Loxley Nurseries: New bosses reveal plans for beloved Sheffield garden centre, and explain cafe position
When it closed last summer, there was an outpouring of sadness from customers at Sheffield’s Loxley Nurseries.
But now, many months on, those same customers are celebrating its return, under a new name, and under new ownership.
The family who owned the business on Long Lane, Loxley, have retired, with its new owners, British Garden Centres, pledging to keep it as it was before.
Many of the staff who were involved previously remain there, including those who grew its plants and flowers. It has its own greenhouse and tunnels on the site, dedicated to producing much of the venue’s own stock.
And while the Loxley Nurseries sign remains in place on a large board, the first sign customers see as they arrive in the car park, those working there now have high vis tops bearing its new name - Loxley Garden Centre.
The car park, empty and locked up for months, was full again on Friday’s opening day.
And for those who had months earlier been placing messages of sadness at the closure last year, there was an extra piece of good news. That is because those who have longed for the return of the venue’s cafe look set to get their wish soon.
Anthony Boughey, who has managed the re-opening for National Garden Centres, told The Star: “The first day we have opened has been amazing, really good.
“As soon as we opened the doors, people have been coming in, and from speaking to the local community, there were clearly a lot of people waiting for it to re-open.
“We’re trying to keep it as Loxley was before - a plant nursery famous for growing its own plants, and keeping it as that core gardening site that it was. We want to keep what the centre previously had, that community feel, and growing its own products.
“We’re planning to open the cafe again. We’re planning to open it in the next three months. We’re aware from listening to the local community that people locally are very keen to see that come back.”
It was revealed in October that the centre would re-open under new owners, and a sign had been placed on the gate confirming that the Sheffield venue would open again this spring.
However, no opening date was announced until the day before it was back in business.
The popular plant nursery is now owned by the same people who own the nearby Sheffield Garden Centre, on West Lane, just a short journey away along Loxley Road. But the company plans for them to be different types of garden centres, with its new acquisition remaining the nursery it has been for years.
After The Star revealed the venue was closing last year, it was inundated with messages from the public expressing sadness, and expressing affection for the venue.
Previous owners Keith and Jeanette Pearson had run the business for 25 years.
But while customers were expressing sadness last summer, there were big smiles from the customers returning again this week.
Ann Mellor, visiting from Chapeltown, said she was ‘over the moon’ about the re-opening’.
She said: “It’s fantastic. The plants are lovely and very reasonably priced as well, so yes, I’m happy.”
Friend Jane MacDonald said: “It’s worth the drive over - we actually come from Chapeltown.
“We’ve been coming out for years anyway, and I’m just glad to see it back.”
Anne added: “When it had the cafe, we used to come have a coffee and have a chinwag and look at the plants.”
Both said that they would be using the cafe when it re-opens.
John Titterton, from Malin Bridge, was also pleased. He said: “I’m glad it’s open again. It’s been missed by the community around here. It’s been a good garden centre.”
Alan and Jean White, from Stannington, have been long standing fans of the venue, and praised its plants.
Alan said: “It’s been many a month since we’ve been here, so we’ve been waiting for springtime for it to re-open. We didn’t come that regularly, but we enjoyed the walk and buying this and that.”
Jean said she liked that it was a nursery, rather than a standard garden centre.
“It’s always had great quality bedding plants,” she told The Star.
“We’ve missed it, we’ve missed it a lot. We used to come here fairly regularly and but the bedding plants. They’ve always been good quality, because I think they grow a lot of their own here.”
They agreed the return of the cafe would be nice.
“It will be a nice afternoon out,” added Jean, smiling.