Staff at Fletchers Family Garden Centre in Eccleshall were subjected to verbal abuse after politely asking a customer to adhere to the site's picnic-free policy. The incident occurred when a visitor attempted to bring their own food onto the premises, violating the garden centre's rules.
In a social media statement, the Stone Road establishment explained the rationale behind its policy: "To support our operation and to keep our entire garden centre site running, we kindly request that guests do not bring their own food and drinks. As an independent business, we rely on our food outlets to sustain our operations, including the free play area."
The garden centre offers a variety of dining options, including a main restaurant, dedicated ice cream and cold drink kiosks, and a train ticket office that stocks a wide selection of food and refreshments. Exceptions are made for baby food and visitors with severe dietary allergies.
The statement continued: "As I have said previously, if you ran a restaurant then you wouldn't want people turning up and eating their own food on your premises or car park. Thank you for respecting our policy, supporting our business, and helping us keep Fletchers here instead of more houses."
A friendly reminder was issued to all customers that the entire garden centre site and Gentleshaw Rescue Centre remain picnic-free zones. All outdoor tables are reserved for visitors enjoying food and drinks from Fletchers Farmhouse Kitchen, The Train Shed, and Wacky Shack.
