You almost detect a tear in his eye as Scotts Miracle-Gro’s CEO Jim Hagedorn told investors last week: “This is a bit of a bittersweet moment for us.”

He had just announced that Scotts had received a binding offer from Exponent Private Equity of around $250 million for its non-US businesses, which includes Miracle-Gro in the UK and Europe. The deal is expected to be completed by 30 September.

They were selling good businesses, he said. “In fact, international is out-of-the-gate strong this season, which reinforces the challenge that this was not…it was not the business, it was our ownership.”

It was, he said, all about accepting that Scotts could achieve better growth and margin opportunities in its home territory, the United States, “and that's where it makes sense for us to invest. If we're not willing to invest in these other businesses, then we owe it to everyone, especially our associates, to put these businesses in the hands of a better owner.”

He believed Exponent was the right owner. “They're excited about the category, our brands, and the opportunity to grow. Since this is likely my last time to publicly do so, I want to thank and congratulate our associates in these businesses.”

This will have been welcomed by the hard-working Miracle-Gro Company team down at Frimley, who would have been forgiven had they found the recent ownership uncertainty a tad unsettling.

Jim recalled how his career in lawn and garden started in Europe when his father, Horace, sent him over to England to launch Miracle-Gro. “I know what this industry is like over there. I know that it's more complicated, more competitive, and just flat out harder than the United States. Our people in Europe and Australia have done an outstanding job and probably haven't always received the credit they deserve. I want to thank them and wish them good luck with Exponent.”

He also thanked the friends he had made over here on the retail side of the business. “I'm really going to miss you guys.”

Pass the Kleenex…

The momentary melancholy was lifted, though, when he reminded his audience that once the deal was done, the company re-configured and the cash in the bank, more than 95% of the sales and profit would be derived from the United States.

And a lot of it, he hopes, will come from the burgeoning cannabis industry, which Scotts’ Hawthorne subsidiary is busily servicing as we speak.

CFO Randy Coleman (also Executive Vice-President) said the combined impact of selling the international businesses and hitting the company’s financial targets this year would improve the operating margin by 17%.

He also confirmed Scotts would maintain the UK and German employee pension plans. “That was part of the arrangement from day one as we talked to Exponent, the buyer, and we're comfortable with that,” he added.

We asked Exponent PE's Simon Davidson (pictured right) if he would like to comment further but had not received a reply as this edition was being prepared. Sheila Hill, who runs the UK division, also declined to comment.

[Our thanks to analysts Seeking Alpha of New York for the transcript of last week's Scotts Miracle-Gro earnings call, from which this article was prepared]


Post Script:  US market websites have also reported this weekend that Jim Hagadorn sold shares worth $2.93m on Wednesday 3rd May. American Banking News states he now directly owns 99,006 shares in the company, valued at $8,8m. 

As predicted the cold winds blew garden centre sales off course. Volume sales for the last week of April in the GTN Bestsellers charts ending the month up 9.5% on April last year but nowhere near the record high of 2011 or the recent high of 2015.

There were high spots for veg plant sales and growing media, both up year-on-year in the GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales indices. With new records set for April, any notion of grow-your-own falling out of favour can surely be put to bed for another year.

The overall success of the gardening year now rests on May’s weather. If it warms back up sooner rather than later the indicators are that 2017 will be one of the best years for garden centres in recent memory.

While the colder weather meant overall plant sales volumes dropped last week, brightly coloured osteospermums and begonias that are looking good were among the big movers in terms of increased volume sales. The value of great looking displays of your bestselling plants is emphasised as eight of the Top 20 plants increased sales even in the cold winds whereas only seven of the remaining Top 50 managed to move up.


Image: Burncoose Nurseries

• Osteospermums increased sales by 18% and moved into the top 3.

• Begonias zoomed up 56% week on week and are now at No 8.

• Cosmos had the week’s highest percentage growth, up 60% at No 32

Gardena has opened its first UK Ambassador Store at Gordale Nurseries garden centre on the Wirral.

The shop-within-a-shop display showcases the entire Gardena range from watering to tools, secateurs and the new Smart automation system.

Gardena’s UK account manager Paul Simpson (right) says Gordale has been a long-term supporter of the brand, which consistently delivers outstanding sales. “They have invested in excellent staff, who have acquired the right knowledge and taken enough time to explain the high performance and special features of the products,” he told GTN Xtra. “A good example is our new Smart system, which enables you to control watering and a robot mower via a smartphone app. They go to great lengths to make sure customers understand how the system works.”

