A herb supplier in Chedburgh has opened a new garden centre at its site and says early days are proving very successful. Andrew Frewer runs the family wholesale business English Country Herbs at Bury Road, Chedburgh and decided to make use of a large empty glasshouse to grow plants to retail direct to the public.
Some 80,000 plants were grown from seed to produce a flourishing crop of autumnal and winter plants and so the Chedburgh Plant Centre was born. Andrew, 63, has been growing herbs for 32 years and continues to supply restaurants and hotels with herbs packed at his factory. The acre-sized glasshouse on the site has been empty for some years but is now filled with a range of plants. The new business also sells shrubs, compost, pots and planters. The plants are home grown and the shrubs sourced from a nursery in Stratford-upon-Avon. Helping Andrew are his daughters Claire and Gemma and son-in-law Steven who used to work for St Edmundsbury Borough Council in Bury?s award-winning Abbey Gardens. Andrew, said: ?We wanted to put the glasshouse to good use as it had been empty for some years and this weekend just past we had a really good flow of people. Andrew, who completed his horticiultural training at the former Isle of Eley College, said: ?I?ve always had a love of plants and flowers and so in June we decided to have a go. We bought loads of seeds and every one of them must have germinated as when we counted up we had 80,000 plants.
?I?m 63 and as for retiring, I?m totally committed to the business.? The plant centre is open Mondays to Saturdays 9am to 5pm and Sundays 10am to 4pm with free parking. Call 01284 771855 or look on its Facebook page for daily updates
