A BRENT Knoll garden centre was sold to new owners in a multi-million pound deal this week. The award-winning Sanders GardenWorld, on the A370, is now owned by Wyevale Garden Centres, which also owns centres in Taunton and Keynsham near Bath.

A BRENT Knoll garden centre has been sold to new owners in a multi-million pound deal.

The award-winning Sanders GardenWorld, on the A370, is now owned by Wyevale Garden Centres, which also owns centres in Taunton and Keynsham, near Bath.

The company is owned by a consortium of investors led by Scottish businessman Sir Tom Hunter.

The 46-year-old billionaire hit the headlines earlier this year when he pledged to give £1 billion to charity.

The four original stakeholders in Sanders, brother and sister Kerry and Michelle Michael and brothers Chris and Mike Sanders, will no longer be involved with the project.

The business opened in March 2001 and has expanded quickly over the last six years. It now includes a pet and aquatic centre, The Lemon Grove Restaurant, departments for a whole host of different plants and flowers and draws thousands of visitors to Somerset each Christmas by staging a circus.

Kerry, who lives in Bleadon, said: “Michelle and I originally got involved because we were friends with the Sanders brothers. We knew they had planning permission for the site and they invited us to invest with them.

“We went in 50/50 and from day one everyone was involved in the planning, building and running of the garden centre.

“It has been a fantastic business and I think it is a garden centre anyone would be proud to be associated with. Whether you own it, work there or shop there, it is an inspirational place.”

Sanders GardenWorld, which celebrated its sixth anniversary this year, will still have the same management team, including managing director Peter Burks, to oversee the day-to-day running of the garden centre. Sanders GardenWorld also won the title of Garden Centre of the Year this year in an industry-voted award.

The official handover took place last Friday when Sanders GardenWorld became the 116th garden centre in the Wyevale chain.

Peter Burks said: “We now have the opportunity to become a flagship store for the Wyevale family, both regionally and nationally. All our customers can be assured it is business as usual.”

Kerry added: “The garden centre wasn’t on the market, but when Wyevale approached us we were happy with its offer.”