Independent Scottish garden centre group Caulders has completed an investment of almost £1 million in the transformation of its newest centre, Caulders Merryhatton.

Situated near North Berwick in East Lothian, Merryhatton joined the Caulders family in June and reopened to customers as Caulders Merryhatton on Saturday 8 August following an extensive refurbishment programme.

The acquisition takes the family-owned group to 11 garden centres across Scotland and represents a significant investment in both Merryhatton and the surrounding area.

The redevelopment has brought substantial improvements throughout the site. The outdoor plant area has almost doubled in size, allowing Caulders to significantly expand the range of quality plants, trees, shrubs and gardening products available at the centre.

Major external works have also been completed, including the tarring and monoblocking of previously undeveloped areas and a significant extension to the customer car park. These improvements have increased parking capacity, enhanced accessibility and created a much more attractive and welcoming arrival at the centre.

Inside, the garden centre has been extensively refurbished to introduce the wider selection of gifts, homeware, gardening products and outdoor living collections for which Caulders has become known.

At the heart of the transformation is a brand-new Caulders restaurant, created in the style that has become such an important part of the group’s successful garden centre model.

The new restaurant offers Caulders’ familiar combination of freshly prepared, home-cooked food, generous portions, homemade cakes and friendly service within a bright and welcoming new environment. Significant investment has also been made behind the scenes in the kitchen and operational areas, ensuring the restaurant is equipped to serve the centre and the local community for many years to come.

Since reopening, customer support and early trading have been extremely encouraging, with sales across both the garden centre and restaurant exceeding the company’s initial expectations.

Mandy Barrie, co-owner and Organisational Director of Caulders Garden Centres, said: “Although we believed Merryhatton was a wonderful fit for Caulders, the response since we opened has exceeded even our expectations. Sales have been extremely encouraging, but what has meant most to us has been the warmth of the welcome and the level of support we have received from customers and the local community.

“We have invested almost £1 million because we could see the enormous potential in Merryhatton. It is in a beautiful location, has an established customer base and, most importantly, has a team of people who genuinely care about the centre and its customers.

“One of the most important parts of the development has been almost doubling the size of the plant area. Plants are at the heart of Caulders, and the additional space will allow us to offer customers a much wider range while creating an inspirational and enjoyable environment in which to shop.

“We have also made a considerable investment in the exterior of the site. The extended and upgraded car parking, new tarring and monoblocking have made an enormous difference to both the appearance and accessibility of the centre.

“There are still some finishing touches and further improvements to come, but we are absolutely delighted with what has already been achieved. Merryhatton feels very much like part of the Caulders family, and we are incredibly excited about its future.”

Caulders was founded by Colin and Mandy Barrie in 1999, when they opened their first small plant centre at Mugdock Country Park. The business has since grown steadily to become one of Scotland’s leading independent garden centre groups, now operating 11 centres and employing more than 500 people.

Despite that growth, the company remains family-owned and continues to build its business around what it describes as “new ideas and old-fashioned principles” – combining continued investment and development with knowledgeable staff, friendly service and a strong focus on the customer experience.

The investment at Merryhatton forms part of Caulders’ continued commitment to developing high-quality garden centres and restaurants that serve as destinations for their local communities.

Caulders Merryhatton is located at 11 Holding, East Fortune, North Berwick, East Lothian, EH39 5JS, and is open seven days a week.