The directors present the strategic report for the year ended 31 January 2025.

The principal activity of the business during the year was the retailing of plants, garden supplies and leisure products. The business also has an extensive food and beverage offer through multiple dining outlets across the site as well as in its Foodhall.

Against a backdrop of tough trading conditions, economic and political uncertainty and one of the wettest spring/summer seasons on record, the directors are extremely pleased with the performance of the business.

Overall sales grew 6.7% to £26.5m (2024: £24.8m) with the majority of key product categories demonstrating year on year growth. The Christmas product sales in particular had a fantastic year with double-digit growth and it was encouraging to see the Garden Furniture category return back to growth even with the poor weather. The catering side of the business also continued to perform incredibly well with a third consecutive year of double-digit growth.

Continued focus on profitable sales and margin growth was once again effective with a Gross Profit Margin % increase of +1.8% in the year.

As a result of the above factors, Profit before Tax grew by £0.6m in the year to £0.7m (2024: £0.08m).

The statement of financial position remains healthy with net assets of £14.6 million and cash reserves of £5.5 million.

Matters of Strategic Importance

The core business strategy is to develop the attractiveness of the site as a leisure destination by investing in the infrastructure, delivering new and exciting events and by attracting additional tenants to the site to increase footfall.

The directors constantly monitor the risks and uncertainties facing the Company. They are confident that there are suitable policies in place and there are no material risks and uncertainties which have not been considered.

Legislative Threat

The business constantly monitors any changes to legislation to ensure that it remain compliant and understands any financial implication to the business. The business will often engage with external agencies to understand any changes in more complex or specialist areas.

Foreign Exchange Risk

The business has exposure to foreign exchange risk through its supply chain. In order to mitigate this, the business maintains a holding of relevant foreign currency and uses forward foreign exchange contracts where deemed appropriate in order to reduce exposure to the volatility of foreign exchange rates.

Liquidity Risk

The business seeks to manage financial risk by maintaining a rolling cash flow forecast to ensure sufficient liquidity is available to meet foreseeable business needs and operate efficiently.

Property Risk

The business is dependent on the premises from which it trades. As such the directors ensure that adequate funds are made available to maintain and improve the buildings and grounds. In addition the business ensures that adequate insurance cover is maintained.

Energy Volatility

The business consumes a large amount of energy. Although currently in long term fixed rate agreements for both gas (March 2027) and electricity (October 2027) the business is also focussed on reducing its energy consumption and increasing its own renewable energy generating capability.

Management meets regularly to discuss these issues and to decide how the business will react and adapt to them.

The board monitors progress on overall strategy and the individual strategic elements by reference to five key performance indicators.

Performance during the year together with historical trend data is set out in the table below:

2025 2024    

Growth in sales          6.7%        0.5%    Year on year sales expressed as

a percentage.    

Gross profit margin         51.1%    49.3%    Gross profit expressed as a percentage of                             sales.

Footfall growth         +2.0%    +6.1% Year on year visitor numbers expressed as                             a percentage.

Footfall conversion         49.6%    49.2%    The total number of baskets during the                             year expressed as a percentage of the                                 total number of visitors to the site. The

conversion rate was broadly similar year

on year.

Average basket size        £19.33     £19.25    Average spend per customer calculated                             as total net takings divided by the                                 number of baskets during the year.

i. Introduction

Throughout the financial year ending 31 January 2025 the Board has had regard, in its decision making, to broader stakeholder interests in all the areas identified under section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 and listed under Sections 2 and 3 below.

ii. Stakeholders

Our stakeholders are our shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, local communities, the environment and others.

Throughout the period under review the Board's decision-making process has been driven by sustainability and our long-term business plan, values and aims.

In the year ending 31 January 2025 the directors engaged with stakeholders in the following ways:

Shareholders

The Board regularly reports to the shareholders on the business financial performance and evaluates risk as part of its ongoing decision making process.

Colleagues

Our company is proud to have a dedicated team, including many colleagues who have been with us for over 10 years, supported by a strong and committed core workforce.

Over the past two years, we’ve been recognised as a Great Place to Work UK, achieving official Great Place to Work accreditation in both 2024 and 2025. This year, we were also named one of the UK’s Best Workplaces in Retail, Hospitality & Leisure™, reflecting our continued focus on creating exceptional experiences for our colleagues. By listening to and acting on detailed feedback, we’ve strengthened our culture and made significant progress — increasing our Net Promoter Score from +2% to +54%.

With the support of our Culture Champions and Leaders, we’ve expanded wellbeing initiatives and colleague events throughout the year. These include on-site health checks, visits from health professionals, and financial wellbeing sessions, as well as continued access to mental health first aiders and our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).

