CHOOSE GARDEN CENTRES BY COUNTY BELOW
This independent review of Dobbies Garden Centre Royston was written by David Marks and was last updated in September 2025.
This is an in depth review by a real human as a result of visiting this garden centre, no Artificial Intelligence is involved!
We reviewed the inside and plant sales areas, took pictures (see lower down this article) and checked out the cafe. The cafe check involved ordering and tasting the food and reporting our findings for you to judge.
There has been a "garden centre" at the current site from 1981, the first one being a simple stall selling fruit and vegetables. The owners realised that there was considerable potential in developing the business and over the next 20 years set about expanding the garden centre.
In 2002 the owners sold the business to Country Homes and Gardens. In line with their portfolio of garden centres the expansion continued until in 2011 the business was acquired by Wyevale Garden Centres.
At that time Wyevale were the largest garden centre group in the UK. In 2009 Wyevale hit financial problems and the Bank of Scotland then became the majority shareholder.
For some bizarre reason they renamed Wyevale as the Garden Centre Group. This renaming policy of the company became a future feature when individual garden centres were also renamed.
In 2012 the Garden Centre Group was acquired by the private equity firm Terra Firma and they renamed the company back to Wyevale Garden Centres. This was the beginning of the end for Wyevale.
In 2018 Terra Firma began to sell its Wyevale garden centres, Dobbies, British Garden Centres and Blue Diamond purchasing the majority of them. The garden centre world had undergone a revolution within the space of two years.
Royston Garden Centre was part of the Terra Firma sell-off and Dobbies were the buyers in 2019. The leasehold of Royston Garden Centre was sold to Dobbies for £1,500,000. Dobbies renamed it to Dobbies Garden Centre Royston.
Read further down this page for an in depth and independent review of Dobbies Garden Centre Royston. In summary though this is a large garden centre with absolutely no character. The plants area is boring, the cafe below average and the interior sales area only being saved by its sheer size.
Entrance to Dobbies Garden Centre Royston
IS DOBBIES GARDEN CENTRE ROYSTON DOG FRIENDLY? Yes, Dobbies Garden Centre Royston is dog friendly. Dogs are allowed in most areas of the garden centre. They are allowed in the cafe which has its own dog friendly seating area. Dobbies have published a page about their dog friendly policy which can be found here.
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The car park is more than adequate for volumes of traffic. It is on a level and solid surface with disabled bays outside the entrance. There were eight electric vehicle re-charging points in the car park, only two were occupied when we visited.
SIZE: The Cafe at Dobbies Garden Centre Royston is large with indoor and outdoor seating areas. Dogs are allowed into the cafe, there are signed dog friendly areas.
FOOD TYPE: The cafe serves standard type food for a garden centre. Breakfast service ends at 11.30, light lunch service begins at 11.30 and ends at 3.00, main meal service starts at 12.00 and ends at 3.00.
Our pictures of Dobbies meals below give an idea of the food on offer.
Chicken Caesar Salad at Dobbies Garden Centre
Ham, egg and chips at Dobbies Garden Centre
Ham and Cheese Toastie at Dobbies Garden Centre
The full menu on offer and prices at Dobbies Garden Centre Royston can be found online here. This online menu, designed by Dobbies, can best be described as over complicated and not easy to navigate. I can assure you it's all there, it's just that some people may find it difficult to understand. For that reason we list below the more simple paper menu available at the garden centre.
Breakfast Menu at Dobbies Royston
Light lunch menu at Dobbies Royston
Main Meal Menu at Dobbies Royston
Autumn Seasonal Main Meals Dobbies Royston
Sweets and Drinks Menu at Dobbies Royston
Children's Menu at Dobbies Royston
FOOD QUALITY: We sampled the Burger and Chips at Dobbies Royston on our last visit and found it to be mediocre. It was all edible but that's the best which can be said about it. See the picture below.
Burger and Chips at Dobbies Royston
The burger itself was decent quality but it was lukewarm when we started to eat it and cool by the time we finished it. The chips were below average but at least they were warm. The coleslaw was particularly tasteless. I am happy with small portion sizes at most meals but some might find the portion sizes at Dobbies Garden Centre Royston slightly on the small side.
DECOR: The tables and chairs were plastic and several of the chairs were marked and needed a good clean. The plastic floor covering was unattractive but clean. Two sides of the cafe area were glass which gave an airy appearance but the larger glass side was facing the car park which did not give a good view.
Cafe view Dobbies Garden Centre Royston
The combination of background music which was too loud, plastic furnishings and glass walls to two sides resulted in a very noisy cafe with cutlery and china clatter echoing off the hard surfaces contributing to the noise level. Not a relaxing environment. The glass windows were also dirty in several places.
Dirty cafe windows
OUTDOOR SEATING: The cafe has an outside seating area.
SERVICE: When we visited Dobbies Garden Royston this time we wanted their Beef Burger and a drink. The system in the cafe is that you choose a table, look at the menus and go to counter to place your order. The wait to place our order was short, about five minutes. It then took about 10 minutes for the Beef Burger and drink to be delivered to our table. Very reasonable for a main meal at peak times.
Service was pleasant and prompt.
VALUE FOR MONEY: Given the quality of the food, the service and the decor, we would rate this cafe as below average.
The cafe at Dobbies Garden Centre Royston was awarded a Food Hygiene Rating of five out of five by South Cambridgeshire District Council in February 2024. Click here for full details.
SIZE OF PLANTS AREA: The plants area is large
PLANT SELECTION: We visited in September and for that time of year the choice of plants was good. They were in good condition. Dobbies offer a lifetime guarantee on all their hardy plants. `
LAYOUT: Zero design effort has been expended to make the plants area interesting or engaging. The plants are in bays, rows and rows of them in straight lines. One of the most boring designs we have ever seen.
Boring outside plants area
Having said that the paths were wide, clutter free, on the level and solid - easy work for a wheel chair. Signage to plant groups (climbers, roses, shrubs etc.) was entirely missing.
To one side of the plants area there is a covered area which does provide some rain protection, but this is definitely not a rainy day garden centre.
Covered part of plants area
VALUE FOR MONEY: Dobbies Garden Centre Royston is similar to other Dobbies outlets, it offers prices slightly above average.
SIZE: The interior sales area was very large. One thing for certain, clothes and shoes featured heavily with a a Pavers shoe shop, Regatta Outdoors, Klass and Cotton Traders being the main outlets.
LAYOUT: The interior sales are is largely open plan with very wide, level paths which gave it a spacious feel. There is constant slightly loud background music. Everything you would expect of a large garden centre is here - cards, homeware, furniture, gifts etc. although we did not notice a food hall.
The indoor plants section was large and attractive.
Indoor house plants at Dobbies Royston
VALUE FOR MONEY: Normal Dobbies value for money, slightly more expensive than the surrounding competition.
Excellent.
ADDRESS:
Dobbies Garden Centre Royston
Dunsbridge Turnpike
Shepreth
Hertfordshire SG8 6RB
OWNER:
Dobbies Garden Centres
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
01763 258692
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