She Grows Veg moved from Capel St Mary to its new, larger premises at East Bergholt on Black Friday (November 28).
Its staff put in shifts over the Black Friday weekend as the business ramped up production for the festive season as orders continue to fly in.
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Lucy Hutchings and Kate Cotterill of She Grows Veg in their new home in East Bergholt (Image: Lucy Taylor)
Founders Kate Cotterill and Lucy Hutchings said there was a real buzz as they moved to their eight times larger office space.
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They have spent £30k converting and upgrading Rupert and Sara Eley’s popular garden centre – The Place for Plants – into offices with a kitchen, facilities, a meeting room, a 7.5m packing table – and broadband.
The horticultural couple wanted to retire and were delighted to welcome the local e-commerce seeds firm as tenants.
Kate Cotterill of She Grows Veg in their new home in East Bergholt (Image: Lucy Taylor)
Kate and Lucy have launched a special festive products including a seeds advent calendar, gift subscriptions and sustainably-made seeds Christmas crackers.
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With the move now complete, the pair will turn their attention in the New Year to converting a walled garden – which used to be the garden centre’s outdoor sales area – into their trial garden to test-grow the unusual seeds they are thinking of adding to their catalogue list.
Lucy will also create an inspirational small garden to show how even very limited outdoor spaces can be home to a host of colourful – and useful – fruit and veg plants.
Lucy Hutchings and Kate Cotterill of She Grows Veg in their new home in East Bergholt (Image: Lucy Taylor)
The 15-strong all-female She Grows Veg workforce has hit the ground running getting orders out for Christmas.
The two-year-old start-up has seen 160% year on year growth. High brand loyalty and a growing army of gardening beginners have helped drive the expansion.
They have developed products such as subscriptions whereby seeds are delivered at the right time to plant them along with detailed growing instructions.
Lucy Hutchings and Kate Cotterill of She Grows Veg in their new home in East Bergholt (Image: Lucy Taylor)
They also work through their gardener-customers’ problems with them such as pest and disease control and holding their hand through their growing journey.
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“The sales are shooting along at the moment,” said Kate. “We had 1,550 orders over Black Friday weekend which is the biggest to date. Cyber Monday was another 550.”
She added: “The fact we are hitting 160% is absolutely amazing but a big challenge as well.”
Lucy Hutchings of She Grows Veg in their new home in East Bergholt (Image: Lucy Taylor)
They have had to keep on top of every part of the business as they surge ahead in growth while managing the building conversion and the move, she said.
The move itself was planned on a spreadsheet and carried out with military precision.
“I gave everyone a brief of where they needed to be,” said Kate. “We knew we had to pack our orders on Friday and Friday afternoon we started packing.
Lucy Hutchings and Kate Cotterill of She Grows Veg in their new home in East Bergholt (Image: Lucy Taylor)
“Saturday we had the whole team – husbands, children, dogs, everyone. Everyone is so excited and is so engaged with the move.”
Up until now the test garden has been off-site, but now three long raised beds will be created.
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One area of the garden will be set aside for three members of staff with negative or no gardening experience for a “She Doesn’t Grow Veg” online tutorial.
Lucy Hutchings and Kate Cotterill of She Grows Veg in their new home in East Bergholt (Image: Lucy Taylor)
Kate said they love their new space. “It feels amazing,” she said.
“It’s lovely and just a really beautiful environment. It just feels like the right fit – a beautiful environment to go to work in,” added Lucy.
The landlords were great supporters of what they are doing, she said. “They are over the moon. They are so pleased a horticultural business is in here.”
Lucy Hutchings and Kate Cotterill of She Grows Veg in their new home in East Bergholt (Image: Lucy Taylor)
Lucy Hutchings and Kate Cotterill of She Grows Veg in their new home in East Bergholt (Image: Lucy Taylor)
Lucy Hutchings and Kate Cotterill of She Grows Veg in their new home in East Bergholt (Image: Lucy Taylor)
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