Grantham’s Downtown Garden Centre taken over by British Garden Centres
A Lincolnshire-based garden centre chain which owns four outlets in the county has now acquired the Downtown Garden Centre in Grantham.
British Garden Centres has announced the acquisition of Downtown Garden Centre as the group extends its national portfolio to 75 centres across the UK.
The site will now trade as Grantham Garden Centre, becoming the latest addition to the growing chain.
The new owners say the centre will close temporarily for refurbishment and is scheduled to reopen in early spring. The investment will see upgrades to the retail space, restaurant facilities, and outdoor plant areas, while the existing Downtown team will remain in place to ensure continuity for customers and staff.
This latest acquisition comes just a couple of weeks after Ferndale Garden Centre in Derbyshire joined the group as Dronfield Garden Centre, strengthening British Garden Centres’ presence in the Midlands region.
It follows an exceptional year of expansion for the group in 2025, which included the acquisition of several former Dobbies locations and Hayes Garden World in Cumbria, significantly increasing the group’s regional reach.
British Garden Centres (BGC) is the UK’s largest family-owned garden centre group, owned and led by the Stubbs family. It was launched in 1990 with the opening of Woodthorpe Garden Centre, near Alford, by brothers Charles and Robert Stubbs. Since 2018, it has expanded rapidly, acquiring garden centres spread from Carmarthen to Ramsgate, Wimborne to East Durham. They also own garden centres at Horncastle, Louth and Skegness, as well as operating Woodthorpe Leisure Park near Alford.
Charles Stubbs, Director, said: “Bringing Grantham Garden Centre into the group marks another important step in our ongoing growth plan. Grantham is a thriving market town with a strong gardening community, and we're excited to invest in a centre that has served local customers well for many years. Our refurbishment will enhance what's already there while introducing the wider product range and services our customers expect. Most importantly, we're keeping the experienced team who know their customers and their community.”
Peter Isaac, Managing Director of Downtown, added: We are delighted to be leasing the garden centre to British Garden Centres and are pleased that the team will remain in place. The planned upgrades will further strengthen the Grantham site as a destination for visitors, alongside the current department store. It’s a ‘win-win’ for both British Garden Centres, Downtown and our customers, and we wish British Garden Centres every success.”
The BGC group employs over 3,500 colleagues working across the garden centres, restaurants, growing nurseries, distribution centres, Woodthorpe Leisure Park, and Woody’s Restaurant & Bar.