Mulberry & Thyme Bath

We had lunch here and really enjoyed it. I had a nice Welsh Rarebit and a cup of soup, the wife had a jacket potato with lemon tuna mayonnaise. All tasted great. These two meals, a bottle of rhubarb lemon, a bottle of ginger beer and a packet of crisps was less than £30. There was a big range of lovely looking cakes, teas and coffees, but we were a bit full to have anything else.

I was extremely disappointed with my visit to Mulberry & Thyme Café at the Hillier Garden Centre on Whiteway Road, Bath. I took my friend there for a birthday lunch, expecting a special experience, but it turned out to be a complete letdown. From the moment we arrived, things felt off. Despite trying to book a table in advance, no one answered the phone. When we got there, the café was almost empty, with only a few other customers—surprising for lunchtime. The menu was uninspiring, the cake selection was underwhelming, though the scones looked nice. I ordered a brie, bacon, and mango chutney toastie, while my friend had a cheese and ham toastie. Since I have a broken hand, I politely asked if they could remove the fat from my bacon, as I couldn’t do it myself. When my food arrived, the fat was still there, so I had to open the toastie myself to take it out. That’s when I noticed multiple hairs inside my sandwich. Shocked, I spoke to the waitress, who took it back to the kitchen. When she returned, she told me it wasn’t hair—it was the mango chutney. This was honestly one of the most shocking parts of the experience. It felt as though I was being told to just shut up and eat it, as if I was imagining things. I’ve since checked, and there are no references anywhere to mangoes being a hairy fruit. This excuse simply didn’t make sense. I politely refused to accept this and asked for a refund. At this point, a more experienced staff member or someone from the kitchen should have stepped in to handle the situation properly. Instead, it was left to a new staff member, who openly admitted she didn’t know how to process a refund and struggled with the till. Eventually, she told me to come back later, which felt dismissive and unprofessional. What made the experience even worse was the complete lack of apology or any offer of replacement food. I was simply left without a meal, making it an awkward and disappointing birthday treat for my friend. The staff didn’t seem to care at all, which left a bad impression. The only positives were the good coffee and the fact that the café has a lovely veranda with beautiful views—though it was too cold to sit outside on our visit. Afterward, we walked around the garden centre, which is a great place to browse, and I made a purchase to at least come away with something positive from the visit. However, the contrast between this café and the Bath Soft Cheese Company café (which I visited the previous week) was staggering. While the Bath Soft Cheese Company was thriving with excellent food and customer service, Mulberry & Thyme felt like a missed opportunity. If they improved their food quality, service, and attention to customers, it could be a fantastic addition to the garden centre and attract more visitors. As it stands, I cannot recommend this café unless you’re only stopping for a coffee and a view.

Views are the best bit. Service was very slow, took about 10 minutes for 1 Americano, a soft drink can and a flapjack. Many tables needed to be cleared. Limited food options available on a Saturday lunchtime, and few sweet treats. The coffee was as you'd expect but a good size. The apricot flapjack was lacking flavour and was soft requiring minimal chewing. Good selection of cold drinks.