Manchester garden centre sold to local partnership
Specialist business property adviser Christie & Co has announced the sale of Giants Seat Garden Centre, located next to the River Irwell to the North West of Manchester.
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Established in 1964, the garden centre and plant nursery had been successfully run by the Kidd family for over 60 years. Overlooking the river and spanning just over 2 acres, the centre is well-known for offering a wide range of seasonal and perennial outdoor plants, garden tools, equipment, fertilisers, compost and other gardening essentials, as well as expert advice and personalised support.
After decades of stewardship, the Kidd family have decided to retire and hand the reins over to a local partnership, with the new company Giants Seat Garden Centre Ltd to be run by Leo Yaffe.
Leo has been involved in horticulture for the past five years and recently completed a year-long placement at RHS Bridgewater. He has also completed a diploma with Thrive, the UK’s leading charity in social and therapeutic horticulture, to become a qualified practitioner. Leo plans to use this to build community events at Giants Seat, supporting individuals and groups with health and wellbeing through plants and nature.
Leo commented, “It’s really exciting: the past few months have been strange, and a little bit overwhelming, but I feel really privileged. It doesn’t feel like we’re just taking on the business – we’re taking on the history, the stories, the memories. I feel very lucky that they’ve chosen me.”
Alan Kidd commented, “It has been a privilege and a pleasure for our family to serve our local community for the last six decades. We now happily pass on the baton to Leo and his team who are eager to build on the ethos established over many years here at Giants Seat. We wish them every success in all their endeavours in the future.”
Andrew Birnie, Director – Retail at Christie & Co who managed the sale process, added, “Giants Seat Garden Centre is a very special site, in a unique location, and has been a popular destination centre for 60 years. There was a high level of demand from prospective buyers, including many from outside the garden centre sector who were interested in converting the site into a riverside restaurant or holiday park. However, it was important to the Kidd family that the site remains a plant nursery, and we look forward to seeing the centre flourish under the stewardship of Leo and the team.”
The centre was marketed with a guide price of £845,000 and sold for an undisclosed sum.
For further information on this press release, contact:
Jasmine Davis, Corporate Communications Manager
P: +44 7561 115179
E: jasmine.davis@christie.com
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