Broadcaster and Dobbies’ ambassador, Jo Whiley, officially opened Dobbies’ newest store at Tewkesbury last week.

Jo was joined by ITV This Morning’s gardening presenter, Daisy Payne; The Mayor of Tewkesbury Borough, Councillor John Murphy; and Dobbies’ team members along with a range of key people from across the region and those involved in the project to celebrate the launch of Dobbies’ new flagship store.

Local school children and charity representatives were among the first through the doors of the new store.

Graeme Jenkins, CEO at Dobbies Garden Centres, said: “As our biggest store in the Southwest, the opening of Dobbies’ Tewkesbury is an important and exciting milestone, and we look forward to being part of vibrant and visionary upcoming retail destination as the Cotswolds Designer Outlet develops.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in bringing the store to fruition for all their hard work and we hope our customers will enjoy the exceptional shopping experience that Dobbies’ Tewkesbury will offer.

“We also look forward to building on our work in the local community, having already starting supporting Ashchurch Primary School with a new vision for their garden and supplying great value products from the store.”

Jo Whiley said: “I’ve had a fantastic time opening Dobbies’ newest store. With such a diverse range of products, from plants and gardening, to homeware and pets, there’s something for all members of the family, which will make it a brilliant day out.”

Spanning 70,000 sq ft, the Tewkesbury store represents one of Dobbies’ biggest garden centres and as well as creating around 100 jobs for local and neighbouring communities, it is expected to serve more than 750,000 customers each year – underlining the company’s ongoing growth across the UK. The launch comes just in time for Christmas, with the new store featuring Dobbies’ full festive product range.

The purpose-built store features heating and lighting generated by efficient low carbon energy technologies while rainwater harvesting has been incorporated for plant irrigation and all timber used in the fitout is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. EV charging points are available in the car park and through the Too Good to Go food surplus scheme, Dobbies will save fresh and delicious surplus food that would typically be wasted.

The Tewkesbury store features Dobbies’ range of plants, houseplants, gardening products, seasonal items, pet range, cookshop, home décor, gifts and toys, as well as a Walter Smith butcher and Waitrose products in the foodhall.

The store also features a Little Seedlings soft play area for children and a 10,000 sq ft restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.

Reinforcing its reputation as a go-to destination for a magical Christmas experience, a programme of  festive events calendar will begin in late November, with something for everyone including a Christmas Shopping Night in aid of Dobbies’ National Charity Partner, Teenage Cancer Trust, as well as Santa’s Grotto, Santa Paws and festive afternoon tea.

The new Dobbies store is the first phase of a major development, brought together by Robert Hitchins Ltd, which also includes the forthcoming Cotswolds Designer Outlet, expected to open in 2024, and 1,310 homes being built to the south. The whole development is sited in a prime location at J9 of the M5 and close to Ashchurch for Tewkesbury train station.

Simon Tothill, Property and Development Director of Robert Hitchins Ltd, said:"We are delighted to be working with Dobbies and investing with them into the future in what forms part of a large and exciting mixed-use development, including the Cotswolds Designer Outlet." 

See GTN Xtra's photo tour of the new centre below and look out for a full interview with Graeme Jenkins in the November issue of GTN magazine.