Another potential selling point the team can explain is that Gardena’s new generation of hose-end sprayers is now frost-proof, addressing a common consumer issue in this category. The ‘Made in Germany’ angle is also being highlighted.

Gordale’s display is a fully-merchandised dedicated department with comprehensive branding and POS.

A new nationwide media campaign, Gardena’s first in the UK for more than 10 years, launched in April and runs until the end of May, with a reach of more than 21 million consumers. TV ads on Sky, ITV and Channel 4 will focus on watering, while print and digital content will be both watering and secateurs.

With expansion in mind, the company recently appointed two new account managers, Gary Fisher (left in picture) and Michael Holden.

Garden tools and accessories manufacturer Burgon & Ball helped world-famous Champagne house Taittinger make history last week by providing spades to break first ground at a new vineyard in Kent - the first planting in the UK by a Grande Marque Champagne house.

They hope to produce premium English sparkling wines from the Domaine Evremond site near Chilham in Kent. Burgon & Ball supplied spades and commemorative trowels specially engraved to mark the occasion.

Champagne Taittinger approached Burgon & Ball after a recommendation from the Royal Horticultural Society. The aptly-named Groundbreaker spade was selected for the ceremony; the high performance stainless steel design received the House Beautiful Best Garden Product award in 2016.

The historic first UK vines were planted by Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, president of Champagne Taittinger, accompanied by his wife and daughter, and representatives from Taittinger's UK agency and partner Hatch Mansfield.

In addition, in chilly and wet conditions, more than 200 guests planted their own vines with their individually numbered souvenir trowels.

Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger said: “Our aim is to make something of real excellence in the UK, and not to compare it with Champagne or any other sparkling wine. We are very excited that this dream is now becoming a reality.”

Heather Culpan, managing director of Burgon & Ball said: "It's wonderful that Champagne Taittinger and its partners are embarking upon this project to create new premium English sparkling wines, with an outstanding French heritage. We are thrilled that our beautiful Groundbreaker spades have been able to play a small part in the day.”

The site has a combination of chalk soils, climate and topography perfect for grape growing and will be ideal for producing quality sparkling wine. The new vineyard will see a total of 40 hectares planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier vines over the next two to three years. The first English sparkling wine produced at the site should be released for drinking in 2023, after three years of ageing in the bottle. Read more about the new vineyard here.

Pictured: Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger (left) of Champagne Taittinger and Patrick McGrath MW of Hatch Mansfield break ground using Groundbreaker spades.

A stunning conference centre built by Smiemans, who have provided many UK garden centres with new buildings, was opened recently at Baarn in the Netherlands.

The Bomencentrum Nederland (Nertherlands Tree Centre) was commissioned by owner Hans Blokzij. It sits in a waterside setting in the middle of 25 hectares of parkland.

Among the highlights of the 9m-high design is the Victorian style roof – a technical tour de force, particularly because of its curved wood and glass elements. Wooden rafters made of Austrian pine have been used for the load-bearing structure, on top of which are coated steel profiles. The sidewalls were fitted with clear glass and green-tinted glass was used on the steel roof structure. The combination gives the project a beautiful, warm appearance.

The new building’s basement has conference rooms, the ground floor space can be divided into multifunctional areas and the turrets on the second floor contain the kitchen, the toilet facilities and an office.

MIII Architecten designed the project, which involved:

• 1.705 pieces of aluminium glass profiles and rubbers
• 900 pieces aluminium flashing
• 307 steel purlins
• 63 steel curved trusses
• 232 pieces of roof glass
• 60 pieces of dome glass
• 162 pieces of gable glass 

The Kelkay sales team’s commitment to servicing garden centres has enabled the company to expand deliveries to hundreds of businesses the length and breadth of the UK.

Richard Pyrah and his experienced team of sales agents have grown their distribution nationally from their base in East Yorkshire and now have stockists in the most northerly and one of the most southerly garden centres in the UK.

Wellpark Garden Centre in Orkney receives its Kelkay deliveries via Airdrie, with the last leg of the journey by boat.

