Everyone must know what a favourite Williams Homebaked biscuits are with the Frost Magazine team, but it’s really interesting to learn about some of their stockists too. To the right of the image of the scrumptious biscuits you will see an ancient olive tree – heavens, even older than our editor, Margaret Graham. This amazing olive tree fronts Bents Marget Garden, where you will now find some Williams Homebaked.
The Bents story begain in 1937, when Alfred and Margaret Bent began to cultivate and sell roses grown in the front of their terraced house in Glazebury, Warrington.
This immediately attracted Margaret Graham, because she is bore of the year when roses are mentioned – yep she lives and breathes her own Old English babies, using them in mixed beds. So she determined that Frost Magazine must find out more.
After the war, Alfred bought 16 acres of land and began to grow on a larger scale. There were no such things as garden centres, and planting was seasonal, with business pretty much hand to mouth. What you made in the growing season had to last the year.
In the 1970s, Alfred and Margaret’s sons Ron and John expanded the business, with Ron suggesting that food and drinks should also be offered. This was extraordinarily entrepreneurial – most nurseries were just that back then.
Voila! No sooner said than done – Bents Garden Centre began to evolve into a unique lifestyle destination where customers could and can discover the products, advice and inspiration to make outdoor and indoor living more beautiful. In addition, they could and can head off to dine in comfort ‘a la Bents’ and imagine their purchases transforming their home and garden. Couldn’t be much better, could it?
But yes, actually, it can, because it is heart warming that Bents has resisted becoming all ‘corporate’ on the heels of its success and is still very much a family business, with succeeding generations becoming involved.
So let’s look at the details: alongside plants, seeds, outdoor furniture, barbecues and outdoor buildings, you’ll find indoor furniture, gifts, fresh food, clothing, shoes, toys, pet supplies and everything you need for your kitchen. And your hips – because Williams Homebaked offerings reside here alongside other excellent top of the range food products.
So is it any wonder that these days, Bents is regarded as one of the very best garden centres in the North West, and a weekend destination for many families. If you find yourself in the food hall, you can always pick up a Williams Eccles cake or Manchester Tart. Be careful, once tried you will go back for more. Take the car – you’ll want to bring the whole garden centre back with you.
Do please ask Frost Magazine to tea if you buy LOTS of Williams biscuits. We’ll be there like a shot, nipping into the rose section at Bents first.