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01
Apr
Knaresborough nurseries bought by national chain
A family-run garden centre established in Knaresborough for nearly 80 years has been bought by a national chain.
Moorland Nurseries and Garden Centre on Forest Moor Road in Calcutt will now be known as Knaresborough Garden Centre and will be the 79th location in British Garden Centres' network, which spans the whole of England and includes Harrogate Garden Centre on the A61 just north of Wormald Green.
The existing staff at Moorland Nurseries, which was founded in 1947, will remain in post, and new jobs are expected to be created. Its on-site Lime Tree Café concession will continue to operate as normal.
Amy Stubbs, managing director of British Garden Centres, said:
We are thrilled to welcome Knaresborough Garden Centre to the family as our 79th garden centre.
This centre is a perfect fit for us as a site that has pride itself on great quality plants of the years, we are excited to ensure this continues and bring more to the centre and local community.
Guy Merrin, the former owner of Moorland, said:
We would like to thank our loyal customers and dedicated team for their incredible support over the years. We wish British Garden Centres every success as they take the centre forward.
British Garden Centres is the UK’s largest family-owned garden centre group, and is owned and led by the Stubbs family, who also own and operate Woodthorpe Leisure Park in Lincolnshire.
The company was launched in 1990 with the opening of Woodthorpe Garden Centre by brothers Charles and Robert Stubbs. Since 2018, it has expanded rapidly with the acquisition of 50 garden centres.
The group has a team of over 3,500 employees working across the garden centres, restaurants, growing nurseries, distribution centres, and leisure park.
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