 “We have been trading with Kelkay for about a year now and have found them to be a great company to work with, the deliveries are quick and the product is good,” said Wellpark’s Kirsten Glue. “It's always packaged well and prices are reasonable too. The relationship with our sales agent is great, nothing is ever too much hassle for him, it's as easy as just picking up the phone and asking for a few pallets and it's done.

 “The products that stand out for us are the stepping stones. We do very well with these and they are definitely a top seller.”

Homeleigh at Launceston is Cornwall’s largest garden centre and Kelkay’s most southerly main stockist for the range of paving and water features.  Kelkay also has stockists in both the north and south of Ireland at Donnaghadee and Cork.

Click here for more information.

Along with growing media, the GTN Bestsellers Veg2Gro index bucked the other trends for the week with a 21% increase on the same week last year.

That meant April was a super month for Veg2Gro sales, ending up 52% on April 2016. With growing media sales running at an all-time high for the month, we can only assume much of this veg is being planted in raised beds or other veg planters.

• Quantil Butternut Squash romped up the chart to No 16 to lead the climbers.
• Quantil Courgettes toppled tomatoes off the top spot...
• But six of the Top 10 veg plant sales were still tomatoes.

Sally van der Horst, secretary of Fleuroselect in Noordwijk was taken by surprise last week when she learned that a new pelargonium had been named after her.

Pelargonium ‘Sally’ is an orange variety in the Toscana series from Florensis and was named in her honour for 25 years of service at Fleuroselect, the international organisation for pot and bedding plant breeders.

In the presence of 50 members and supporters, Sally was presented with a sample of the new plant glass in a specially-designed pot.

Jean-Francois Ignasse, vice president Fleuroselect, said: “As an international organization for pot and bedding plant breeders we found Pelargonium ‘Toscana Sally’ the most appropriate way to thank Sally for her boundless enthusiasm and dedication over the past 25 years.”

A surprised Sally said: “If there is anything that is special about this industry, then it is the wonderful people we work with every day, along with a wonderful product.”

Fryer’s Garden Centre at Knutsford was named as Blue Diamond’s Best Garden Centre of 2016 at the group’s annual awards.

The centre, acquired by Blue Diamond in 2011, fought off challenges from 16 other centres, including regional rivals Trentham and Grosvenor.

For the second year in a row, The Vines Restaurant at Chatsworth Garden Centre (above) was nominated Restaurant of the Year.

Blue Diamond’s MD, Alan Roper, told staff who assembled in Coventry for the awards that the group was close to achieving £100m turnover. This “landmark progress” was down to excellent customer service, quality products and re-investing profits rather than taking on debt.

Thrive’s new chair of trustees, Faith Ramsay, is in a great position to extol the positive benefits gardening can have.

The former city banker and mum-of-two left her lucrative career in London to re-train as a garden designer and in doing so, look after her mental and physical health.

Cambridge graduate Faith, a whizz with numbers and analytics, went into accountancy and banking straight after her degree because, as she says, “that’s what I was good at”.

 “I didn't really think about doing anything else at that time," she said, “and for 15 years I worked in various jobs within the world of finance, dealing with investments and asset management, travelling a lot and getting more senior positions; but none of it was making me happy.”

In fact this fast-paced, competitive lifestyle started to have a negative effect on her health.

Faith has suffered with depression since her teenage years and also lives with Hypermobility and Fibromyalgia – a long term condition that causes pain all over the body. She has always managed her symptoms with medication and therapy, but after a second bout of post-natal depression following the birth of her youngster daughter who’s now seven, (she also has a ten-year-old son and 18-year-old step daughter) she decided to make some changes in her life.

"When I got pregnant we decided to move out of London permanently and bought the house in Berkshire which came with four acres," said Faith.

“I remember standing outside the house, looking at all the space and feeling an overwhelming sense of duty to care for this amazing garden (pictured).

 “My initial plan was to go back to work part time, and I did some consultancy in city finance, but as I got more into looking after the garden, and with a new baby and a toddler at home, I literally felt drawn towards the earth so gave up work.

“During my post-natal depression I would go out and do some weeding, get my hands stuck in the soil, rip out nettles, and it honestly made me feel better. This is green care working for someone who was not feeling at all well - although I didn't really know this at the time, I was ‘self-prescribing’ gardening.”

Faith’s introduction to Thrive came when a leaflet came through her door and she decided to attend one of the charity’s open gardens. At the time she was also immersing herself in garden books and going on RHS courses, leaving the financial world for good.

