Shopping and Eating

Places to eat and drink at the Gardens

In the Seasons Restaurant we aim to use foods that are organic and as local as possible. Vegetables and fruit grown in our organic Double Walled Garden, are used when in season and we endeavour to use Non-Genetically Modified food products.

Ninety percent of all the food served in our catering outlets is prepared and cooked on site by our "in house" catering team. We consider peoples’ dietary needs eg. all our main meals and homemade soups are gluten free. We have 2 or 3 vegetarian options on offer everyday and we have recently introduced a Healthy Eating Buffet menu into our Corporate Package.

In demonstrating its commitment to sustainable development The National Botanic Garden of Wales promotes the use of Fair Trade products.

Much of the waste produced by the catering department is currently being recycled. All glass goes for recycling as does cardboard, paper and plastics. The used cooking oil goes for processing to be turned into Bio Diesel, some members of staff already use biofuel in their cars.

The Mediterranean Café, which is in the style of a street café, can be found in the Great Glasshouse. This year it will be offering a wider range of foods including Salads, Pastas, and Mediterranean style rolls and pastries. We will also still be serving fantastic Italian style Coffee, Cream Tea's and traditional Welsh Cream teas. Why not enjoy your food under the olive trees!

(NB the Mediterranean Café is ussually closed out of season.)

Where to shop?

The Garden Shop is situated in the Stable Block and stocks a wide variety of products from local Welsh crafts to ethically traded bamboo products from Asia. We are continually looking at new products and ranges sourced from local suppliers to increase our range of Welsh Goods. We also stock a large range of Welsh food products for a real taste of Wales.
(For more info on bamboo and sustainability click here)
Phone 01558 667168 to contact the shop directly.

"The Garden Plant Shop" has came under the Gardens managment in early 2006 and has been undergoing a steady growth since then. We sell gardening gifts, pots and plants. We have a wide selection of seeds and plants from the ordinary to the exotic, many of which you would probably find growing throughout the Gardens. So if you see a plant you like the look of in the Gardens you might just be able to purchase one from the Garden Plant Shop as you exit. If you can not find what you want (we can't stock every plant the garden has!), please ask and we may be able to get some in.

In the Garden Plant Shop area there is also a small café "The Gatehouse coffee shop" offering soup, rolls, cakes, refreshments and a few gift items such as laverbread and postcards.
Both the Garden Plant Shop and the Café are accessible from outside the Gardens.