Imagine reindeers crooning Mariah Carey tunes, handcrafted cable cars and countless rows of twinkling Christmas lights. This isn’t your typical Winter Wonderland but a Welsh garden centre or, rather, a village brimming with Instagram-worthy photo spots, stunning decorations for Christmas inspiration, and a café that takes its menu as seriously as the horticultural advice dispensed.
Pugh’s Garden Village, boasting centres in Wenvoe, Vale of Glamorgan, and another on the outskirts of Cardiff, pulls out all the stops for the festive season. The commitment shines not only through their array of fairy lights, gift assortments and seasonal flora, but also in the extra effort they put into the shop decorations and the enchanting Santa’s Grotto, which makes a comeback to the Wenvoe site this year for the first time since pre-Covid.
The creative team at Pugh’s begins assembling the displays as early as August, and the results are certainly worth it. With three distinct areas – Apres Ski, Country Retreat, and The Playroom – the latter is a fun, toy-centric display featuring dancing trees, Teddy bears, and Santa’s workshop.
It aligns with the 2025 Noah’s Ark Charity’s Power of Play appeal, raising funds for the children’s hospital at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
The charm of Pugh’s lies in its abundance of sights to behold as you meander through. There’s also a delightful display of winter flora for those seeking a more naturalistic look.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Pugh’s is day out in itself given the ample opportunities for browsing and purchasing – not to mention the bustling restaurants and coffee shops that are nearly full by 10.30am on a Monday.
With a commitment to local suppliers and produce, the Christmas menu follows suit, featuring sausages, burgers and more from Abergavenny butcher Neil Powell.
Imagine Christmas fries heaped with smoked bacon, Camambert, gravy, stuffing and crispy onions, or the Bad Santa Burger – a towering feast of two beef patties, braised turkey thigh, braised red cabbage, American cheese, camembert, sage and onion mayo, chipolatas and red wine jus. And let’s not forget the fried chicken doused in a tangy buffalo cranberry sauce.
This is a festive menu that breaks all conventions, a far cry from your typical garden centre café fare!
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