Dean's Garden Centre sites gets new Yorkshire owners - but will keep 'respected' name

The firm has acquired two Dean's Garden Centre sites to add to its existing West Yorkshire stores in Tong, Tingley, Otley and Bingley.

More than 100 members of Dean’s staff will transfer over to Yorkshire Garden Centres as part of the deal.

Mark Farnsworth, MD of Yorkshire Garden Centres, said the Dean’s name will continue to be used for the two stores. Three members of the Dean family are retiring following the move.

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The family business originally started in 1968 with the York site, with the Scarborough one opening in 1986.

Mr Farnsworth said: “We are delighted to welcome the Dean's sites into the Yorkshire Garden Centres group in partnership with Altia Estates.

"We are grateful to the Dean family for letting us take the business forward, and we intend to continue to use the Dean's name, which has become so well respected over the years. Whilst several members of the family retire, we are also really pleased that others have agreed to stay on and continue to work in the business."

Richard Dean, a partner at Dean's Garden Centre, said: "We are pleased our centres are joining the Yorkshire Garden Centre group. We have followed their progress with interest and feel that we have many shared values.

"Having grown up living on the York site, we've been involved in the business in some capacity or other from a very young age. Now though is the right time for my sisters and I to retire, something that I personally was aiming to do in 2021, before Covid hit. The business can now move forward and provide, what will no doubt be an enhanced shopping experience for our customers. We wish the group the very best of luck as they move forward."

Yorkshire Garden Centres began with the acquisition of Tong Garden Centre by Mark Farnsworth and Tom Megginson in 2015. It has since expanded to several sites.

Mr Farnsworth said: “We set out our ambitions five years ago to grow the group and our four current centres employ nearly 450 people. Planning was approved for a new site at Thorp Arch in the middle of last year but, very sadly, the delays due to the COVID pandemic and gaining Planning Permission meant that the scheme was no longer viable which was a real blow as we felt Thorp Arch was a great site. Having established a strong management team, when the Dean's opportunity came up we recognised it was a great way to continue our growth journey."