With a diploma in garden design under her belt and a new life of gardening, plants and children, Faith started to build up her new garden design business whilst supporting Thrive and keeping herself informed about what was going on there.

 “I was earning 10% of what I used to in the city, but I was 100% happier,” said Faith.

Using her new skills, she designed a garden for Naomi House Hospice, where she is a trustee, which gave her a great insight in how gardens should work for patients, their siblings, families, staff and volunteers.

 “When I first visited Thrive four or five years ago, I was expecting show gardens; I hadn’t fully appreciated what the charity was about, and it wasn’t until half way through a garden tour by one of the horticultural therapists that I really got it and thought ‘wow’

 “The work Thrive does in helping people achieve what they want, feel healthier, happier and confident, is truly inspiring.

 “I look forward to doing whatever I can to help Thrive and bring it to the attention of more and more people.

 “It is the leading horticultural therapy charity in the UK and has a worldwide reputation, offering training and education that’s second to none and we should be proud of that. As chair of trustees, I certainly am.”

April was a better month for Garden Product sales than last year. The Top 50 index finished up 4.7% on 2016 but a long way off the previous peak in 2014.

Pots and hanging baskets accounted for many of the lines that increased sales.

If that was achieved despite a cold week, it could indicate a huge potential for later in May when warmer weather finally arrives.

• Gardman Hanging Basket Coco liners were the week’s top climber, up 18 places
• Re-entry of the same supplier’s hand trowel at No 23 indicates serious gardening intent.

To subscriber to GTN Bestsellers, email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Peckish is getting ready to help retailers ‘unlock’ the birdcare category this autumn.

With more than 40 new products in the pipeline, Peckish is getting set to swoop in with a new offering of bird food, feeders and hardware to capture consumers’ attention in store.

Enter into the Secret Garden is a through-the- keyhole experience that will feature exclusive designs, antique features and a more decorative garden look and feel. Designed to appeal to ‘romantic’ gardeners, a new consumer category discovered through Peckish insight, it targets consumers who want to create an oasis of calm and a return to the simplicity and playfulness of days gone by.

Expansion of Peckish Natural Balance The range will now include a variety of sizes and formats designed to appeal to entry level consumers to work with the natural balance of the garden. With 100% natural ingredients, the range has broad appeal and a quality look and feel.

Hardware and Accessories Driving ‘add on’ sales, the new range of feeders, hardware and accessories will educate the consumer on how to get the best from their bird feeding experience.

A ‘must have’ for Christmas Westland are not releasing details yet but is confident that everyone will want one in their Christmas stocking…

Rachael Dickinson, senior marketing manager for Peckish, said: “With more than 40 new products coming this autumn/winter, we’re looking forward to driving the bird care category forward, tapping into the latest consumer insight and trends.

Further details are expected to be announced next month.

Sales of growing media may have dropped week-on-week but they were still up by 22% on the same week last year, ensuring April’s total growing media sales in the GTN Bestsellers Top 50 Index reached a record high, as we predicted last week. The month finished up 30% on last year.

• Strulch Organic Straw Mulch entered the chart for the first time at the relatively high position of No 32, suggesting that organics continue to be a priority for many gardeners.

• Westland John Innes No 1 for young plants proves that, as we head towards a peat-free retail growing media market, significant numbers of gardeners still prefer a tried and tested formula.

Garsons of Esher and Titchfield has been voted Best Garden Centre Retailer of Gifts in The Greats Awards 2017, organised by giftware trade magazine Progressive Gifts & Home.

They received their award at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London, last Thursday.

Following reports of genetically modified petunias being sold in Finland, the HTA has alerted the UK authorities to their existence in the UK supply chain for these bedding plants. The orange-coloured petunias pose no threat to people, animals or the environment. The petunias are not frost-hardy and neither the plants or their seeds will survive in a British winter.

Every effort is now being made to trace the plants so that they can be withdrawn from sale. We do not yet know how widespread they are in the UK supply chain. The production of genetically modified petunias is not authorised in the EU, and any plants and seed will be destroyed. The UK authorities will decide what action to take.

Evira, the Finnish food standards agency has reported that the original material was imported from Germany and the Netherlands. Investigations are being made in other EU member states to identify the scale of the spread. Petunias are one of the UK’s most popular bedding plants, used in pots, hanging baskets and flower beds. They are most commonly purple, white or mauve in colour. The Finnish researchers believe that the new orange colour has been created through genetic manipulation.

