Cowdray Reviews 

Went to the Maize Maze Queued for ages for food. Got given two rank coffees with out of date gone off milk. Then 2 year out of date ketchup sachets.

Good setting but avoid the food or be very careful with kids. And to top it off we stupidly went back for an evening event and got charged £65 for a bottle of Tesco rose that retails at £10.99. Total rip off and unsafe food. Desperately disappointed after trying to support this local attraction.

We never normally write reviews but this was shockingly bad.

Had 2 quiches £6 each, couple of mouthfulls and bin devoured them!!! Seemed undercooked and strange texture.

No customer service at their cafe- was left waiting with no indication of what is happening after having asked for a lunch menu to dine in.
Reading other reviews about their food on Google maybe just as well we gave it a miss.

This is a review for the cafe - not the shop! They are independently run from each other (or so it seems), and as bad as the cafe can be, the shop is a place where customer service comes first and you'd made to feel welcomed.
Have been a regular customer for over a year.
The cafe is frequented by mostly pensioners especially during weekdays and families are also common on weekends. (This is not a place where young people hangout).
So, in general the food at the cafe is very good, even though the variety can be limited. Vegan/vegetarian tastes are well-catered for, and meat-lovers would also be happy (albeit with a limited choice of just a burger or a stake, for lunch).
If you have a sensitive tummy, stay off seafood and only eat well-cooked food.
On the other hand, the service can be anything.
The cafe seems to employ a steady and ever-changing stream of teenagers as waiting staff. You may argue that's to give young people some work experience or (most likely) to benefit from their lower wages... Whatever the reason is, their luck of experience shows through. Orders can be taken down wrong, arrive late or never (!) There is no way to tell what's going on. You may visit on busy day and served amazingly, or go on a winter day and wait for ever. To make matters even worse, there is an older lady there (Caroline? - longish blond hair, overweight, short statue) who may make your experience unbearable. My impression is that she is most likely racist. She would typically greet and make quaint jokes to some, but be unfriendly and very rude (shouting out an order, as if you're deaf, if she thinks you would not understand her English), or in any way appear to her as "foreign". You may argue there is a business case for exploiting young people, but I'd suggest there is a never a case for employing racists.
Unfortunately, the shop next door does not sell sandwiches or other ready to eat stuff (except delicatessen, dips & chips), so you cannot really get a sandwich and avoid the hassle of the cafe. If you feel lucky or desperate to eat proceed with caution. It may be a good idea to double check with the waiting person what they have written down.
Last but not least, the coffee they serve is absolutely bad! Very bitter, not strong and hugely overpriced.