case study: Hayes Garden World

Surrounded by glorious views and just a stone’s throw from the famous Lake Windemere, Hayes Garden World and its catering offering, The Four Seasons Terrace Café, is popular with both locals and tourists alike.

Operating since the 1970s as what was then named the Coffee Lounge, The Four Seasons Terrace Café has, over the years, gone from strength to strength; from starting out selling home-made delights lovingly handmade by family member Thelma Hayes, to the 200-seater restaurant that offers coach packages for tourists and bespoke catering options for events too.

Although its size and output may have changed, the ethos and focus on producing and serving quality home-made hot food and cakes has remained a staple ingredient to the success of this much-loved family-run business.

Over the years the centre has been expanded and improved upon, with each new generation of family adding their own ideas, bringing in different ways of working, and finding new ways to support the local community. From displaying local ranges of giftware that customers can purchase in the café (an idea brought in by Elizabeth Hayes), right through to the addition of several extensions, the most notable of which happened in the late 2000s when the café was extended to include an outside terrace.

“For the first time in the company’s history, customers could enjoy the full café menu outside with the glorious Lakeland views, coupled with our dubious Lakeland weather!” Martin Capell, Retail Manager & Owner says. “It was also around this time that we started to look outside of the company for local businesses to assist us with the increase in trade.”

Now managed by the sixth generation of the Hayes family, The Four Seasons Terrace Café is embarking on its latest transformation – a redesign and refit of both the customer and back-of-house spaces.

“Table service has also been introduced, moving away from the more antiquated self-service,” Martin adds. “This means customers can now relax and enjoy the views as soon as they enter the café. We will also be investing in new customer conveniences to help make the experience even better, which will allow us to continue providing the very best service possible.”

Homemade by the Hayes team
As with most garden centre cafés, delicious, locally-sourced and homemade food is at the heart of The Four Seasons Café, and for the passionate team, it is this ethos which has helped secure its solid reputation over the last 50 years.

“Our home-made food continues to be at the forefront of what we create in our kitchens,” Martin says. “Our local experienced Head Chef is passionate about bringing new flavours to the table, and coupled with the flare that our Café Manager brings, our dishes always have that little bit of extra creativity!

“Many of our cakes are also homemade, but by far our most successful creation is the locally famous Hayes Scone!” Martin continues. “The recipe has been unchanged for decades and continues to draw positive comments and customer satisfaction.”

Along with the famous Hayes Scones, the café is home to a number of popular dishes from breakfast through to tea, including the Four Seasons Big Breakfast, which comes packed with two free range fried eggs, bacon steak, Cumberland sausage, hash browns, beef tomato, beans, an English muffin, black pudding and a Portobello mushroom. For those looking for something a bit more adventurous, there is the bacon and maple syrup butty, or Mexican sourdough toast, which comes with Guacamole, sautéed mushrooms and tomato salsa.

Once the early birds have left – whether to wander up the mountains or to browse the gardening and gift supplies the centre has to offer – the lunchtime menu comes into full swing, with specials including the Four Seasons Burger, which is served in a brioche bun with streaky bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, beef tomato, lettuce and red onion marmalade, with a side of chunky chips and onion rings. Then there is a classic selection of toasted sandwiches on offer, as well as some proper heart-warming dishes, such as the wild mushroom potato and leek stroganoff. In addition to the more traditional menu items such as fish and chips, there is also a selection of gluten-free pizzas, and some tantalising-sounding salads, such as the chickpea and roasted pepper salad with mint, parsley, lemon juice and quinoa.

And of course, who can turn down some sweet treats too? Whether it is the Toasted Cumbria Artisan fruit loaf to the selection of gluten-free traybakes, there is something for everyone, all ready to be washed down with a pot of Lakeland tea.

Measuring success
The input and passion which drives the team every day is something Martin and his family are keen to pursue and nurture. Not only are all team members offered training as part of the Garden Centre Association programme, but they are able to take part in bespoke departmental training and product training from suppliers too.

“We are also proud to have a good relationship with the local college whom we team up with to take individuals through the NVQ programme,” Martin adds, “This allows our team members to gain both the professional training from the college and the practical skills from our kitchens.”

This passion and enthusiasm, plus the transition to seasonal menus and the focus on stocking up on local products too, has helped the team deliver a memorable dining experience – one that moves away from the traditional expectations many customers have about garden centre catering.

“We have tried to create a welcoming space where customers can enjoy some of the many homemade and local creations available, and this approach seems to be working well,” Martin adds. “We are seeing a positive trend in table turnover, and even regular social media interactions from customers posting pictures of their coffees and cakes, or even one of the delightful, heavily-loaded Sundaes we have recently started!

“Customer expectations have changed dramatically post covid, and personally, I feel as though the café can be a shop window for garden centres, especially those with farm shops or extensive food halls, to demonstrate what customers can do with fresh, local produce,” Martin adds. “Previously, a garden centre café would traditionally be quite basic, with few options or inspirational dishes; however, in recent years, garden centre cafés and restaurants are often the only part of the store customers will visit – something that is especially important now as the desire to meet friends and family in a relaxing environment is at an all-time high.”

As Martin and his team look towards the future, it is clear that the catering offering at The Four Seasons Café is an integral part to the overall offering of Hayes Garden World; and with its inspirational menu and scenic surroundings, it is clear the team will succeed on their vision to deliver customers a relaxing and slow-paced catering experience in the unique setting of the Lakeland fells.