St John’s Garden Centre is sold to former employees

North Devon institution St John’s Garden Centre has changed hands after being acquired by two former employees.

Jason Mellet and Mark Toon are the new owners after buying the business with its garden centres in Barnstaple and at Ashford from the Oliver family, who have operated the hugely well-known local business for 66 years.

With more than 70 years of St John’s service between them, former account manager Jason and landscape contract manager Mark became the official owners of St John’s today (Saturday, March 30).

Former joint owner Nick Oliver welcomed the sale and 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.”

Above: Inside St John’s Garden Centre, former employees Jason Mellett left) and Mark Toon shake on their new venture as co-owners. Credit: St John’s Garden Centre

It was Nick’s parents, David and Patsy Oliver, who, back in 1958, began the nursery as a smallholding at the site at the bottom of St John’s Lane in Newport, Barnstaple, where the modern garden centre is today.

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 St John’s flowers were sent to the old Covent Garden market in London.

Above: The St John’s Nurseries greenhouses on the Newport site in Barnstaple in 1960. Credit: The Oliver family

Nick added: “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.”

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.

Above: David and Patsy Oliver with their children on the St John’s site at Newport in Barnstaple in the early 1960s. Credit: The Oliver family

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.

Above: Oliver family siblings Simon, Tom, Francis and Nick in 1964. Credit: The Oliver family

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 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.

Then in 2019 St John’s acquired the former Wyevale Garden Centre at Ashford, on the main road between Barnstaple and Braunton.

The Barnstaple and latterly the Ashford sites have both become focal points for the community, with events such as Father Christmas arriving at St John’s Barnstaple each year, plus the always popular St John’s Santa Band, an automated display re-imagined into a new theme each year to raise money for many local charities.

St John’s is seen by many as the ‘go-to’ place for garden related items and leisure products, including greenhouses, garden and patio furniture, pots, barbeques, homeware and seasonal items. A comprehensive pet product section has also been created.

Mark said people liked to shop there due to the wide range of home and garden items under one roof.

He added: “What is 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 Toon started his career 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 its first office computer. He went on to run the businesses administration, including IT, HR and finance, keeping abreast of new technology along the way.

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.”