Petunias are the second most popular plant purchased at garden centres in the UK currently according to Epos data analysed for GTN Bestsellers.

From the Evira website: www.evira.fi

Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira has decided to remove from sale seeds and planting stock of the ornamental plant petunia characterised by the orange colour of the flowers which has been produced by means of genetic engineering. Genetically modified varieties of petunia are not authorised for cultivation in the EU. As a result of this, the petunia plants and the seed lot will be destroyed and any plants delivered for further growing on will be recalled from production. GM petunias do not cause any risk to people or the environment

In Evira's analyses, one lot of petunia seeds (African Sunset) as well as eight petunia varieties that had already been planted were found to be genetically modified: Pegasus Orange Morn, Pegasus Orange, Pegasus Table Orange, Potunia Plus Papay, Go!Tunia Orange, Bonnie Orange, Sanguna Patio Salmon and Sanguna Salmon.

The cuttings and seeds of the GM petunias have been imported to Finland from Germany and the Netherlands. Investigations are ongoing in EU member states to establish if GM petunia plants have been placed more widely on the market.

No risk to people or the environment

The orange petunias do not cause any risk to people or the environment. They are incapable of spreading into the wild in Finland. They are annuals, which means that petunia shoots cannot withstand frost. Petunia seeds are not winter-hardy either.

Petunia is an ornamental plant rich in blossoms, common in the summer. Petunia flowers are not naturally orange, but the new colour of the flower has been produced through genetic engineering.

A specific authorisation procedure is required before genetically modified plants are allowed to be cultivated and marketed in the EU. No application has been submitted for authorisation of genetically modified petunias in the EU and they have not been authorised to be imported, cultivated or marketed in any of the member states.

Only one genetically modified maize variety is authorised for cultivation in the EU. Some GM blue carnation varieties have been authorised for use as a cut flower only in the EU, but may not be cultivated in the EU countries. Genetically modified maize, soy and rape with EU authorisation may be imported into the EU for use in feed and food.

Hozelock has announced a partnership with Blooms for Bees, a citizen science project that promotes gardening to encourage bees.

The aim of this community science project is to discover how foliar feeding may increase floral abundance, nectar and pollen quantity and quality and, most importantly, bee visitation rates. Tubs, hanging baskets and window boxes are ideal ways to introduce flowers into the garden. The trial will determine the most effective way to keep pots and baskets blooming throughout the summer and this help bees in the garden.

In a planned trial, nasturtium seeds will be sown on three plots. One plot will be foliar fed weekly with water only, the second with comfrey tea and the third with seaweed feed.

The data collection will take place weekly between 8 June and 13 July to assess the health and growth of plants. The presence of pests, diseases and symptoms will also be assessed, as well as the number of open flowers.

To celebrate the 21st anniversary of BOPP (British Ornamental Plant Producers’ certification scheme) a special event for the ornamentals sector is being held on Tuesday 18 July at the HTA offices at Chilton in Oxfordshire.

This one day industry seminar will inform members on current industry issues, discuss the importance of certification in the sector and mark the milestone in BOPP’s history.

A two-course celebratory lunch will also be provided at the new headquarters of the HTA, which is the home of the BOPP Certification Scheme.

Confirmed speakers include Ed Birchall from APHA, Dr Gracie Barrett a AHDB Fellow at RHS Wisley and John Adlam.

Ed Birchall will provide an update on the current threat of Xylella outbreaks in the UK, as well as highlighting other relevant non-native species threats and the work of APHA to protect the UK.

Dr Gracie Barrett has been undertaking a AHDB Fellowship at RHS Wisley to look at Sustainable Resource Use in Horticulture (CP095). The project has taken a systems approach to delivering high quality plants grown in sustainable substrates, with efficient water use and novel nutrient uses. The presentation will provide an update on the project.

John Adlam from Dove Associates is a well-known figure in the horticulture industry and will be explaining to members how to develop a water management plan, which is one of the BOPP requirements. He will also explain recent changes in water legislation.

Also, joining the programme of speakers are Catherine Dawson from Melcourt Industries Ltd, and Raoul Curtis-Machin, HTA’s Director of Horticulture.

Catherine Dawson is the Technical Director of Melcourt Industries Ltd, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of sustainable growing media and bark products. She will provide an update on the Responsible Sourcing of Growing Media Scheme (P4).

