the whole place is over priced). My wife works in a nearby charity and i drop her off before heading over, as it's nearby.

Today their manager Dominic accosted me (presumably because today it was cold, their heating wasn't on, and I was wearing a black trench coat, so didn't fit in with their decor). I had a small, branded bag of purchases from their shop on the table where I sat (so I was clearly a customer) along with an empty reusable coffee cup. I was working on my laptop around 12.30 and was about to get up to buy lunch, after finishing the phonecall I was on (I had been on hold for 10 minutes so was not making any noise).

Dominic immediately began yelling at me about the coffee cup, trying to escort me out, talking to me in such a demeaning, offensive manner.

When I pointed out that I was a customer about to buy lunch, he demanded I leave, saying my laptop did not fit in with their family atmosphere. I would have been happy to go to their empty nook around the corner (where I usually eat as it is always empty, or nearly empty) or leave completely, had he asked nicely. But he was SO RUDE!

A complaint with another manager was futule: she seemed nice, but I could tell my complaint was going nowhere, as she claimed that they were often so busy that people had to wait for tables (clearly I was not worthy of a table when other people not wearing a trench coat were available). She was clearly lying: sometimes their main area is busy, but I have been there dozens of times during the lunch rush amd NEVER seen anybody waiting for a table, and always found ample seating available, particularly in their nook.

On my way out I turned to take a picture of Dominic when he was about 15 meters away so I could identify him in a written complaint. I turned back to leave and he ran after me, put his hands on me, and began pushing me towards the door as he yelled physical threats in my ear. I told him to take his hands off me repeatedly, but he pushed me harder.

By this time we were both yelling at each other.

When we encountered the other manager, he immediately changed tone, so I was the only one yelling and thus i looked like the one in the wrong.

I am 44 years old and have not been spoken to like this since a teenager, loitering outside a shop.

I cannot believe how offensive this manager spoke to me and i will never go back.

Please avoid their over the top prices and find another garden centre to spend your hard earned money in.

Date of experience: November 26, 2024

Impressive car park and entrance , and buildings looked nice but we were not allowed in with a dog. Crazy. They’ve got a large outdoor seating area as part of the cafe. Why not be flexible and on a cloudy Monday in September, allow a small area . We were first time visitors to the area, and amazed at the policy when people had said “dog friendly Cotswolds”. Another dog owner and daughter were surprised, and like us left the site without entering - taking our money elsewhere.

Date of experience: September 02, 2024

We had wrongly assumed this place would be overrun with dog nutters like most garden centres, but pleasantly surprised to see it's assistance dogs only. Well worth the extra 25 minutes drive for us to have a nice afternoon tea and shopping without being lunged at, barking, dog urine etc compared to our local equivalent. Dog free spaces are getting harder to find so we will definitely do our best to support!

Date of experience: June 09, 2024

Dog-unfriendly, so don't bother visiting if you have your dog with you.
They don't even allow dogs in the outside part of the cafe!

Date of experience: April 24, 2024

Disappointed with my visit here. Went to the cafe for a beverage & treat. Asked the gentleman behind the counter if something had nuts in it, to which his response was to reach into the glass case, grab the info card for the item, place it on top of the glass case, point to it and say it did.

Also, the logistics of the cafe are chaotic. Everyone is confused, and no one is happy with the flow and wait times.

Would be happy to visit again if customer service and cafe flow improves.

Date of experience: April 20, 2024

In 2022 we went to Burford Garden to see what all the fuss was about but upon stepping inside we were bedazzled and in awe of the truly organic , fine detailed, creative customer care that had gone into every nook & cranny of the place. From memorabilia to creative displays, all the way to the very food we ate on our last day of holiday. The fry up was well done, well made and the quality to the price set it as justifiably the best fry up. The handmade bread, quality eggs, bacon, sausage, handmade hashbrown, locally sourced butter, even the tomatoes on the plate set our hearts ready for the days ahead. The initial impression of Burford Garden had indeed, worked its way into our holiday plans this year!

2023-We saw that the displays seemed much better curated and had little dabs of magic every where we looked. Deciding on the first trip in to have the lunch we were very interested to find that the food portion size to price was rather tight. Very tasty BUT very tight. Leaving it as being potentially just a busy lunch service we still set our sights on coming back on our last day of holiday for that signature fry up.

