Bridport Nub News is delighted to announce that Groves Nurseries has become one of our sponsors.

This new partnership will support and help Nub News produce the latest news from our town.

Groves Nurseries has become somewhat of a Bridport institution, being a family-run business that has been in the town for more than 150 years, providing residents with all their gardening needs.

Charlie Groves, of Groves Nurseries, said: "My great, great, great grandfather established the business up as a seed merchant in Piddletrenthide in 1866 before grandad moved to the current Bridport site in the 1960s. It was a nursery and my dad turned it into a garden centre when the bypass was built.

"My mum and dad still live on site, they help me run it along with my sister Becky, who also manages Little Groves in Beaminster."

"We also have lots of families in the business too, not just our family. One of our chefs' sister works on the tills and his mum in the nursery, with his dad working with him in the Ivy House. It's a very family-oriented business."

The team at Groves grow the vast majority of its stock, including 32,000 bedding plants, 12,000 trees, 8,000 roses and 6,000 perennials annually, although the garden centre does specialise in violets, holding the National Collection of Viola odorata and Parma Violets, a collection started by Charlie's grandfather.

It also stocks a wide range of leisure and gardening products, has a well-stocked pet shop and the Ivy House Kitchen, which opened in 2018.

For many businesses, it has been a turbulent year for Groves, but it has gained a lot of support from the Bridport community.

Charlie added: "During the lockdown when we had to shut, we had a lot of support from the public - that was pretty amazing.

"There was a good show of support from the Bridport community and they were very patient with us trying to get things out."

But as well as receiving lots of support, Groves also gives a lot back to the community.

"We try and take part in things," said Charlie, "anything that's going on - the Melplash Show, Bridport Carnival. You have got to give something back."

This is what encouraged Charlie to support Bridport Nub News.

He added: "I started following Bridport Nub News on social media and it just looked like a nice, well-presented website - something that would work and it was a refreshing format.

"It seemed like a nice thing to help out with."

Karl Hancock, CEO of Nub News, said: "It's a real honour to have such a well-respected Bridport family sponsoring Bridport Nub News.

"This sponsorship goes a long way in making sure we can continue to provide the important local news Bridport deserves."

To find out more about Groves Nurseries and what it has to offer, visit grovesnurseries.co.uk follow them on Facebook or visit the garden centre on West Bay Road.