Careers at Meadow Croft Garden Centre

Meadow Croft Garden Centre is part of W. D. Smith & Son, a family-run  business with four generations of horticultural experience behind it. This family-inspired ethos is woven through the very fabric of our business and extends out not just to our team members, but to our customers too. We are dedicated to placing customers at the heart of what we do and aim to offer the best customer service experience. We are dedicated to being the best garden centre possible, offering customers a wide range of plants, providing quality products, trustworthy advice, value for money and inspirational ideas to create the gardens they aspire to.

We pride ourselves on the quality and range of plants offered, many of which are grown in our own glasshouses on-site at W. D. Smith & Son’s growing facility. Not only do we produce plants, but we also have extensive giftware, homewares, and outdoor living departments, together with pet care and a huge range of garden sundries. We also hold regular festivals and events across the year, including our now renowned German Market & Christmas Fair, Food & Drink Festival, and our unique Viola & Pansy Festival.

Our restaurant, Meadow Croft Kitchen, is an integral part of our garden centre, as are the team members that make our restaurant so successful. Meadow Croft Kitchen has a well-established reputation for serving delicious homemade dishes, bakes and cakes, together with daily specials and afternoon tea.

We know that our team members are one of the main reasons Meadow Croft is such a great place to visit and we are proud of the friendship and support our team members offer and share with each other. We also offer a wide range of employee benefits.


Benefits

Employee Discount Scheme

Above statutory holiday allowance (up to 32 days per annum, pro-rated)

Subsidised food and drink from our restaurant (which includes up to 50% discount for garden centre team members and a meal allowance for restaurant team members)

Employer Contributory Pension Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Training and development, including an ongoing e-learning training programme

Uniform provided (including an allowance for protective footwear)

Free parking

 

 


Vacancies & Applications

Most of our vacancies are advertised on our website (below) or through our social media pages. However, we also welcome speculative applications, especially from candidates who have experience in horticulture, retail or hospitality and catering. Even if a relevant vacancy is not listed, please send in your CV if you think you have experience we would be interested in - for the right candidate(s), we will always keep you in mind for potential upcoming positions.

To apply for a vacancy, or to submit a speculative application, please email us at [email protected]. Please email your CV and a covering letter, detailing the position (or type of position) you are applying for, why you feel you are the right candidate for the position, and outline any relevant experience. Please also confirm whether you are looking for full-time, part-time, or casual hours.

If you are interested in working at Meadow Croft Garden Centre or Meadow Croft Kitchen, please keep an eye out for new vacancies on our Careers page or follow our social media pages. 

          

Important - before you apply: Please be aware that unfortunately we are not able to employ students until they have completed their GCSEs. Also, due to the location of our garden centre, having your own transport is preferred.


 

We have the following vacancies available.

 



Application Process

Please bear with us while we review your application. We normally allow up to three weeks for all applications to be considered, to answer candidate queries and for us to respond to your application. We always try to respond to applicants, including those that have not been successful, but due to the high volume of applications we tend to receive, this is not always possible. However, if you do not hear from us after three weeks, you are very welcome to contact us to follow up on the progress of your application.

In line with our Job Application Privacy Notice, we will keep your details on file for a period of six months which allows us the opportunity to contact you should any suitable, future vacancies arise. For full details on the data Meadow Croft Garden Centre (W.D. Smith & Son) collects and processes personal data during our recruitment processes, and how we meet our data protection obligations, please refer click here.


We're still on the lookout for seasonal staff to assist us through the autumn and winter! You can visit our website for more details on the following roles:

➡️Seasonal Car Park Marshalls
➡️Seasonal Catering Assistants

Please note in line with GDPR and our Job Application Privacy Notice, please do not apply through Facebook or any other social media platform.

#Battlesbridge #Wickford #Hiring #JobVacancy #restaurant #NowHiring #CateringAssistantsWanted #meadowcroftjobs #Seasonal
Now is a perfect time to deal with overcrowded perennials so that they come back next year looking nice and healthy
Getting your garden ready for the colder weather is a tiring job without the right gear - lucky for you, we've got you covered!

We've got plenty of tools in stock to make your life easier, from heavy-duty dustpans to brooms and rakes
We love chatting with customers in-store and are lucky enough to see so many of you going home with new plants, gardening gear and more - we'd love to see some photos of your favourite Meadow Croft purchases!

Post a photo to your stories, tag us and we'll reshare some of our favourites
It's back-to-school week for many of your little ones, so we wanted to wish them a great first day back
September's plant of the month is the Heuchera
Who managed to get out in the garden over the bank holiday weekend?

#meadowcroftgardencentre #wickford #gardencentre #battlesbridge #southwoodhamferrers #bankholiday #gardening #meadowcroft
Kaye had a fantastic time hosting her workshop at South Woodham Ferrers Town Council's Plant Nurture Grow event a few weeks ago!

Thank you to all of the children, parents and guardians who came along to learn more about growing their own herbs
Simon's back with his gardening jobs for September! This month is all about setting yourself up for good growth next spring, so make sure you're...

This weekend is our final Paella Weekend!

Stop by @meadowcroftkitchen this weekend and get your hands on paella and sangria or Tinto de Verano for just £20
This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of W.D Smith & Son acquiring Meadow Croft Garden Centre!

Meadow Croft was acquired by W.D. Smith & Son in 1999 from the Snellings who had founded Meadow Croft Nurseries (as it was then called) shortly after the end of the Second World War, who first specialised in growing rose bushes.

A big thank you to everyone who's ever popped into the garden centre, bought a plant or stopped by for some tea and cake at the restaurant. Meadow Croft wouldn't be possible without you
Our Autumn/Winter range has landed in store!

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