Café Flourish & Walled Garden

Cafe Flourish is located in 21 acres of parkland next door to St. Catherine’s House, a lovely 19th century former mansion. We visited here to meet up with family and it’s a lovely stopover for anyone looking for a peaceful place to relax and or connect with nature. The café offers a wide selection of delicious food and cakes etc. and has a reading room which is a cosy creative space off the main dining area along with a beautiful outdoor eating space overlooking the gardens. I was particularly impressed by the venue's ethos; I loved the way that there is so much local community involvement and support; all sorts of activities such as crafting, drawing, sewing, walking, sports and gardening groups can be accessed in the complex and parkland. Training and qualifications are also on offer; it really feels so welcoming it’s a fantastic resource, well worth a visit. The cafe states that inclusivity is at its heart and I can definitely vouch for this. I was very pleased to find that the beautiful gardens were really accessible for me in my powerchair; the flowers were at a great height for me to admire from the vantage point of my chair, I even managed to access the greenhouses which were full of herbs and wildflowers for sale at a very reasonable price. There is also play equipment for the whole family to enjoy. We sat out on the terrace looking down on the gardens below which were accessible via a ramp. I also want to give a shout out to the staff who were lovely and welcoming; they couldn't have done any more to make us feel at home, they really made the whole experience special. Thank you Cafe Flourish for making such a difference to the community and for creating this gorgeous venue; its also a great alternative to typical service stations if you are on a longer journey down the road.