Careers At Chessington Garden centre

Love plants, people, and being part of something bigger? Explore roles at our family-owned garden centre.

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Our Vision

"We believe in creating beautiful outdoor spaces and unforgettable customer experiences. If you’re passionate about people and love rolling up your sleeves, you’ll fit right in..."

Explore current roles

Chessington Garden Centre is an independent, family-owned business that has been running for over 50 years

We are incredibly proud of the Garden Centre and we recruit people that share our passion for our range of services which include:

OUTDOOR LIVING | PETS & AQUATICS | LOCALLY SOURCED PRODUCE | BEAUTIFULLY COOKED FOOD

Our History

1949

A young Alex Martin at the age of 8 started growing and selling fruit and veg. By the age of 25, Alex set up a small shop on Leatherhead Road selling fresh produce and roses.

1967

Alex gets married to Ruth who then joins him in the business. They purchase a second-hand prefabricated house for £100 and are now growing 100,000 roses alongside bedding plants and fruit and veg.

1977

Alex buys two massive greenhouses. The warehouse is installed, followed by the first pine cabin -the main building you can see from the road and the entrance to the garden centre. Alex and Ruth then have 3 children named Rachel, Rebecca, and Jolyon, who begin helping out behind the tills and serving coffee from the age of just 9 years old!
1999
A Restaurant is opened as the 'Citrus' restaurant in 1999, soon to be named 'Chessington Bistro'. With the help of Alex and Ruth's Son, Jolyon, the Garden Centre improved day by day, which resulted in the opening of the Pets and Aquatics Centre in 2002. Rebecca then re-joins in 2003 in HR.

2007

In 2007, the first Christmas Grotto was opened. Just 2 years later, in 2009, it was named Surrey's biggest and best Santa's Grotto. After a few years Alex and Ruth handed the business over to Jolyon.

Present

Fast forward to 2020, whilst the Covid lockdown was tough on the business, a brand new ecommerce website was created, as well as the Sedum Farm Shop and Sedum Butchers being built.
1/6

"I worked full time as a buyer and then took a career break to focus on family life.

I live locally and had always been a regular customer at the Garden Centre. I always liked the atmosphere and felt the range of products and customer service was exceptional.

I applied and joined the tills and info team initially part time. Most of my time was spent working on the information desk. I really enjoyed the customer interaction, variance and daily challenges. Later on, I was very fortunate to be asked to assist with the Christmas product buying. This is something that I absolutely love doing.

I am now a retail assistant working 4 days a week. It is a great work-life balance..."

Lyn

Retail Assistant

I started working at Chessington in November 2012 as an Elf in the Christmas Grotto, which was my first real experience in customer service. Afterward, I applied for a permanent Sales Assistant role in the furniture department, though I wasn't initially sure if retail was for me.

Now, 12 years later, I'm the Purchasing Manager, responsible for sourcing non-food and non-plant items. I enjoy the variety in my role, especially the seasonal shifts between Summer Gardening, Outdoor Living, and Christmas, and I’ve been supported with training and guidance throughout my journey.

Charlie

Purchasing Manager

What To Expect

Our Recruitment Process
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Benefits Package
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Current Vacancies

Thank you for your interest in joining our team!

While we’re not currently hiring, we’re always excited to hear from passionate individuals. Please check back soon or follow us on social media to stay updated on future opportunities.

If you’d like to reach out in the meantime, feel free to contact us using the button below.

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