CHOOSE GARDEN CENTRES BY COUNTY BELOW
This independent review of Yarnton Home and Garden (sometimes referred to as Yarnton Garden Centre) was written by David Marks and was last updated in October 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.
Entrance to Yarnton Home and Garden
Yarnton Nurseries was purchased by twins Richard and Nigel Wallbridge in 1968. At that time it consisted of five greenhouses and had a turnover of around £3,000. Over the next 50 years the brothers built the business up, with the last 10 years of their tenure being assisted by Bob Marley.
Yarnton Nurseries was sold to Newcore Capital Management on 7th April 2017. At that time Yarnton Nurseries garden centre had a turnover of around £4 million however the associated Yarnton Nurseries Garden and Shopping Village has several concessions and the total turnover amounted to £15 million.
In February 2025 Blue Diamond purchased the garden centre and are in the process of modernising the business.
IS YARNTON HOME AND GARDEN DOG FRIENDLY? At the time of writing (October 2025) Yarnton Home and Garden has a sign by the entrance in a prominent position stating that they are not dog friendly, only assistance dogs are permitted anywhere in this garden centre.
However this dog policy is one which was adopted by the previous owners. Yarnton Home and Garden is now owned by Blue Diamond and their dog policy is normally far more dog friendly. So we would advise you to phone the garden centre direct if you want to take your dog with you, the response may change at any time.
Dogs not permitted at Yarnton Home and Garden
Bicester Avenue Garden Centre
(11 miles away)
Notcutts Oxford (13 miles away)
Charlbury Garden Centre (13 miles away)
Burford Garden Centre
(16 miles away)
SIZE: This is a large garden centre cafe with, at a rough guess, seating for over 100.
View of Cafe at Yarnton Home and Garden
FOOD TYPE: The cafe at Yarnton Home and Garden serves a full range of drinks, snacks, light meals, breakfasts as well as main meals. The main menu shown for their website appears to be out of date. We show below the menu we were offered in October 2025. They also offer a reasonably standard breakfast menu.
Main menu at Yarnton Home and Garden
Breakfasts are served from 9.00 to 11.00 Monday to Saturday and 10.00 to 11.15 on Sunday.
Main meals are served from 11.30am to 3pm Monday to Saturday and 12pm to 3pm on Sunday.
FOOD QUALITY: From the food I was served the quality was good. The food was well presented and the plates were warm.
The first meal was a Yarnton Chicken Schnitzel. At £15 this was a tad expensive but within reason. It came with sauté Jersey Royal potatoes, a side salad and garlic butter. The chicken schnitzel was very tasty, the salad crisp and varied but the sauté Jersey Royal potatoes were a disappointment. The skin was difficult to cut and the potato inside had a texture and taste of a baked potato, nothing like a Jersey Royal.
Chicken Schnitzel at Yarnton Home and Garden Cafe
The second meal was a Yarnton Fish Bap (haddock) which cost £13. It came with gherkins, tartare sauce, coleslaw and chips. Decent fish, chips, salad and a brioche bap which was a pleasant change to a standard bap. One thing we did notice was that the fish was left with its skin on but this could be removed relatively easily. Again, slightly more expensive than average but good quality and presentation.
Yarnton Fish Bap
The portion sizes were reasonable but it might not satisfy a really hearty appetite. The food was served hot and the plates and cutlery were clean.
One slightly unusual aspect of the cafe is that you can see into the area where the food was being prepared. Not many garden centre cafes are that confident of their kitchen area and normally it is hidden from view - well done to Yarnton.
DECOR: The decor at the moment is just average with plastic tables and chairs.
View of cafe at Yarnton Home and Garden
OUTDOOR SEATING: There is a small outside seating which is set into the main garden centre.
SERVICE: When you enter the cafe you need to take a note of your table number and use that when you place your order at the counter. This always leaves the possibility that your table will taken by someone else by the time you get back to it.
This happened to me at this cafe even though the people who took the table had to remove the trolley which I had strategically placed to block off that table. There were plenty of other perfectly empty tables but as the saying goes "there's nowt so strange as folk"!
There was almost no wait to place the order. The two hot meals were delivered to my table in 25 minutes.
VALUE FOR MONEY: Prices are about average for this type of garden centre. Combined with food quality and general atmosphere we rate the value for money to be average.
Plants area at Yarnton Home and Garden
SIZE OF PLANTS AREA: The plants area is large.
PLANT SELECTION: Shrubs, small trees, vegetables, herbaceous plants and many others are in abundance at this garden centre. You are very likely to find the plants you want at Yarnton Home and Garden. Hardy plants come with a five year guarantee. All the plants we looked at were in good condition.
LAYOUT: The layout is reasonably attractive and functional. All the paths are solid, level and wide, they are well maintained and clean. There are more than enough signs to indicate where plant groups can be located.
One stand-out feature of Yarnton Home and Garden is that about half the 'outside' plants area is under cover. All the main paths (plus many other areas) are protected from rain which makes this a good garden centre for visiting when the weather is wet.
Covered area at Yarnton Home and Garden
VALUE FOR MONEY: The plants are slightly above average prices. For example clematis start at £20, although the vast majority were priced at £25 and roses start at £15.
SIZE: Surprisingly large. It sells everything you would expect from a large garden centre. One of the stores is selling Pavers shoes and it had a very large choice.
Pavers shoes at Yarnton Home and Garden
Cards, gifts, homeware, a large selection of indoor and outdoor furniture, clothes of all types, barbecues - the list goes on, it's all there at Yarnton Home and Garden.
Homeware at Yarnton Home and Garden
The space given over to women's clothing was one of the largest we have seen in a garden centre for a long time. There was also a decent selection of houseplants. The Food Hall was well stocked but lacked a butchers or a cheese / deli counter.
Houseplants at Yarnton Home and Garden
LAYOUT: The layout is pleasant. Rather than one massive area the interior sales area is divided up into discreet areas. Paths are wide and solid and eminently suitable for wheel chair users.
VALUE FOR MONEY: Slightly higher prices than average.
They have several other "concession" shops at Yarnton Home and Garden. The one that interested us the most was the Antiques Shop just by the main entrance. This is a large antiques centre and well worth a wander round even if you don't buy anything.
Lots of Christmas decorations and trees plus there's Santa's Grotto for the young children (at a cost). We did feel that there was a lack of engaging Christmas displays.
Christmas at Yarnton Home and Garden
ACCESS: Disabled access is very good all round. The large car park is near the entrance.
ADDRESS:
Yarnton Home and Garden
Sandy Lane
Yarnton
Oxfordshire OX5 1PA
OWNER:
Blue Diamond Garden Centres
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
01865 372124
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