It’s hard to believe that this April, marks 20 years since Lesley and Pete Fletcher opened their garden centre at Penrallt, Ceibwr.

Starting out as simply a couple of greenhouses, a small shop and self-service coffee machine, it has now grown into the treasured, large scale Garden centre it is today.

So where did it all begin?

Pete’s parents, brother John and sister Julia moved from their farm Ysguborwen, St dogmaels to Penrallt Ceibwr in September 1964. At the time, it was a 120 acre dairy farm with around 60 cows.

While the farming continued, Pete’s Mum, Dot, was busy welcoming guests from all over the UK and abroad to “Penrallt farm guesthouse” which was hugely popular with not only visiting guests, but the locals too. Pete recalls “the food there was amazing, customers regularly remind me of mums amazing cooking, in particular, the sweet trolley.”

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How did it become what Penrallt is today?

Cauliflowers! “strange though it may seem if it wasn’t for Marks & Spencer’s cauliflowers, we probably would not have ended up as a garden centre” says Pete. The seeds were sown back in the early 70s when Pete’s dad decided to try his hand at growing cauliflowers. The mild winter climate suited the crop, and the supermarket was looking for growers to supply them with this very popular vegetable.

This is where Pete’s interest in growing plants began and he ended up attending the Welsh College of Horticulture, where he came away with an “NCH pass” and most successfully, his wife Lesley! Lesley was studying for her national diplomacy in flower production, science and botany. “She lived in Pembrokeshire and needed a lift home, the rest is history!”

After returning to the farm, which had now increased in size to 250 acres, the Fletcher family continued building both the Garden and Dairy areas of the farm and it wasn’t long before Pete and Lesley’s two children, Xanine and Lewis were involved too. Having started out with only one poly tunnel, Penrallt had now built a number of glasshouses and opened a small nursery and farm shop, selling their produce and bedding plants.

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After Pete’s Dad retired in 1998, Lesley and Pete continued to grow vegetables, but it soon became apparent that due to the influence of supermarkets, there was little future in growing and supplying crops anymore. Needing to adapt, it was decided that in the Spring of 2002, they would open as a garden centre. Pete recalls “I actually remember the moment the last cabbage was harvested, it was in February 2002 and was in the field next to what is now the children’s play area”. With lots of support, the Garden Centre was opened in April 2002 and by the following year, the first cafe had been opened too.

2003 saw the arrival of Richard, Pete’s nephew to the team and with his help, over the following years, Penrallt Garden Centre would expand to what we know it today, with over 20 staff, a new shop, a 70 seater cafe, indoor and outdoor play areas and woodland and coastal walks.

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So what’s next?

The Garden Centre have recently built a large sun room in the garden area which will be used for a wide range of events and the Garden centre has already begun to be passed onto future generations, with Dan Phillips (Son in Law) who has recently retired from the army, now joining the team at Penrallt too.

A note from Pete Fletcher and family: “We are a very family orientated business and we as a family would like to express our thanks and appreciation to all who have supported us over the years, in particular my mum, along with my dad who passed away, after a long illness in March 2021. We are all very proud of what he helped to achieve and the legacy he has left behind. After all, we are the biggest garden centre in Moylegrove!”

Penrallt Garden Centre are planning a week of celebrations to mark their 20th anniversary, starting with an Easter event on April 15th. The celebrations will continue after this with workshops, performances, special offers and lots more.

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