Otley Garden Centre unveils revamped restaurant with Mayoral Visit
Otley Garden Centre has marked the reopening of its popular restaurant, now renamed Blooms, with a celebratory visit from Otley Town Mayor Cllr Paul Carter and his wife, Denise, who enjoyed a special afternoon tea.
The £150,000 refurbishment introduces a fresh décor, new crockery, and a locally inspired design featuring limited-edition prints by Yorkshire artist Jane Gales. A new menu and full table service bring Blooms in line with other Yorkshire Garden Centres’ restaurants and have already proved popular with customers.
Catering manager Marina Jannetta expressed pride in the transformation, noting the mayor’s longstanding support of the garden centre. Cllr Carter praised the “beautifully presented” afternoon tea and the team’s success in enhancing the restaurant while preserving its family-run charm.
Yorkshire Garden Centres’ Managing Director Mark Farnsworth highlighted Otley Garden Centre’s legacy, founded by Stephen H. Smith in 1966, and the group’s ongoing commitment to sympathetic improvements using local tradespeople and supporting community initiatives like Wildlife Friendly Otley and Otley Food Bank.
Since joining the Yorkshire Garden Centres group in 2022, Otley Garden Centre has seen £750,000 invested in site upgrades and renewable energy. Plans for a Grass Hoppers indoor and outdoor play area have also been approved, with work scheduled to begin in January 2026.
The Yorkshire Garden Centres group now includes Tong, Tingley, Otley, Bingley and Pennine Garden Centres, along with Dean’s York and Scarborough.
www.yorkshiregardencentres.co.uk
Photograph caption: L – R Centre manager, Andy Bradley; catering supervisor James Pretty; Denise Carter, Cllr Carter, catering manager Marina Jannetta, assistant centre manager Rachel Bunby The mayor of Otley at Otley Garden Centre