Raoul Curtis-Machin will explain to delegates the recent activity to develop a Plant Health Management Scheme, as well as providing a policy update on neo-nicotinoids and other relevant issues to members.

The afternoon session will focus on the past, present and future of the BOPP Certification Scheme. A brief history and testimonials from members will be presented to mark the anniversary event.

The afternoon session will conclude with a motivational presentation from adventurer and personal trainer, Jason McKinlay. Jason will draw on the diverse range of endurance challenges and adventures he has taken on, which range from the Jungle Ultra Marathon, to the Mount Everest Marathon, Marathon des Sables in the Sahara, and most recently, his record breaking 2000-mile non-stop row around the British Isles.

You can book book now via this link 

Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts and weekly bestsellers sales tips.

The full charts which provide useful insight into product sales peaks, new trends and new link sales opportunities are published in the weekly GTN Xtra printed newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2014 as well as 2015 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

Access is by subscription only.  For £195.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 01733 775700, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

Highlights of the GTN Garden Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Garden Plants Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Veg-2-Gro Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers chart for this week are here

WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts seriously improve the business of our subscribers.  Invest 15 minutes each week in improving your sales using the GTN Bestsellers charts and your turnover and customer satisfaction will improve too.

Dobbies Garden Centres has announced that there will be three top industry professionals joining its restaurant team. 

Head of Restaurants, Costas Constantinou, one of twelve of Nicholas Marshall’s new recruits at Dobbies, has introduced a new structure to include Regional Restaurant Managers. The roles have been created to support the leading garden retailer’s 34 stores and lead on new initiatives for the business. 

Alan Waddington brings over 35 years of experience in the catering industry, including being a Regional Manager for Wyevale and Group Catering Manager for Aston Martin. Alan will take the lead in driving new initiatives to revamp the beverage offer across the centres. 

Susan Givens, was awarded the accolade of Restaurant Manager of the Year at Wyevale last year having built up a career in garden centre restaurants for over 17 years.  Susan has incredible baking skills and will form the core of Dobbies ‘freshly baked’ strategy. 

James White, formerly a Regional Manager at Wyevale has a career spanning over 15 years in garden centre restaurants.  James has extensive experience in project management and will form part of the restaurant regeneration programme. 

Costas commented: “Alan, Susan and James are joining the Dobbies team at the most exciting time.  With significant improvements planned for this year, the new Regional Restaurant Managers will be at the forefront of delivering unrivalled standards of food, service and customer experience”. 

The restaurant offer at Dobbies will be improved with local ingredients being at the fore. Working with British farmers and manufacturers to provide a variety of options to suit wider dietary requirements, as well launching a new children’s menu, are priorities for the new team to better serve customers visiting Dobbies. 

Fine food distributor Cotswold Fayre is developing its chilled operation by partnering with Chilled Logistics to extend distribution.

Chilled Logistics, owned by the Aktrion Group, is a temperature controlled distribution service, serving major food manufacturers. From its base in Northampton, the company operates across the whole of the UK and Europe with its fleet of temperature controlled vehicles.

Cotswold Fayre’s chilled operation will now be able to stretch as far north as York, reach Norwich, Portsmouth, Bournemouth and beyond Cardiff in Wales by the end of the year.

Tara Temniuk, Depot Manager at Chilled Logistics, says: “We are really excited to be adding Cotswold Fayre to our customer portfolio. Our service is of the highest quality and we believe that our experienced logistics team will help Cotswold Fayre’s chilled business expand a great deal by the end of 2017.”

Paul Hargreaves, chief executive at fine food distributor Cotswold Fayre, says: “The growth of our chilled business has previously been limited by our ability to scale up the distribution.  However, this new partnership with Chilled Logistics, will allow us to deliver to our existing and new customers within a 125 mile radius of their base in Northampton, with plans to further expand in the future.

 “Our customers are seeking to save time and improve the ordering process by reducing the number of individual suppliers.  Our very low minimum order of £100 makes it easy for our customers to use us for consolidation of their chilled supply with a weekly delivery.”

Now with 275 chilled products from 30 brands, Cotswold Fayre is continuing to grow its chilled business.  Most recently, the range of yogurts from Glenilen Farm, Pegoty Hedge ready-made meals and Nutmeg and Hive have joined the chilled range.