British Garden Centres is delighted to announce the acquisition of Millbrook Garden Centre's Staplehurst and Gravesend sites, bringing two of Kent’s most popular garden destinations into the BGC family and its portfolio to 77 sites.

While BGC already operates centres in Paddock Wood and Ramsgate, these new locations significantly scale the group’s footprint in Kent.  Millbrook was founded in 1979 by Dick and Sue Allen and has been led by their daughter, Tammy Woodhouse, for many years. By passing the baton to the Stubbs family, the deal ensures that the centres remain under family ownership, preserving the community-focused values established over the last 47 years.

British Garden Centres look forward to working with the strong existing team to continue the fantastic reputation these centres have built. The centres will be named Staplehurst Garden Centre and Pepper Hill Garden Centre.

Charles Stubbs, Founder and Director of British Garden Centres, said: “When we look at Staplehurst and Gravesend, we don't just see two outstanding garden centres, we see the passion, the dedication, that the Allen and Woodhouse families and their team have poured into these sites over the years.  We have enormous respect for everything Millbrook stands for, and I want every member of their team to know how genuinely welcomed they are into our family as we take the centres forward."

Tammy Woodhouse, Managing Director of Millbrook Garden Centres, added: "I am so proud of The Millbrook Garden Company, which was started by my parents – Sue and Dick Allen - 47 years ago and has grown into well respected industry leading business.  Our achievements are a testament to our passionate and dedicated team, and I must thank them for their support.  It has been a really difficult decision to sell Millbrook and leave the business and industry that we love, however with no next generation to take the reins, we felt that this was the right time to move on.  We are delighted to hand over to British Garden Centres and the Stubbs family and wish them every success in the future as they continue to grow and develop the centres.

The acquisition follows a phenomenal start to the year for British Garden Centres, which recently welcomed Dronfield and Grantham Garden Centre into its portfolio. The addition of the Millbrook centres represents the latest phase of great growth, which has seen the family-owned business nearly triple in size over the past decade.

To stay updated with the new Pepper Hill and Staplehurst sites, please follow the social media pages, which will soon be taken over by the British Garden Centres team https://www.facebook.com/MillbrookGCStaplehurst/ and https://www.facebook.com/MillbrookGardenCentreGravesend

British Garden Centres (BGC) is the UK’s largest family-owned garden centre group with 77 centres around the country. The group is owned and led by the Stubbs family, who also own and operate Woodthorpe Leisure Park in Lincolnshire.

BGC 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, allowing it to grow from its heartland to the business it is now, with 77 garden centres spread from Carmarthen to Ramsgate, Wimborne to East Durham.

The group has a team of over 3,500 colleagues working across the garden centres, restaurants, growing nurseries, distribution centres, Woodthorpe Leisure Park, and Woody’s Restaurant & Bar.

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Website: www.britishgardencentres.com