Whitehall Garden Centre on the market after branch sale

In late June, Whitehall Garden Centres confirmed the sale of its Whitchurch store, near Bristol, with Otter Garden Centres taking over the business.

Whitehall Garden Centres, a fourth-generation family business based in the south west, still operates two Wiltshire sites at Lacock, south of Chippenham, and Woodborough, near Pewsey.

But following the latest sale, its Woodborough branch remains on the market and is being advertised by estate agent Christie & Co as available for £1.25 million.

Whitehall’s Woodborough garden centre has been for sale for several months, as previously reported by this paper.

Christie & Co previously claimed the branch’s turnover was around £1.5 million, with the site housing indoor and outdoor retail sections as well as a farm shop, gift shop, and children’s play area, across 17 acres of land.

Whitehall garden centre (Image: Rightmove) The agent’s listing added there is potential to develop and expand the business further.

For now, customers can continue to use gift cards purchased at the Whitchurch store in the Lacock and Woodborough centres.

Claire Self, the director of Whitehall Garden Centres, added the decision to sell the Whitchurch branch to Otter Garden Centres was made because the firm would retain the site as a garden centre.

She said: “When we made the decision to sell our Whitchurch centre, it was important to us as a family to find the right buyer that will continue the store as a garden centre and keep our existing staff in their roles, some of which have been part of the Whitehall team for nearly 20 years.

“We are very pleased that Otter Garden Centres have bought the store, like us they are an independent family business with strong heritage and values.

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“We have worked closely with them as a family for many years now and their business values align with our own, with a large part of their business being focused on own grown plants and gardening we feel this will suit the centre well.

“We would like to thank all of our dedicated and hard-working staff that have been part of the Whitehall team for many years and we wish them all the best with the new direction of the store and the future with Otter.

“We would also like to thank all of our loyal customers who have visited the centre over the years and supported us as a business & family”.