You’ve Grotto go! Surrey’s largest Christmas attraction now open

‘Tis the season for a Surrey-based garden centre as it prepares to welcome more than 45,000 visitors to enjoy its annual festivities.

Families arriving at Chessington Garden Centre this Christmas will be greeted by the county’s largest independent Santa’s grotto. The magical multi-sensory experience is tailored for children, where they can interact with scenes and characters from some of their favourite animated films.

Before meeting Father Christmas, children are guided through a special cinema room showing an exclusive animation commissioned specially for the garden centre, before taking a journey through a Winter woodland complete with light shows, water attractions and festive set designs.

They’ll also experience a scene from Santa’s workshop, complete with elves working on toys for Christmas and even singing reindeer. After visiting Santa, children can hand in their ‘magic ticket’ to select from a range of toys, including dolls, toy cars and creative sets for crafts and painting.

In total, Chessington creates more than 100 local jobs each Christmas to support the attraction and deliver a magical experience for families.

Chessington Garden Centre first established its Christmas experience over 20 years ago, and it’s expanded from being set up in the corner of the centre to a year-round operation, with planning and designing for the experience beginning every January.

Cherry atop the Christmas cake

It comes amid a year of growth for the garden centre, which has invested in its range of own-label outdoor furniture and equipment. Chessington’s outdoor living range includes, dining and seating areas, fire pits and outdoor kitchens, and the business has recently used a six-figure funding package from Lloyds Bank to deal directly with suppliers. By removing additional brokers, it’s able to design quality goods and retail for a lower price.

It’s also used the funding to refurbish its on-site 350-cover restaurant, which will be supplied by Chessington’s new farm shop. The expansion has included creating new, enhanced seating areas and investing in its own butchery to ensure fresher ingredients. It now hopes to retail its own produce to customers at the garden centre.

Jolyon Martin, managing director at Chessington Garden Centre, said: “Christmas is a special time of year and part of this is down to the unique experiences families get to enjoy together. We work hard not just to deliver this, but really go beyond their imagination to create something truly magical.

“It takes a huge team to create the spectacle every year, from designers and builders, to the all-important elves and of course Santa himself. We’re able to plan it and forecasts well in advance with Paul and Lloyds Bank’s support, and we’re looking forward to this year’s festive season.”

Paul Keaveney, relationship director at Lloyds Bank, said: “The garden centre sector is competitive and there are a number of high-quality ones in and around Surrey. Jolyon and the team at Chessington has recognised an opportunity to diversify and make themselves a unique destination.

“Spotting areas to expand and earn a USP requires ambition, as well as the ability to invest strategically. We’re working by the side of businesses across the region to unlock the working capital they need to diversify and grow.”