Recognition remains a key part of our culture, and we’re proud that over 1,365 colleagues have been recognised through our internal recognition scheme across 2024.  The introduction of our new Award Tree Badge programme has also been a success, with nearly 40 badges awarded in its first year. Improved communication channels have further strengthened engagement, with our latest colleague survey showing a marked improvement in communication scores year-on-year.

Training and development continue to be a top priority. We’ve expanded our leadership training portfolio, introducing new courses in coaching and sexual harassment awareness, and a new elearning system providing our teams with CPD courses, along with three brand-new apprenticeship programmes across our Finance, Marketing, and Buying teams. These initiatives reinforce our commitment to developing talent and supporting career growth across the business.

Suppliers, Customers and Others

Our suppliers include local businesses whom we have traded with for many years.

We seek long term relationships with all our suppliers and aim to be timely in making payment.

We use multiple methods to engage with our customers including our 'Be Inspired' privilege scheme, regular emails, various social media channels and our three magazines.

Via the Tillington Group of Garden Centres we seek to achieve economies of scale in our purchasing which is reflected in the prices we charge our customers.

We are active members of our trade associations - the Garden Centre Association and the Horticultural Trades Association which promote our industry in general.

iii. Impact of Our Operations on the Community and Environment

The Company continues to support local charities and each year nominates a Charity of the Year which benefits from several major fund raising events.

As part of our support to the local community the company has donated a significant parcel of land for use as allotments by local residents.

We support local suppliers (especially for food) and contractors, wherever possible, in order to minimise transport miles and emissions.

The business has a formed a Sustainability Committee whose remit is to look at new ways in which we can reduce our impact on the environment. The business has now invested almost £0.5m in sustainable solar energy which supplies a substantial amount of the total electricity usage. In recent years there has also been significant investments in an LED roll-out programme and replacing older gas boilers with more energy efficient models.

STREAMLINED ENERGY AND CARBON REPORTING

During the year ended 31 January 2025, the group reported the following in respect of energy use:

                             2025        2024

UK energy use (kWh)                     2,492,835    2,269,400

Associated greenhouse gas emissions (Tonnes of CO²)     568.17    514.27

Intensity ratio (Tonnes of CO² emissions per employee)     1.32        1.52

Associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been calculated using the following rates:

0.21kg of CO² per kWh of electricity consumption.

0.20kg of CO² per kWh of Gas consumption.

2.76kg of CO² per Litre of Gas oil consumption.

2.51kg of CO² per Litre of fuel consumption.

The above GHG emission rates have been derived from a 2024 UK government report on carbon emissions.

Intensity ratio has been calculated using the average number of employees across the group for the year ended 31 January 2025.

The group has implemented a number of measures over the years and continues to invest in new initiatives with the aim of reducing emissions. These initiatives include but aren’t limited to:

•    Investing more than £500,000 in solar energy technology, which supplied 23% of the total         electricity usage in the year.

•    Investing more than £50,000 in LED lighting further improving efficiency.

•    Installing a Building Management System to optimise energy consumption across the site

•    Replacing 3 old gas boilers with newer more energy efficient models

•    Installing Smart Plugs to ensure all non-essential equipment is turned off over night.

•    Regular meetings regarding sustainability exploring how we can reduce emissions further.

Future Trading

The company has substantial cash reserves and the directors are confident that the business is in a strong position to trade through the current risks and uncertainties associated with inflationary pressures and the cost of living squeeze.

On behalf of the board

The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 January 2025.

The principal activity of the company continued to be that of a retail garden centre.

The results for the year are set out on page 11.

Ordinary dividends were paid amounting to £60,000. The directors do not recommend payment of a final dividend.

The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:

The company undertakes research and development relating to horticulture.

Applications for employment by disabled persons are always fully considered, bearing in mind the aptitudes of the applicant concerned. In the event of members of staff becoming disabled, every effort is made to ensure that their employment within the company continues and that the appropriate training is arranged. It is the policy of the company that the training, career development and promotion of disabled persons should, as far as possible, be identical to that of other employees.

The board continually strives to improve and enhance standards of customer care and service at Bents Garden Centre Limited.

Directors and senior management regularly monitor and discuss with employees matter of current interest and concern.

Bents Garden Centre Limited is committed to treating both its employees and its customers with dignity and respect, and to value the differences people bring to the business.

DJH Audit Limited has indicated its willingness to be reappointed for another term and appropriate arrangements are being made for it to be deemed reappointed as auditor in the absence of an Annual General Meeting.

The directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law, the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The company has chosen in accordance with Companies Act 2006, s. 414C(11) to set out in the company's strategic report information required by Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, Sch. 7 to be contained in the directors' report.