Our order was met with a 20 minute wait for the fry up, which, we were all the more happy to wait for given the first impression they left us with a year ago. However, the 20 minutes turned into almost 30 and were creeping up. My coffee now gone it arrived, like an angel saviour on plates. Yet when it was placed down in front of us we were shocked at how different and in all honesty rather lazy the fry up had come to us. It was still tasty but, left us with a rather bland opinion of the Burford Garden as its standards had seemed to entirely skip over its food altogether this year. Intrigued I'd pulled up my photo from a year ago and the appearance overall was...disheartening to see when compared to last year. It had gone from a signature Burford Fry Up to a generic, run of the mill, greasy spoon cafe fry up that was not worth £12.50 or a 30 minute.

Date of experience: November 17, 2023

Yet as other awful company who has stopped taking cash!!

Should be illegal not to take cash!

Shame on you!

Date of experience: October 27, 2023

An excellent place to while away an hour or two.
Always Excellent soup, but cafe needs to be managed better, especially payment and till section. Expect to queue.

Date of experience: October 02, 2023

Burford Garden Centre is my favourite place to visit. I love the restaurant, a little pricy but excellent food. I always find something to buy either for myself or the home or for the perfect present. In the 10 years I have been going there I’ve never been disappointed. I recently was unwell and the staff went out of their way to help me. Thank you. A very happy customer.

Date of experience: September 09, 2023

Such a shame dogs aren’t allowed in the garden centre - so in expected
Your allowed dogs in John Lewis - strong recommendation to travel there

Date of experience: August 05, 2023

No dog policy when so many of us have dogs is ridiculous and outdated… Never had this anywhere else… rude and disrespectful. Dalesford Farm posher and very dog friendly

Date of experience: May 27, 2023

Expensive but good quality. Had lunch in the cafe, very nice open sandwich but, remember 'death by chocolate'? Well they now have 'death by treacle tart'. I have a very sweet tooth and it was almost too much for me 😂 total treat, loved it.

Date of experience: May 17, 2023

Burford Garden Centre is "high end". The restaurant, while always busy on a Sunday, is expensive (two small mugs of coffee and two scones = £14) and the food is somewhat pretentious. If you wish for something light there were no simple ham or cheese sandwiches and only two fillings to the rolls offered. Mackerel pate or spiced chicken both with a salad. We didn't look at the hot food or salads on offer.

It's an interesting place to browse and we'll return to have a longer look in the new Reading Room but .... surely a reading room would have seats for those wishing to read ? Perhaps it should just be called The Book Room. But it's all beautifully displayed with vintage tables and bookshelves. This area used to be children's toys, etc. - now moved to a building the other side of the plant section.

I'd check the price label as we found that, with the one purchase we made, there was a £2 price difference on the label to that on the chalk board above the display but the assistant checked, apologised and we paid the lower label price. The til matched the chalk board not the price label so I think there was just a simple mistake made there.

The plants are well care for, as they should be, but they are expensive. No one was seen pushing a trolley filled with planting.

Date of experience: February 26, 2023

Be very careful when buying clothes
I bought a silk blouse which I tried on in changing room which was quite dark .
I was unsure on length and deciding between two different sizes but after taking advice of sales lady bought the shorter one .
I asked how long to return as live 2 hours away and was told it could be returned by post .
After deciding I had bought the wrong size I returned to be told it had a slight mark on the blouse and they would NOT refund and were returning to me !
At what point this blouse was marked I have no idea whether by the person trying before me or when I tried but it was not worn and returned straight away !!
I had not noticed a mark when I returned it but now I am stuck with an expensive blouse that is too short .
Monica the department manager was actually quite rude and said she was going to end the call when I disagreed that it had been worn or marked after purchasing .
I have never ever had this problem before and am very disappointed !!

BE VERY AWARE VEFORE PURCHASING IF CHECKING GOODS AND BEING SURE THEY ARE SUITABLE .

Date of experience: November 15, 2022

Great quality plants with a really wide selection and all merchandised beautifully too- I always get lots of inspiration here. Prices comparable if not better than usual garden centre chains!

Homewares etc are expensive but that's because it's meant to be a higher end luxury shopping experience with items built to last.

Date of experience: July 15, 2022

Bought a garden furniture set and one of the chairs developed a problem nearly seven months after delivery. As it happens, it was delivered in November but had had little use due to the weather. Within 24 hours of being notified, they came, inspected and replaced with exact replica chair that they had brought with them. Excellent service.

Date of experience: June 25, 2022