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Taylors clematis and Sara Raven now one.

RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
edited December 2023 in The potting shed
Anyone else noticed that Taylors Clems have been bought by SR.

I don't like to be too judgemental as it is only a recent thing.
They maybe need to get their act together a bit more.

Just annoying that they sent an email and were offering discounts and various spamminess. But on trying to go through their clematis many were unavailable and the search on their website was awful. 

I happened to buy a couple earlier this year (from Taylors) and I checked the invoice of the three I bought one was not there at all, another not available, and the third had gone up by two pounds.
Not unusual in itself but I am sure a lot of the old varieties that Taylors as a company used to sell are all up in price. And the pot sizes are the same.


PS what the heck?
sorry I forgot how to highlight / make a quote for this. appeared in a red box above my post.
  • "You have posted 1 times within 240 seconds. A spam block is now in effect on your account. You must wait at least 600 seconds before attempting to post again."
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  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I had emails from Sarah Raven and Taylors. I have ordered from both previously. I felt dismayed because Sarah is expensive and Taylors was reasonably priced and clematis from Taylors arrived well packed, in good condition and their web site was good. I wonder what will happen now.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    Oh that's sad totally agree @Busy-Lizzie shame when proper nurseries are bought out by general retailers. I'll certainly will avoid them in the future. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I haven't seen anything in the local news (they're not far from us) but I wonder if the owners wanted to retire or reduce workload (I think it was a small family business).
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    edited December 2023
    Yes @JennyJ. I thought the same, if it is retirement and good for them and well deserved. :)

    Busy-Lizzie said:
    I had emails from Sarah Raven and Taylors. I have ordered from both previously. I felt dismayed because Sarah is expensive and Taylors was reasonably priced and clematis from Taylors arrived well packed, in good condition and their web site was good. I wonder what will happen now.
    I have never bought anything from Sarah Raven.
    But we have used Taylors a few times.

    Their website and search was not just good, but excellent!

    I dislike that my details have been passed on or sold to another company.
    Of course I know and understand that can happen.

    But I do not like my information being passed on and getting additional spam from a company I have never used, nor have any intention of using. And not just to inform me of their "acquisition"  of Taylors but to send irrelevant links to things on the SR site 
     
    The e-mail states:

    Quote:
     "Through our incredibly exciting acquisition of Taylors Clematis, Sarah 
    Raven will now become one of the largest suppliers of clematis plants in 
    the UK. So, as we take the next steps on this landmark journey, we look 
    forward to helping even more gardeners bring beauty, colour, and joy to 
    their much-loved outdoor spaces." Sarah 
    End Quote:

    I doubt it!
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I do hope Sarah Raven has kept on any staff that want to stay.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    The owners of Taylors clematis were looking to retire.

    https://www.quintonedwards.co.uk/News/Online-Plant-Business-For-Sale
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Thank you @AnniD, that explains it. Seems then that it was for sale and could have disappeared if no one bought it. Sarah Raven bought it and I hope she keeps it going successfully.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    At this stage Raven is a lifestyle brand...not sure how long-term they're thinking in taking on a specialist nursery like Taylor's. If the standards drop dramatically or the wide variety of cultivars reduced then it would have been better shut down. Just sad to see focused horticultural businesses like Avon Bulbs, Fibrex and Taylor's change hands recently. But I suppose family run concerns are much more unstable how they move into the future. Let's hope some new obsessives start businesses to replace them. But the whole business has been compromised with Brexshit it's a rough environment if they depend in any way on imports and exports. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    If the next generation of family can't or don't want to take on the business, what choice do they have when they want or need to retire? Sell it as a going concern or wind it up.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    edited December 2023
    I have no idea how to quote or high light my post below, anyone who wishes to please feel free if you can be bothered to help make it clear.


    https://www.sarahraven.com/taylors-clematis?S2RE
    Copied from the Sarah Raven site questions and answers.

    Q: Are your clematis going to be the same quality as Taylors?

    A: Yes! The Taylors team have provided specialist clematis training to all members of the Sarah Raven team so we now have our own clematis experts.


    Q: Are clematis still grown by Taylors?

    A: Sarah Raven has purchased all of Taylor’s remaining stock. The plants will now be cared for and nurtured at our own nursery in Lincolnshire and we will continue to grow them going forward.


    In the link provided by @AnniD . Thankyou.

    It says the Taylors wish to retain the site. I guess that means the land the business was run on/from.

    And:

    Currently the business is run from a site of around one acre with just over 1,000 sq.m. of multi-spans and polytunnels used to house the stock, so the business is easily transferable to anywhere in the country.

    Also suggests that they are keeping the land.

    According to the Q and A above Sarah Raven have their own team/ experts. How far is the commute from Yorkshire to Lincolnshire.....

    It is NOT Taylors clematis anymore,  SR just bought the reputation of the name. 

    I am not making judgements on what they have done just stating what seems clear and obvious to me.

    It is sad if they  have not made enough money to retire on over the years. I hope they have.

    If it were mine I would rather close down and retire happy knowing we had  a once great reputation and business.

    I also hope that any staff found work elsewhere.

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