So far as each person who was a director at the date of approving this report is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditor is unaware. Additionally, the directors individually have taken all the necessary steps that they ought to have taken as directors in order to make themselves aware of all relevant audit information and to establish that the company’s auditor is aware of that information.

We have audited the financial statements of Bents Garden Centre Limited (the 'company') for the year ended 31 January 2025 which comprise the statement of comprehensive income, the statement of financial position, the statement of changes in equity and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

• give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 31 January 2025 and of its profit for the year then ended;

• have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

• have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:

• the information given in the strategic report and the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• the strategic report and the directors' report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report or the directors' report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

• adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

• the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

• certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

• we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

As explained more fully in the directors' responsibilities statement, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.

As part of our planning process:

• We enquired of management the systems and controls the company has in place, the areas of the financial statements that are mostly susceptible to the risk of irregularities and fraud, and whether there was any known, suspected or alleged fraud. The company did not inform us of any known, suspected or alleged fraud.

• We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks applicable to the company. We determined that the following were most relevant: FRS 102, Companies Act 2006, Health & Safety at Work 1974, Employment Act 2002, Food Safety Act 1990 and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

• We considered the incentives and opportunities that exist in the company, including the extent of management bias, which present a potential for irregularities and fraud to be perpetuated, and tailored our risk assessment accordingly.

• Using our knowledge of the company, together with the discussions held with the company at the planning stage, we formed a conclusion on the risk of misstatement due to irregularities including fraud and tailored our procedures according to this risk assessment.

The key procedures we undertook to detect irregularities including fraud during the course of the audit included:

• Identifying and testing journal entries, in particular those that were significant and unusual.

• Reviewing the financial statement disclosures and determining whether accounting policies have been appropriately applied.

• Reviewing and challenging the assumptions and judgements used by management in their significant accounting estimates, in particular in relation to the valuation of stock, and requirement for any provision.

• Assessing the extent of compliance, or lack of, with the relevant laws and regulations in particular those that are central to the entity's ability to continue in operation.

• Testing key turnover lines, in particular cut-off, for evidence of management bias.

• Testing controls surrounding cash sales to ensure the risk of cash misappropriation is minimised.

• Testing controls surrounding the authorisation of purchase invoices.

• Performing a physical verification of key assets, including stocks.

• Obtaining third-party confirmation of material bank and loan balances.

• Documenting and verifying all significant related party balances and transactions.

Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. The primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of irregularities and fraud rests with the directors.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the company's member in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's member those matters we are required to state to the member in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's member, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

The income statement has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.

There are no recognised gains or losses other than the profit for the current and prior financial years, as shown in the statement above. Therefore, no statement of other comprehensive income has been presented.

Bents Garden Centre Limited is a private company, limited by shares, registered in England and Wales. The company's registered number is 02869245 and the registered office is Bents Garden Centre, Warrington Road, Leigh End, Glazebury, Warrington, WA3 5NT.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102. "The Financial Reporting Standard 102 applicable in the UK and Ireland" and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

This company is a qualifying entity for the purposes of FRS 102, being a member of a group where the parent of that group prepares publicly available consolidated financial statements, including this company, which are intended to give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the group. The company has therefore taken advantage of exemptions from the following disclosure requirements:

• Section 7 ‘Statement of Cash Flows’: Presentation of a statement of cash flow and related notes and disclosures;

• Section 33 ‘Related Party Disclosures’: Compensation for key management personnel.

The financial statements of the company are consolidated in the financial statements of Bents Holdings Limited.

The company had net assets of £14,640,541 at the year end (2024: £14,121,643) and cash reserves of £5,529,717 (2024: £5,697,738). Forecasts for the next 12 months show a positive cash position and continued profitability.true

The UK is currently experiencing a cost of living crisis, which presents various risks to the retail sector. However, due to the strong reserves and cash position, the directors believe that the company can manage the risks at these challenging times and therefore continue to adopt a going concern basis of accounting in preparing these financial statements.

Turnover represents the amount receivable by the company arising from the supply of goods to customers, excluding value added tax. Turnover is recognised at the point of the sale to the customer.

Turnover from the sale of goods is recognised when the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods have passed to the buyer, usually on dispatch of the goods, the amount of turnover can be measured reliably, it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the entity and the costs incurred or to be incurred in respect of the transaction can be measured reliably.

Other operating income represents concessions income on a straight line basis over the period of the lease. Amounts received in advance are deferred and recognised as they fall due.

Intangible assets are measured initially at cost. After initial recognition, intangible assets are measured at cost less any accumulated amortisation and any accumulated impairment losses.

Website costs are being amortised evenly over their estimated useful life of four years.

Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is credited or charged to profit or loss.

Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost comprises direct materials and, where applicable, direct labour costs and those overheads that have been incurred in bringing the stocks to their present location and condition.

