Wildflower Teas on the Bus — Restaurant in Rochford

Shockingly bad service today. Arrived for a grinchmas theme lunch at 11.30am, 11 of us in total (5 children, 6 adults). First off we were squeezed at the back of the bus, nowhere near enough room (we had the same space last year for 2 adults & 3 children). Our drinks order was then taken and 20 mins later our server came back to take our panini order (which came with the grinchmas meal). Shortly after ordering we were told they had no chicken or turkey. To keep things simple we ordered ham & cheese all round. Our server returned again but this time told us they didn’t have enough paninis to complete our order, so then we had to compromise & we ordered bagels. By this time we just wanted food for the kids. An hour later from when we arrived, 2 ham and cheese paninis turn up, with no grinch-meal sides, which should of included Xmas cakes, biscuits, popcorn etc. We were then told they didn’t know we were there for the new grinchmas lunch, even though that was what had been booked. We also had been given a grinchmas menu on arrival which seemed to suggest that they did know what we had booked AND we reiterated this when discussing our original panini order. At this point we got up and left and said this was not good enough, we had hungry children and asked them to box up the cakes etc, all we wanted was a nice Christmas lunch for our children which we had enjoyed the year before. The cakes etc were boxed up but we were still charged £60 for cakes/popcorn, the additional paninis were not provided. Far too much for what we had actually received and the service we received overall was really unacceptable. I was so disappointed in the service today, today was supposed to be a lovely Xmas meal out for the children and it was ruined, by lack of food choice and miscommunication on their part. We went last year for Xmas tea and had a lovely meal for 5, hence my recommendation for my family to join us this year. After today, we will never be returning again. Defensive staff, understaffed, lack of food options, missing drinks options, all in all a place to avoid in the future,...

Sat on the top deck of the bus, 7 of us, 3 kids and 4 adults, a bit tight but none of us are particularly big so that was ok. Wasn't that busy so could have been worse.

Service: Staff were friendly and polite. However I ordered a ploughmans lunch. I asked for the coleslaw to be left off, as I don't like it and find it off-putting if it's on my plate. Silly I know, but i'll eat almost anything accept coleslaw. The lady serving acknowledged this when taking the order.The ploughmans arrived WITH coleslaw. It was all over my roll. I was pretty annoyed but I don't like to make a fuss so I ate around it and wiped the roll with a napkin.

One of my sons ordered hot chocolate with cream. No cream when it arrived.

My mother-in-law ordered a sour dough toast dish, without the gerkins. It arrived WITH gerkins. She actually did ask the lady to take it back though.

So i'm not sure if the waitress just didn't write our requests down clearly or the kitchen staff don't bother to read her notes, but either way it shows a lack of attention.

Food/value: The Ploughman's cost £12.00. Not ridiculously expensive for this day and age but not cheap either. The components of the dish were cheap. Cheap rubbery bland ham. cheap roll. cheap soggy sausage roll, cheap crisps etc. All shop bought and not the expensive range either. For my 12 quid I'd expect a some decent quality food, but this was all stuff you might find at a kids party buffet.

£120 for all of us to eat and drink.

I think the cakes were shop bought too but I could be wrong.

We are often encouraged to shop and dine at smaller, independant businesses, but it often is not worth it, as so many of these places take very little pride in the service they offer, serving up the cheapest product for the maximum price. I think this is one of those places. Pack us in, take our money and get us gone. Definitely won't be returning or...

I booked the Wildflowers on the bus for our daughter’s bridal shower (party of 9). Communication and booking process From start to finished was brilliant. Originally from Essex but now living in the Midlands, this made it all super helpful.

Our daughter is gluten free and vegan due to dietary issues with wheat and dairy and Lindsay @ Wildflowers on the bus, assured me that they could provide a lovely afternoon tea option.

A couple of days prior to our event I received communication and updates from the team double checking allergies and any additional dietary requirements for the bride and guests.

On the day, I was allowed to arrive a little bit earlier to decorate our space in front of the bus with balloons and bridal shower themed accessories. Which enhanced what is already a beautiful and unique location.

When our bride to be arrived she had no idea and was thrilled to see a huge red bus and her friends waiting for here.

The food came out wow - mini cookies and cakes decorated in the bridal shower theme. The afternoon tea was yummy and plentiful with a lovely selection of sandwiches, scones and cakes. For our GF vegan bride to be her own tray of delicious food, that she was thrilled with. There so much to eat we took home doggy bags. Our lovely waitress checked in on us at regular intervals and to offer top ups of tea and coffee.

We had such a wonderful afternoon, the two hours flew by, the bride and guests were having such a relaxed and lovely time. The staff did not rush us off our table, they let us stay way over our time and let us leave at a leisurely pace. We were the last to go!!! So I would like to say a HUGE thank you to the staff at ‘Wildflowers on the bus’ for making it a day to remember for our bride to be. I honestly believe our Essex family and friends will visit...