Mayberry Garden Centre in Portslade has celebrated its 10th year trading. Part of the Tates of Sussex group of garden centres, Mayberry opened its doors in October 2010 and Manager Mark Brumfitt, who has been at the helm for the full decade says he can’t believe where the time has gone.
“It seems like only yesterday we were welcoming our first customers into the shop, but suddenly we are ten years on and we are welcoming them as loyal patrons who have been coming for a decade. We have slowly built a customer base, offering something a little different to a traditional garden centre, being in the middle of town.”
Mark believes that the proximity to the town of Portslade has been part of the secret of Mayberry’s success. “we have been able to become part of the local community, forging links with the Lions clubs, Martlets Hospice, local scouts’ groups to name but a few. We also have many customers that visit us regularly on foot from the local houses.”
Mark paid tribute to the staff at Mayberry, a notable percentage of which have worked the full decade alongside him or joined not long after opening and are still at Mayberry or working at another site within the group.
“We pride ourselves on building a strong, loyal, knowledgeable team that can aid their customers to the highest standard. The longer someone works with us, the more they know and the better customer service we can give. This is why we invest in our people.”
Mayberry hope to expand their offering to their customers in the coming years, and look forward to many more decades trading.
Photos: Garden Centre Manager Mark Brumfitt with Andy Hesketh, Karl Bashford, Kim Rice, Chris Harland, Macer Williams, Carole Hilliard and Sylvie Hewitt – all original staff members who have worked at Mayberry since it opened.