Welcome to The Olive Tree Cafe

More than just a cafe!

At the Olive Tree Café, every cup of coffee, every pastry and every meal is crafted with care and dedication by our lovely team of volunteers and staff. It’s a place to make connections, slow down for just a few moments and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

Olive Tree Cafe in Swindon
Opening times:

Tue - Sat:  09:30am - 3:00pm
Sun:  10:30am - 2:00pm
Mon:  Closed

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Snacks, cakes and nibbles served all day
Hot food served until 2:00pm
Cold and hot drinks served all day
Garden seating for that warmer weather!

About the cafe

First opened in 2011, our aim is to provide opportunities for people dealing with mental health difficulties to learn new skills, build their confidence and to take their next steps in the world of work and beyond.

We are open to the public, offering an escape from the bustling world outside; a hub for conversation and friendship. Whether you find yourself a quiet corner inside, or take a seat in our sunny cafe garden, you will be able to choose from a menu made using freshly produced, locally sourced ingredients.

We're dog friendly!

We have dog-friendly tables in our garden room. Due to limited space we can only allow small dogs inside the cafe.

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Order a buffet box

Our delicious buffet boxes are available to order. Each box serves 6-8 people and costs £38. Visit our order page for more information and the booking form.

Hire our garden room

Our pretty garden room seats up to 32 people, and is available for groups to hire at a reasonable cost. 

Volunteering and work experience

View the volunteering and work experience opportunities available at the cafe.

Upcoming events at the cafe

Have a look and come along to one of the upcoming events being held at the Olive Tree Cafe.

Kitchen garden at the Olive Tree Cafe in Swindon

Kitchen garden

Our kitchen garden produces salad, vegetables and flowers. We use them in the café where they improve the quality of the food we offer, as well as offering them to our customers. Volunteers can join and learn growing skills. We now have a thriving garden, and some thriving volunteers!

Customers at Olive Tree Cafe in Swindon
Serving customer at the Olive Tree cafe in Swindon
Olive Tree Cafe seating area
The kitchen at Olive Tree Cafe
Outside seating at Olive Tree Cafe in Swindon
Outside seating at Olive Tree Cafe in Swindon

Take a look around!

The Olive Tree Cafe has several comfortable seating areas including our enclosed courtyard garden. 

TWIGS garden

The difference we're making

Our services have a real impact on people’s lives. Working in the friendly, supportive environment at the Olive Tree Cafe improves peoples’ confidence, helps them feel better about themselves and enables them to learn new skills.

They can then take steps (however large or small) to improve their overall well-being and grow again. Many go on to work, volunteering or further learning, which they say they would have struggled with before they came to us.

15% On to further learning
8% On to further volunteering
19% On to paid work
12% On to another experience or D of E Award

Graham Wiltshire
Cafe customer

“...it’s great to see people blossom as they gain confidence to take orders, serve at a table and take on cooking skills. It’s a calm environment and has a lovely outside area for spring and summer, and every now and then a piano player provides a lovely musical backdrop.”

Anonymous
Olive Tree Cafe service user

“I wake up on Mondays and know my life is a lot happier and healthier, knowing that I am spending my time giving, and getting back so much. My life would be empty without it!”

Adam Rose
New College Foundation Learning Lecturer and Job Coach

"The environment within Olive Tree Cafe was perfect for our students and the feedback from staff was supportive and encouraging. The team dynamic and bond within Olive Tree was so strong and despite the students being new, they were welcomed in from the get-go."

Phyllida Richards
Olive Tree Cafe Manager

“Here’s why we do this. Recently, one of our volunteers came in for coffee with a friend. The next day she was volunteering, and told me that as she was driving home at the end of the day she had a glimpse of ‘what a sense of belonging might feel like’ – she had never had that growing up, or in her work life… although she had provided that for many others.”

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Our partnerships

Just around the corner from us is TWIGS Community Gardens, also part of the The Recovery Tree Charity. The beautiful gardens at TWIGS provide tranquil spaces for relaxation and a chance to engage the senses.  A craft studio and woodworking shop offer the opportunity to be creative.

Support us

Please do consider supporting what we do. You can:

Donate: Every donation, large or small is so valued and goes directly towards the support we are able to provide.

Fundraise: Run, walk, bungie (or anything else!) in aid of The Recovery Tree Charity.

Spread the word: Tell your friends, family and colleagues. 

Thank you!

We are so grateful for your support, whether through donations, time or spreading the word about what we do. Thank you!

Donate via Paypal

You can make an online monetary donation to The Recovery Tree Charity using via our PayPal account.

Donate via Paypal

Donate while you shop online

You can support us while you shop online by registering with easyfundraising. Once registered, they will donate to us each time you shop. It’s free and helps us!

Go to easyfundraising

Swindon Community Lottery

Support us by playing the Swindon Community Lottery and have a chance to win cash prizes.

Play the Lottery

Volunteer in the cafe

We're always on the lookout for volunteers so if you have some time to spare, please view our volunteering page for opportunities and application form.

Volunteer

Contact the Olive Tree Cafe

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and one of the cafe team will respond as soon as possible. 

Olive Tree Cafe,
Manor Garden Centre,
Swindon,
SN2 2QJ

Get directions

Send us your enquiry

If you’re enquiring about a table booking, please note your booking is not confirmed until you hear back from us. You can also book a table here.

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More from The Olive Tree Cafe

Order a buffet box

Our delicious buffet boxes are available to order. Each box serves 6-8 people and costs £38. Visit our order page for more information and the booking form.

More on this

Hire our garden room

Our pretty garden room seats up to 32 people, and is available for groups to hire at a reasonable cost. 

More on this

Volunteering and work experience

View the volunteering and work experience opportunities available at the cafe.

More on this

Upcoming events at the cafe

Have a look and come along to one of the upcoming events being held at the Olive Tree Cafe.

More on this