St John’s Garden Centre in Barnstaple has changed ownership, having been acquired by two former employees.
Former account manager Jason Mellet and landscape contract manager Mark Toon have assumed joint responsibility of the running of the company with over 70 years of St John’s service between them.
Former joint owner Nick Oliver said, “We are delighted that Mark and Jason are taking over. They have been long serving members of our staff and understand the business ethos and our commitment to serving customers.”
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It was Nick’s parents, David and Patsy, who, back in 1958, began the nursery as a smallholding at the site at the bottom of St John’s Lane.
Nick Oliver said: “From humble beginnings, they created an environment where it’s been an enjoyable place to visit, a good place to work, and an active participant in the community.”
Starting out by selling local vegetable produce, they also grew a reputation for nurturing flowers. Back in the days when trains ran directly from Barnstaple to Paddington many were sent up to the old Covent Garden market.
As the business grew, the St John’s site began to develop into what it is today, now firmly established as the region’s premier garden centre. During this time the Oliver boys came of age to take leading roles in the business. Nick and Simon did their apprenticeships in Holland and Denmark, followed by horticultural courses at the eminent Merrist Wood College in Guildford.
St John’s built a reputation not just on the variety of goods supplied, but on building relationships with their many loyal customers. Over the years the store expanded and now features a large open plan shopping area, plant and tree displays, indoor and covered outdoor plant areas, the café conservatory and ‘Jungleland’, which has always proved popular with children and families.
There is an additional off-site nursery, where many of the plants are grown and nurtured, plus a long established and renowned landscaping department. In 2019 St John’s acquired the old Wyevale Garden Centre in Ashford, incorporating it under its auspices. The Ashford site features, amongst other things, a collection of top-of-the-range barbeques and pizza ovens.
New co-owner Mark Toon said: “We are honoured to have this opportunity to build on the legacy of St John’s and recognise all the hard work put in by the Oliver family. We’re excited to be able to steer the business into the next chapter. Plans are to keep all the popular features visitors enjoy and enhance them with fresh projects and ideas.”
St John’s has been the go-to place for garden related items and leisure products including greenhouses, garden and patio furniture, pots, barbeques, homeware and seasonal items. A pet product section has also been created.
Mark added: “People like to shop here because they can get so many different types of home and garden items under one roof. However, what’s core to this business is the standard of customer service. Customers know that our staff are knowledgeable about our products and services. We are in an age where big retail outlet shopping can feel cold and remote, with staff often difficult to find, or unsure of their product range. That is certainly not the case at St John’s, and we will work hard to maintain our standards.”
Mark started as a ‘weekend lad’ at the store, working his way up through various departments of the garden centre while studying. After completing his university degree he returned to work full time, concentrating on the landscaping side of the business.
Jason Mellett started at St John’s in 1989, having moved from Oxford. He helped the business adapt to the burgeoning digital age, setting up their first office computer. He went on to run the businesses administration, including IT, HR and Finance, keeping abreast of new technology along the way.
New co-owner Jason said: “We have always kept up with trends and developments to improve customer and staff experience, whilst maintaining St John’s as a family run independent business at the very heart of the community. That’s where it has always been and what the public appreciate. We will continue to use local suppliers and strive to be as sustainable as we can moving forwards.”
