Working at Burford

We chat to four members of our team to find out more about their careers at Burford Garden Co; from beginnings, to progressions and their current roles.

'I joined Burford Garden Co. in 2005 as a part time general assistant working in the Plant Department, specialising in houseplants, allowing me to work alongside family life. As my children got older, I was able to increase my hours and took on more responsibility, being promoted to Plant Area Assistant Manager in 2015.

In the spring of 2016, the opportunity became available for promotion to Garden Shop Manager, retaining responsibility for houseplants but also being able to pass on my passion for all things gardening to the customers and my team. After 7 years as part of the Store Management team, I was delighted to be promoted again to Plants and Garden Buyer in early 2023, a fantastic job to have.

Throughout my time here, Burford has been supportive of my progression into management alongside balancing this with family life.'

'There is always something happening at Burford. Seasonal changes and unique stock means that the weeks are busy and there’s plenty of new products to work with. Whilst the variety of products is really exciting, learning the wholesome backstories behind each product and educating customers is a really rewarding task. These are just some of the main reasons that I love working here.

I started working at Burford Garden Co. in a weekend role, meaning that I got to work in many of the different store areas. I then transferred to our renowned Food Hall and Café team for a couple of years, before moving into the Buying team and then later to the Online and Website team, working as the manager of this department. I now work as a Visual Merchandiser throughout the store, a creative role that I relish.

The great thing about Burford is the chance to grow and develop many skills, and to be encouraged to try different roles and experiences with fantastic support. It’s also a place where you can truly be yourself, something which I know to be unusual anywhere else.

Burford, to me, has been and is a second home. The friendly staff are like family, the building is an ever-changing emporium and I truly mean it when I say it’s a fantastic place to work. There’s no place like it, and working for a company with such similar morals and ethics to my own is something I value.'

'I remember in my interview I was told “no two days are the same at Burford” and I can wholeheartedly say that should be the mantra. When I first joined Burford, I was fresh out of college and needed a full-time job. I joined our spectacular plants team and was warmly welcomed. Being shopfloor based I learnt valuable customer service skills and picked up some great gardening knowledge too.

After three years in the business, I was approached to help develop and implement our IT and EPOS infrastructure. Using the skills I had gained in college along with the ones I had gained whilst working in the business, I have been able to be part of some fantastic projects. I am fast approaching my ten-year anniversary at the company which is quite good for someone who was “just passing through”.'

‘When I first joined Burford Garden Co. in September 2018, I was newly graduated from university with a degree in English Literature. I already lived in the local area and had always loved coming to visit Burford. The ethos of the company also appealed to me, so I believed it would be the perfect place for me to find my footing post-graduation.

I began working on the shop floor in the clothing department, and very quickly made friends amongst the lovely team. I enjoyed the dynamic environment and quickly strengthened my customer service skills. Within the first year I was promoted to Supervisor of Little Burford, our children’s department, and within a couple more years I was promoted to Assistant Manager of the Garden Shop.

Around eighteen months ago I was promoted to my current position as Manager of our website. This role allows me to use my creativity and to build managerial skills for life. My knowledge of the Company gained in my various other roles gives me helpful insight into our customer base, allowing me to co-ordinate and organise website product selection, photography and copy to best reflect the business, and its values.’