A FAMILY-run rural garden centre has unveiled its new look premises.

Whitegates Nursery in West Rounton, near Northallerton, employs 32 local people after undergoing a large development.

Owners Jonathan and Claire Grainge expanded the café from 20 to 70 seats, built two new buildings to make up for the extra café space and accommodated a new car park.

Mrs Grainge said: “Whitegates has just celebrated its 50th anniversary so we want to retain the individuality and family atmosphere which have become synonymous to the nursery.

“We wanted to create a nicer retail environment and we have 11 polytunnels to stay plant focussed as we grow most of them ourselves.

“At times such as spring and Christmas the centre was too small, so we had to act. We have 8,000 members in our gardening club who said they wanted more than a coffee and cake, so we decided to have an overhaul of the café.”

The caterers source local produce, with meat supplied by Hutchinson Hobbs near Yarm and Stamfrey Farm in West Rounton providing yoghurt and clotted cream.