Shinfield Garden Centre - Reading

Asad L.

**Dobbie's Garden Centre, Reading**

Dobbie’s Reading is a lovely garden centre with a great selection of plants and gardening essentials. The atmosphere is relaxing and it’s a pleasant place to spend some time browsing.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the cafe's vegetarian breakfast options. Both the adult and children's meals could benefit from some improvement in terms of variety and taste. While there are other menu items available, expanding the vegetarian breakfast choices would be a welcome addition.

Despite this, the garden centre itself is well worth a visit.

M M.

Shinfield Garden Centre will be opening its doors just in time for spring. Now under new ownership with British Garden Centres, the team is excited to announce its opening on the weekend of March 1 and 2.

The UK’s largest family-run garden centre group acquired the former Dobbies site in Hyde End Road in January and has been working hard with the existing and new members of the Shinfield team.

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 10 am on Saturday, March 1 and the first 100 customers through the doors will receive a special goody bag filled with gardening treats!

Their friendly team will be on hand all day to sign members up for their exclusive Family Card scheme which will give customers 10% off their first shop and unlock a world of benefits and special promotions.

Shinfield Garden Centre will be open until 6 pm on Saturday, and staff encourage customers top come and explore our fantastic range of plants, tools, and gardening essentials.

The celebrations continue on Sunday, March 2, with doors open from 10 am until 4.30 pm another 100 goody bags will be up for grabs for the first customers!

Lucy W.

So pleased this has changed hands from Dobbie’s. The plant selection is so much better. The greenhouse at the back has a huge selection to choose from and all the plants are well maintained and reasonably priced. The only thing that is a real shame is that the butcher’s/supermarket has gone; this was really helpful to those of us living in Croft Gardens.

Rory C.

This Dobbies is located in Shinfield which is South from Reading. This is a good little garden centre. Go in through the main entrance and you are in the garden furniture and indoor plant section. Great selection of cacti here. Some other interesting plants as well. The coffee shop is off to the left and it’s a decent size. Through into the gift section where there are crafts and gifts and toys. Out back is the main plant area and there is a really good selection of all the various plants you would expect to find. You will also find a good selection of statues and plant pots. Back inside and there is the tool section then the food shop which has some great stuff in and of course the butchers. There is also the aquatics and pet section round the back, I didn’t go but believe it is still there. I’d recommend this as a place to visit.

Marian G.

The garden centre is a amazing lovely plants we'll looked after, very friendly staff. But the cafe looks very pretty, but l had ploughman's awful 1 slice cheese 2 slices of thin ham, need a new chef. But will back for plants hope someone will sort the cafe out, also dirty kitchen entrance.

Susie A.

We went to Shinfield Garden Centre on Saturday, the plants were lovely, the cafe was awful, the person who served me was very abrupt, no people skills at all, my cake was dry coffee was warm. I will go there again for plants etc, definitely not the cafe

Harriet R.

Large selection of indoor and outdoor plants. Cafe was busy, a few mistakes made by the staff, but the food was hot and the coffee was strong!!
Perfect time to go too as the flowers looked stunning.

ceris S.

It's a working progress but the plants and help from the garden centre made it possible. Knowledgeable, helpful friendly staff!