A recruitment open day is being held at Otter Garden Centres later this month as it seeks to fill a number of vacancies at the Ottery St Mary site.

There are openings for full-time, part-time and weekend roles in the restaurant and kitchen, plus seasonal opportunities in the retail team. Some jobs require experience, others are suited to those starting out in their career.

Information about all the roles will be available at the drop-in recruitment day at the branch in Gosford Road on Wednesday, July 26.

Managing director Jacqui Taylor said: “I started my career here, helping mum Marilyn make hanging baskets! This is still a family-run business and we’re proud to have many team members who have chosen to stay with us for many years.

“We’re now actively seeking passionate individuals who care about giving our customers a wonderful experience every time they visit.”

On the recruitment day, two sessions are being held in the restaurant for anyone interested in working at Otter: 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm. Applicants should bring their CV or fill in an application form on the website's Vacancies page to print and take along with them. For anyone unable to attend, email angela.samways@ottergardencentres.com for restaurant roles or assistantmanager@ottergardencentres.com for retail roles.

Malcolm and Marilyn White founded Otter Nurseries in 1964 when they began selling plants from a mobile home on the site in Ottery St Mary. Otter Garden Centres now has seven branches in the South West, and the Ottery branch has grown to become one of the largest garden centres in the UK.

Unusually for a garden centre, Otter Garden Centres grows the vast majority of the plants it sells. The business has not used chemicals in its growing process since deciding to use biological controls instead 30 years ago.

The business is now turning its attention increasingly to wider environmental issues. Solar panels and biomass boilers have been installed in Ottery St Mary and other centres are reducing their carbon footprint through rainwater harvesting and other energy-efficient methods. 

Otter Garden Centres remains a family-owned and run business, with key roles taken by Malcolm and Marilyn’s daughters, Jacqui Taylor (MD) and Cathy White (IT Director), along with grandchildren Sabine Jary, Arron Taylor and Lara White.