NW garden centre business receives £2m loan to help it emerge from lockdown

One of the region’s largest garden centres has secured £2m from Barclays via the CBILS (Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme), the Government-backed loan scheme.

The finance will ensure that Warrington-based Bents Garden and Home can get through a difficult time for the industry – which is seasonal and relies on Spring and Summer sales for a large proportion of its annual revenue.

Bents, based near Leigh, is a family-run garden centre first established in 1937.

The centre employs more than 500 people and has evolved into a lifestyle destination where customers can discover the products, advice and inspiration to make outdoor and indoor living more beautiful.

Alongside plants, outdoor furniture and barbecues, Bents also sells fresh food, gifts and clothing.

While the food store and online trading remains open for business, all other on-site retail trading has been closed by the pandemic to comply with Government guidance.

Like most garden centres, peak Spring season is a critically important trading period – and the lockdown looked set to have dire consequences for the business’s income streams.

However, the business has now secured £2m through CBILS, which will help with the cash flow it needs to overcome the loss of all-important Spring and Summer sales.

What started as a hobby during the 1930’s for Alfred and Margaret Bent, cultivating roses in the front garden of their terraced house in Glazebury, is now a highly-successful business.

Since 2001, the third generation of the Bents family – Matthew, Rachel, Helen and Katherine – have taken charge of the running of Bents.

As managing director, Matthew has already delivered one of the UK’s most innovative and progressive new garden centre buildings, the Open Skies Glass House.

Brian Daniels, finance director of Bents Garden and Home, said: “Gardening is naturally very seasonal, so what we earn in the Spring and Summer gets us through to the Christmas trading period. For the first half of March we were very busy, but then everything stopped with the announcement of the lockdown.

“Whilst we have managed to maintain limited trading through our food store and online, the lockdown was going to have a huge impact on our business, so we asked Barclays for support.

“The loan gives us certainty on our immediate cash flow requirements and ensures that we will be here for our customers after the lockdown finishes.”

Giles Barton, Barclays relationship director, said: “Coronavirus hit Bents just as it was entering its busiest trading period.

“I have worked with the family for many years, and we spent time looking at their financial forecasts and put together an application that would get them through this tough period.

“For any business, there’s a lot of moving parts, so we helped them see the wood from the trees and now they have the financial headroom to get through this disruptive period and be ready to re-open fully when the time comes.”