Anyone who considers themselves a bit of a green thumb has no doubt made their way into the Gateshead-based nursery, Poppy’s Home & Garden. Known for their beautifully designed space, diverse offering, relaxing and friendly environment, their ever-so-helpful staff, and of course; their café space!

Since the business’ inception back in 2006, Poppy’s has become a go-to for many keen gardeners, as it has for many to drop in for a coffee and cake in their cosy green oasis at Poppy’s Verandah Café. With restrictions coming into place back in March 2020, owners Kaye & Doug used that as the perfect opportunity to inject a whole lot of new life into the café space.

“When COVID hit, and I just hated the café space out here, so it was the best time to make a change. I knew if I was going to work this hard at my age, I really didn’t want to keep working in the space the way it was,” Kaye shared.

If you’ve yet to venture out to the Gateshead location, then there’s a good chance you haven’t experienced their newly launched space that brings a whole new elevated element to the business’s offering.

Step inside to the glamorous space that has been decked out to the nines with every piece of furniture, wall covering, and even light fittings updated. From the oversized chandelier, the colourful wallpaper, exposed bar storage, curves above the booth seating, to even the fabrics chosen throughout; each detail has been thought about carefully.

It all feels rather magical as it draws from the fact it’s based inside a nursery. You’re surrounded by thriving plants, beautiful vases, and scents from their candle offering. It all speaks of where you actually are but makes itself a destination on its own.  

Taking the reins when it came to pulling the space together, Kaye pulled on her past experience of working and owning two retail spaces and utilised those design skills she used when designing those spaces to put a whole lot of personality, love, and creativity into the revamped space.

“When I had my stores, I used to always decorate them with chandeliers and Designer Guild fabrics. So, when we had decided to renovate in here, it was a no-brainer to use their fabric.

“Doing this was going to be my last project, so why not go out with a bang! When you’re younger you are constantly evolving, but when you get to my age, you’ve done all of these things but really, how much longer can I keep inventing and creating something. This is my last hurrah so that’s why we went all out.”

The curves above the booths are designed to create a train station vibe but almost play perfectly amongst the garden atmosphere; similar to those gorgeous archways you might find whilst exploring magical gardens.

“I wanted the front section to be its own space with the big chandelier, then we divided that off with the table. Then when you turn around and you’ve got this train station. We kind of created it so that each time you enter a space, it’s a whole new experience.”

Poppy’s Verandah Café makes an impact, not only from the creative design, but the menu packs a punch offering not only your expected coffee and cakes but now expands into a more thorough lunchtime offering.

“I think a lot of people think of the space as somewhere just to have coffee and cake, but once you come in here you can see the potential and our extensive restaurant offering. We’re focussing on building the restaurant up into somewhere people come and devour a bottle of wine whilst enjoying a lovely lunch with friends and family.”

Whilst we dropped by to obviously explore the incredible café space, it didn’t take much convincing to spend some time exploring the nursery too. If you’ve yet to visit this place, you need to pop it atop your to-visit list, because it’s just such an incredible space.

Browse the ever-so-diverse and unique choices of plants, products, giftware, and never-ending ideas for your home and garden. Chat to the knowledgeable staff before heading on your way with a whole lot of friendly advice.

Need some weekend plans? Take some time and head to Poppy’s to do a little, green-based retail therapy before heading over to the Verandah Café to sit down and enjoy a delicious meal and a round of wines.