Peter Beales Roses, in London Road, Attleborough, taken over by Bell’s Horticultural of Lincolnshire after eight months on the market

ross.waldron@iliffepublishing.co.uk

Published: 14:15, 19 February 2024

| Updated: 14:55, 19 February 2024

A multi-award winning flower business and garden centre has been purchased after nearly eight months on the market.

Peter Beales Roses, in London Road, Attleborough, has been acquired by Bell’s Horticultural of Lincolnshire. It was on the market with Christie and Co for £1.45 million.

Peter Beales founded the business in 1968, and it has since won 28 RHS Chelsea Flower Show Medals, including a gold for its exhibit at last year’s event.

Peter Beales Roses, in London Road, Attleborough, has been acquired by Bell’s Horticultural of Lincolnshire. Picture: Mark Bullimore Photography 2023

Holly Bell, retail director of Bell’s Horticultural, said of acquiring Peter Beales: “It’s great, we feel really positive about it. We were big fans of Peter Beales Roses already, so when it came up on the market, it seemed to make sense.

“It sits really well with what we do as a family business; we feel really well placed to protect what Peter built.”

The new owners have already set to work cleaning up the garden centre, but want to assure residents that it will not be all change. The main focus of their work will be to give the garden centre a much-needed face lift.

Nursery manager for Peter Beales Roses, Ian Limmer, with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medal certificate. Picture: Peter Beales

Ms Bell also spoke of the benefits of the takeover for customers, with a ‘wider range’ of plants to be available at ‘more competitive prices.’

She also heralded the existing team at Peter Beales, whose expertise and knowledge were crucial in ensuring a smooth takeover and prosperous future.

“We were really lucky to inherit the team,” Ms Bell said. “Some of the guys there joined the year I was born and have a wealth of knowledge; we’re not taking on school leavers.

Holly Bell, of Bell’s Horticultural of Lincolshire, said Peter Beales Roses customers would see the benefits of the takeover, with a clean up of the garden centre already underway.

“We want visitors to be able ask a question and get an answer, that’s one of the things we love about the garden centre.”

Bell’s Horticultural will also be maintaining Peter Beales’ Chelsea Flower Show endeavours, although Ms Bell said that, given Bell’s Horticultural do not have any experience in that area, they will be leaving the team, including nursery manager Ian Limmer, to it, and simply ‘enjoy the journey of learning’ about it.

Business Diss Ross Waldron