Last month saw the official opening of the new restaurant at Highfield Garden World, a development inspired by a stop-off for a coffee on the way to have Sunday lunch with Edinburgh Woollen Mills in Cockermouth.  Joint owner Tim Greenaway tells GTN Food Xtra the story behind the new development:

“The company was started in 1921 and moved to Whitminster in 1935. Joan, my mother, now the joint owner of the business, started working for them as a part time secretary in 1975.  Little did she know then that one day she would be standing here in this development.  We never had a garden centre, we still have the original nursery in the village and we still grow but in 1987 we did a management buy-out from the previous owner who retired and Joan then pushed forward for the garden centre to be built on this site. We didn’t have any money and very little experience so Barclays lent us the money, a lot of money in those days, and we built the centre."

"We struggled for a few years, things were not easy, but the business grew and grew. We ploughed profits back into the business and expanded as we were able.  Five years ago we were approached by Edinburgh Woollen Mills who wanted to have a concession on the site.  Steve Simpson, their Commercial Director said 'come for Sunday lunch, I live in Cockermouth.'  So a round trip of 550 miles for Sunday lunch actually saw the seeds sown for this development.  Joan and I visited somewhere on the way and while we were sitting having a coffee we said if ever we rebuild or renew the restaurant, this is the type of outlook and view we want.  It was just that chance visit five years ago that led to the development we are in today."

"We have been incredibly lucky in working with some marvellous people to get this off the ground. I would like to pay tribute to Chris Primett from Malcolm Scott Consultants, who have been the architects.  Chris has been an absolute guiding light.  I know he has relentlessly toured garden centres and their restaurants sampling their coffee and admiring their views throughout the country.  It was his vision that has seen us be here tonight.  We have also been fortunate to work with a great contractor in Hodges and in particular Graham Jones their MD and Carl Odom, who really should be called Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen for all his design input."

"Throughout this, Highfield staff have also been brilliant.  They have endured 18 months of upheaval, we’ve had to move departments, we’ve had to carry on trading as a business which has been extremely difficult at times.  We’ve had to cram things into areas where they weren’t meant to go.  Not only have we carried on trading, we’ve actually increased turnover during the build period."

"Our new Restaurant Manager used to be our IT Manager, who decided he would like a change of career.  It was a big shock to Jamie Lewis but he has stepped up to the mark."

"We’ve also been very fortunate in using where ever possible a lot of local companies – for telecoms, security, alarms and all our concrete came from only a mile away."

"But if there is one person who all this is due to it’s got to be my mother Joan, for taking that job back in 1975."

"Finally, Barclays Bank, Kay Bethencourt, who stepped up to the mark again and lent us some of the money, not all of it.  As a family business we can be a bit impulsive at times.  Chris Primett got us the planning permission two years ago, but we hadn’t got the funding sorted.  Yes, we’d got funds, we thought we should push the button, let’s go for it and worry about getting the funding afterwards.  I thought we could fund this for six to eight months, then we’ll need some money and eventually Barclays won through.”

Kay Bethencourt from Barclays, pictured with Tim and Jean, who organised and sponsored the opening event said that the first time she saw the project was when there were plans across Tims desk and was thinking:  How much retail space are they actually going to put there? 

"It’s now fantastic to see everything here what a great facility it is, she told the gathering, "As anybody who’s ever had an extension put on their home or office knows how much disruption that causes.  So you can only imagine the disruption that has been caused to Highfield during this development.  Credit has to go to all at Highfield for not only continuing to trade but also to increase turnover and profitability. 

"I’ve been delighted to support this family that have been in business here for 27 years and support you in a small way with the funding towards this development.  I wish you continued success and I’m sure the location and facilities you have here have set you apart already from many of your competitors and really will provide a positive economic contribution to the local economy.