At each reporting date, an assessment is made for impairment. Any excess of the carrying amount of stocks over its estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell is recognised as an impairment loss in profit or loss. Reversals of impairment losses are also recognised in profit or loss.

Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

The company only enters into basic financial instruments transactions that result in the recognition of financial assets and liabilities like trade and other accounts receivable and payable, loans from banks and other third parties and loans to related parties.

Basic financial liabilities are initially measured at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost.

Other financial assets, including investments in equity instruments which are not subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures, are initially measured at fair value, which is normally the transaction price. Such assets are subsequently carried at fair value and the changes in fair value are recognised in profit or loss, except that investments in equity instruments that are not publicly traded and whose fair values cannot be measured reliably are measured at cost less impairment.

Financial assets, other than those held at fair value through profit and loss, are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.

Financial assets are impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the estimated future cash flows have been affected. If an asset is impaired, the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss.

If there is a decrease in the impairment loss arising from an event occurring after the impairment was recognised, the impairment is reversed. The reversal is such that the current carrying amount does not exceed what the carrying amount would have been, had the impairment not previously been recognised. The impairment reversal is recognised in profit or loss.

Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the company transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, bank loans, loans from fellow group companies and preference shares that are classified as debt, are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Derivatives, including interest rate swaps and forward foreign exchange contracts, are not basic financial instruments. Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value on the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured at their fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recognised in profit or loss in finance costs or finance income as appropriate, unless hedge accounting is applied and the hedge is a cash flow hedge.

Debt instruments that do not meet the conditions in FRS 102 paragraph 11.9 are subsequently measured at fair value through profit or loss. Debt instruments may be designated as being measured at fair value through profit or loss to eliminate or reduce an accounting mismatch or if the instruments are measured and their performance evaluated on a fair value basis in accordance with a documented risk management or investment strategy.

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax.

The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the income statement because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible. The company’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting end date.

Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all timing differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits. Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the timing difference arises from goodwill or from the initial recognition of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that affects neither the tax profit nor the accounting profit.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each reporting end date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered. Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the income statement, except when it relates to items charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when the company has a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets and liabilities and the deferred tax assets and liabilities relate to taxes levied by the same tax authority.

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged to profit or loss on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease except where another more systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from the leases asset are consumed.

Transactions in currencies other than pounds sterling are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing at the dates of the transactions. At each reporting end date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates prevailing on the reporting end date. Gains and losses arising on translation in the period are included in profit or loss.

Research and development

Expenditure on research and development is written off in the year in the year in which it is incurred.

In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

The following judgements (apart from those involving estimates) have had the most significant effect on amounts recognised in the financial statements.

Making judgement based on historical experience on the level of provision required for impairment of stocks. Further information received after the statement of financial position date may impact on the level of provision required.

Estimating an appropriate absorption rate to allocate to the valuation of the own grown products, based on historical experience.

Estimating the useful economic life of an asset is considered a key judgement in calculating an appropriate depreciation charge.

Turnover and profit before taxation are attributable to the one principal activity of the company.

All turnover has been generated within the United Kingdom.

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company during the year was:

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

The number of directors for whom retirement benefits are accruing under defined contribution schemes amounted to 2 (2024 - 1).

The actual charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:

The CBILS loan is secured by way of a fixed and floating charge over the assets of the company.

The following are the major deferred tax liabilities and assets recognised by the company and movements thereon:

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund.

At the year end unpaid pension contributions totalling £42,087 (2024: £31,270) are included within other creditors.

At 31 January 2025 the company had provided guarantees to third parties of £30,000 (2024: £30,000).

There is a cross guarantee and debenture with Bents Property Limited, a fellow subsidiary undertaking, and Bents Holdings Limited, the parent company, to secure bank loan facilities with Barclays Bank plc. At 31 January 2025 the respective bank debts totaled £10,500,000 (2024: £10,500,000).

At the reporting end date the company had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:

Amounts due to family members included within other creditors were £88 (£317).

During the year, consultancy fees of £10,125 (2024: £5,122) were paid to a family member.

During the year, rental charges of £41,318 (2024: £36,793) were paid to a family member.

The immediate and ultimate controlling party to Bents Garden Centre Limited is Bents Holdings Limited, a company incorporated and registered in the United Kingdom.

Bents Holdings Limited prepare consolidated accounts including Bents Garden Centre Limited and these are available from the registered office Bents Garden Centre, Warrington Road, Leigh End, Glazebury, Warrington, WA3 5NT.

The ultimate controlling party of Bents Garden Centre Limited is R Bent, a director and shareholder of the company's ultimate parent company, Bents Holdings Limited.