Mayfield Lavender Glasshouse Cafe and Gift & Plant Shop — Restaurant in Epsom and Ewell

Nice place and concept, decorated nicely however the service is not very good. The food timings are not indicated clearly and some of the staff were a bit abrupt in trying to explain. I noticed a previous comment about “recruiting mature staff” (which feels discrimination) but it’s not a matter of age or experience, customer service should be at the core and all staff should be trained the same way regardless, all it takes is being polite and understanding. The lady kept saying to me “what do you want”in terms of ordering, when what I had requested wasn’t available. She was repeating as though she assumed I cannot understand however she herself was making it confusing by telling me to “go online” and expecting me to place a sudden order for food for our whole table on the spot. We also stood waiting for service for quite a while and they were there and saw us waiting but not even a “be right with you”. Very disappointing and although it’s a nice place the service has put me right off.

Response to addendum: As I already stated - when I was told that what we had requested wasn’t available (afternoon tea) the server repeatedly said to “go online”. What does this mean? Some venues ask you to place an order online, some venues ask you to use a QR code, saying “you’d have to go online” can mean any number of things and I tried to ask but the server was repeating herself without context. You question where the confusion arose however if you had seen the CCTV with sound then you would hear this too, moreover as already stated - saying “what do you want” to the customer is not at all polite and I am not sure why you would suggest this is. Your staff confirmed that an order can be placed and said “what do you want” a few times before I had even had a chance to go back to the rest of my company to find out what they would like to order. There was also only one member of staff that this issue occurred with so I am not sure why you have mentioned two. To reiterate - any confusion was simply from the staff member not explaining that the afternoon tea was not possible and instead repeating to “go online”. It was only after I had called my family over did the staff member communicate clearly to them - not to me. You should be able to see that on the CCTV also. I had no issue with your process of ordering the afternoon tea, my issue was with your staff member as I have clearly explained, I am surprised that you would add an addendum to justify and state that your server was polite despite them saying “what...

There’s a lot of heart behind Malice in Lavenderland, but our visit felt like it needed a little more care in the details. Things didn’t start off smoothly—we waited several minutes to have our tickets scanned, unsure where to go until I asked at the café counter. Once scanned in and handed a map, it was still unclear where to head next. Some signage or arrows would’ve helped, especially in the narrow hallway leading to the glasshouse, which was crowded with café customers coming out.

In the garden, a big welcome sign greeted us, but again, there was no clear direction. Guests were left to wander, and it quickly became a bit of a free-for-all. Being the first day, there weren’t many pumpkins yet, and no staff were visible outside. It might have added some magic—and clarity—if staff were dressed as characters to guide visitors and bring the theme to life.

That said, there were some lovely touches. The Cheshire Cat train was charming, the giant skeleton was fun, and the big cow added a whimsical note. The pergola with the Grim Reaper and hanging hands was striking. But safety seemed overlooked—I saw a lady trip near the Sleepy Hollow section, and the hanging web felt a little hazardous. A character stationed here could’ve helped both with immersion and safety.

The Queen of Hearts and oversized playing cards were beautifully done, and the flamingos, though fallen over, were a sweet idea. Pegging them down would’ve kept the scene intact. Overall, the event had potential, but it felt like it needed more thought and a few extra hands to guide the experience.

Lunch at the café was another low point. The counter staff were noticeably rude. I ordered a full English breakfast without tomato or beans, asking for an extra sausage instead. Despite removing two items, I was charged for the sausage, something I’ve never encountered before. The woman behind the counter tutted loudly and rolled her eyes, which made me feel uncomfortable for simply asking.

At the end, I hoped to buy a couple of themed items as keepsakes, only to be told they were decorations and not for sale. It felt like a missed opportunity, both creatively and commercially.

There’s a lot of charm in the concept, and with a little more attention to guest experience, safety, and staff training, it could truly shine. I hope future visitors find it more polished, because the bones of something special are...

Horrible experience. They were so rude to my friend and I. My friend and I spent over £50 combined on lunch there for average overpriced food and coffees anyway. The most rude waitress older lady interrupted our conversation and said we had to leave because “you can’t stay at a table for more than 2 hours if you have a laptop”…

We had an iPad and my friend and I were organizing a party and having a catch up at what we “thought” would be a nice place to do so in the garden Centre.

We were gobsmacked. The service we received even when ordering and paying was disgraceful, no eye contact, no please or thank you, grumpy old lady who served us at the till, jaw nearly Dropped when she said £19 for a sandwich and coffee.

Telling people to leave because they’ve sat at a table for more than 2 hours after spending £50 in your establishment is an utter disgrace.

I would never return here or recommend it to anyone. Staff could use training in customer service and politeness and etiquette standards toward customers.

Our coffees came with no serving plate beneath them, just dumped on the table and the spoons also thrown on the table.

No napkins with our sandwiches, after we asked they were also dumped on the table.

UPDATE to the lies that were posted in response to my review from ‘Brendan’.

I hope you’re not the manager because what an arrogant and aggressive response to my review. Although not surprised, your attitude and nature to my review absolutely reflects the Mayfield staffs customers service.

I’m happy you mentioned CCTV, please do check it again, perhaps have a proper look this time, and you will see the cafe was dead and not “busy” during “busy times” that day.

We were too young girls clearly discriminated against by your very much older staff members.

Happy that the public can see your tone and disgusting handling of my review. Really shows them what kind of awful establishment this place...