A journey to the garden centre doesn’t always have to be such a chore, there’s plenty of delightful food on offer as well.
Holden Clough Nursery, Clitheroe.
Holden Clough Nursery with its stone built tea room and farm shop is an enchanting destination, the building is designed to blend in with the nursery with old tools, gardening possessions hanging on the walls and a grand stone fireplace as the centerpiece and all the food is sourced locally and The Garden Kitchen offers something for everyone including the young gardeners among us too.
You could start your day off with a hearty breakfast being served from 9:30am to 11:15am or you could visit for a tasty lunch including a selection of sandwiches, salads, platters, sides, light options and main meals, or you could even take on The Garden Kitchens traditional afternoon tea option which is served on a miniature picnic bench.
The Garden Kitchen offers different types of seasonal Afternoon Tea selections throughout the year including; the Summer Garden Picnic, the Summer Picnic, the Autumn Picnic and the Christmas Deluxe Picnic.
The afternoon picnic is served daily from 2.30pm - close. It is strongly recommended that you book when visiting for the Afternoon Picnic to avoid disappointment.
Barton Grange Garden Centre, Brock, nr Preston
At Barton Grange, you’re spoilt for choice with two restaurants on offer. Whether you choose either the Riverside Café or Willows Restaurant, you’ll find yourself in pleasant, relaxing surroundings, where fresh food is cooked on the premises.
The Riverside Café is light and spacious, with beautiful views of the River Brock, the café offers a range of tasty hot dishes as well as soups, sandwiches, a salad bar and a mouth-watering range of cakes and pastries to accompany your teas and coffees.
For children, they offer a five-item lunch box, with a choice of drinks, sandwiches, cheese, vegetables and fruit. Each lunch comes with an activity sheet, crayons and seeds which children can plant when they get home.
For an extra special treat, visit Willows, Barton Grange’s table service restaurant which offers a range of delicious dishes creatively prepared using seasonal, local ingredients. Willows also offers Afternoon Tea with a selection of freshly made sandwiches, freshly baked scones with jam and clotted cream and three specially selected home-made cakes served with as much tea or filter coffee as you like. Afternoon Tea is served from 2.30pm to 4pm. Booking is not required unless there are five or more in your party.
Dobbies Preston, Clifton
Dobbies bright and spacious restaurants offer the ideal setting for a coffee with friends, lunch with the kids or dinner with your other half.
The menus at Dobbies are seasonal, taking influence from both British classics and international flavours, and are always created with customers in mind by their award-winning Executive Chef Adriano Trebbi. Check out the freshly baked scones in the in-house bakery, daily specials, and stone baked pizzas on offer. Whatever you fancy, you won’t be stuck for choice at Dobbies.
Dobbies also offer a range of Afternoon Tea packages to suit everyone. Starting from just £8 for two you can treat yourself and a friend to a Cream Tea, indulge in Dobbies Traditional Afternoon Tea or go all out with their Luxury Afternoon Tea.
Now the children can play grown-ups in style with Dobbies new afternoon tea menu dedicated to the little ones with three layers of treats to enjoy, all presented on a traditional tea stand for just £4.95 per child. Afternoon Tea is available from 2pm and booking is recommended.
Shackletons Home and Garden, Chatburn
The Pavilion Coffee House is situated in Chatburn, near Clitheroe in Lancashire and is part of Shackletons Garden Centre. The Pavilion cafe has a welcoming ambience and is ideal for having a relaxed breakfast, lunch with friends or just a quick coffee.
The Pavilion has an extensive range of hot and cold food on their menu as well as patisseries and a fully licensed bar.
If a more hearty meal is the order of the day, then there are a selection of ‘Pavilion Pies’ which include; Prime Steak, Mushroom & Bowland Ale and Mature Cheddar Cheese & Onion, and all are served with chips & a choice of mushy peas, garden peas or salad.
The coffee house also offers afternoon tea daily between 3:00pm to 4:30pm including a selection of delicate sandwiches, savory nibbles and bite sized sweet treats beautifully arrange on a table top trestle with any regular tea or coffee and you could even treat yourself to a glass of prosecco for £3.50 extra.
www.shackletonslifestyle.co.uk
Bents Garden Centre, Warrington
You actually have a choice of cafes in this large garden superstore located just a short distance from junction 23 of the M6.
The Fresh Express is located in Bents Conservatory dining area and serves coffee, a selection of delicious patisseries, home bakes, scones and cold drinks, while the recently opened Caffe nel Verde offers a quicker option for lunch with the same high quality standards. The new counters serve fresh, ready-made sandwiches and a delicious selection of soups.
Caffe Lago, found in the Open Skies glasshouse of Bents Garden & Home, opening is weather permitting as it is perfectly positioned near the outdoor adventure playground and undercover sand play area. Caffe Lago serve all the speciality coffees and teas using totally recyclable and disposable containers, as well as a selection of cold bottled drinks. Children’s lunch bags and home bakes are also available.
Bents Garden Centre even offers a Pet Café where pets can dine with their owners. The Pet Café offers a wide selection of hot and cold drinks, freshly made sandwiches and homebakes. It’s the perfect place to take time out with your furry friend who can choose to dine from a menu as delicious as yours.
