A well-known garden centre near Haverhill is on the market for £2 million after struggling with financial pressures.
Sturmer Garden Centre, which sits on the Essex-Suffolk border and covers around 2.76 acres, had traded under the same family ownership from 1982 to 2024.
The business is up for sale and is being marketed by Christie & Co, following financial difficulties linked to a major supply chain problem.
An aerial view of Sturmer Nurseries. Picture: Google Maps
The site is appealing to both established garden centre operators seeking expansion and owner-operators looking for a long-standing, reputable business.
In 2014, an architect-designed building was added to house the garden centre shop and bistro, before a children’s play area was installed in 2019.
The property also includes a large glasshouse and a former retail store, both of which could be repurposed to expand retail offerings or introduce new concessions.
The centre is being marketed by Christie & Co. Picture: Google Maps
At the back of the centre, there is an undeveloped plot of land measuring roughly 0.42 acres that has been used for events.
A Christie & Co spokesperson said the business has shown recent growth, with turnover for 2023 reaching £959,305, up from £912,158 the previous year.
Profitability has increased by more than revenue, thanks in part to stronger bistro sales and additional income from seasonal events.
Angela Andrea and her husband Flaviu took over the site in September 2024 and are supported by 13 full-time staff, with six additional weekend staff for the bistro.
In January, the couple said they were hit by some huge, unexpected bills and they were damaged by costly supply line issues.
Their parlous financial situation led them to announce on social media that the centre would be closed for the foreseeable future, but the support shown by their customers and the wider community saw them stay open as well as launch a Crowdfunding page.
Angela previously said in January: “When we took on the garden centre, we were hit with an extra £50,000 of fees, which took a big part of our initial cashflow. However, we thought a good spring season and we would be okay.
“Sadly, due to a supplier issue (we can’t disclose details), we suffered huge losses in the spring of over £100,000 that we have been struggling to recover from.
“Since then, we have done everything we can to keep the doors open – introducing new products, running special events, and working tirelessly behind the scenes to manage costs and find solutions.
“Despite our best efforts, the combination of unexpected supplier losses and ongoing financial pressures has left us with very few options.”
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