News & Events

​On 25th March, Guy Moreton and I had the privilege of attending the Modern Slavery Intelligence Network (MSIN) Conference at Tesco's Head Office. MSIN is a pioneering non-profit collaboration within the UK’s food and agriculture sector. By collaborating and sharing ideas, MSIN members generate fresh insights and help to protect those most vulnerable to labour exploitation. The day was both eye-opening and thought-provoking, with discussions focused on the root causes of modern slavery, how it can be identified in businesses and supply chains, and the practical actions organisations can take to combat it. We also explored the role of AI and digital solutions in identifying and preventing exploitation in the sector. A standout moment was learning about the incredible work of Bright Future Co-op, which supports survivors in rebuilding their lives by helping them back into employment. Bright Future Co-operative has pioneered initiatives that provide survivors of modern slavery with not only immediate employment opportunities but also long-term support and integration. By partnering with ethical employers, Bright Future is helping survivors rebuild their lives and break the cycle of exploitation, ensuring they have the stability to thrive in a fairer food industry.Modern Slavery in the UK Food Industry: Causes, Identification and SolutionsModern slavery is a pervasive issue in the UK food industry, affecting workers across farming, fishing, food processing, and hospitality. The root causes of exploitation are complex but largely stem from the following factors:1. Low wages & the demand for cheap food: Exploration can occur from pressures to keep food prices low, particularly in supermarkets, to encourage cost-cutting practices. It provides an area for vulnerability and more susceptible to exploitation.2. Dependence on seasonal and migrant labour: The UK food industry, especially in areas like fruit picking and fishing, relies heavily on seasonal labour. The likes of temporary contracts, cash-in-hand payments or limited rights could encourage exploitation. 3. Hidden exploitation in supply chains: Modern slavery can occur deep within business supply chains, hidden from consumers and even some retailers. If faced with long hours, poor pay or coercive conditions, the fear of job loss may prevent them from reporting exploitation. Practical actions and strategies for businessesTo combat modern slavery effectively, we learnt that businesses in the UK food industry must take decisive action. 1. Strengthen Recruitment & Employment Practices. This can be done by ensuring contracts are fully understood, salaries are paid fairly and adhered to legal minimums with direct payment to the workers only. You can conduct check-ins to assess any signs of uncertainty and create a safe space environment, enabling them to feel safe about reporting exploitation, should they have to.2. Improve Supply Chain Transparency. Ensure all parties involved in the supply chain are officially recorded within the business, whilst ensuring all staff adhere to ethical practices. 3. Utilise AI. Tools such as data and predictive analytics can be used to monitor the risk factors and areas of concern before the exploitation occurs. It can be used as a preventive tool to proactively prevent the exploitation of workers. Modern slavery in the UK food industry is a deeply rooted issue, but businesses can make a real difference by adopting the right strategies. Strengthening recruitment practices, increasing supply chain transparency and harnessing the power of AI are essential steps in tackling exploitation. Furthermore, collaboration between businesses, governments, and ethical organisations is critical to ensure that every worker in the food industry is treated with dignity and respect.MSIN are looking for additional members to join this critical fight to protect vulnerable workers. If your business wants to be part of a movement that can truly change lives, please contact claire.donovan@msin.org.uk for more details.​

​A Record-Breaking March 2025In recent conversations with senior managers and owners within the UK garden centre industry, a prevailing sentiment has emerged: March 2025 has been exceptional. Many are reporting it as their best March ever or at least the best in the past five years. Favourable weather conditions have significantly boosted footfall, leading to this remarkable performance.But is this just a temporary high, or does it signal a sustained resurgence for the industry?A Look Back at 2021: The Pandemic Gardening BoomDuring the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, garden centres experienced an unprecedented surge in popularity. With lockdowns confining people to their homes, many turned to gardening as a therapeutic and productive hobby. This shift resulted in record-breaking sales, increased demand for plants, tools, and outdoor décor, and a heightened appreciation for outdoor spaces.However, as lockdowns ended and normal life resumed, garden centre footfall naturally declined. The challenge since then has been to retain new gardening enthusiasts while adapting to changing consumer habits.Recent Performance Indicators: Signs of Recovery?The positive trends observed in March 2025 are not isolated incidents. The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) reported a 22% increase in garden centre sales in March 2024 compared to the same month in 2023, attributing this growth to an earlier Easter and increased consumer confidence. Catering sales also saw a 17% rise during this period.Similarly, the Garden Centre Association (GCA) highlighted a "very strong month" in March 2024, with all categories showing positive results. Hard landscaping sales led the way with a 38.42% increase, followed by outdoor plants at 32.39% and garden sundries at 28.86%.Despite these successes, the HTA noted that 2024 was marked by unpredictable weather, including the UK's wettest spring since 1986, which dampened garden centre sales. However, non-gardening categories like catering and farm shops thrived, demonstrating the importance of diversifying offerings.Challenges and OpportunitiesWhile the recent data is promising, the industry faces challenges such as fluctuating weather patterns, cost of living pressures and competition from online retailers. However, garden centres are responding strategically and continuing to diversify into other areas – think home décor, gifts, food, cafes, play areas and interactive workshops. Many are also looking to improve e-commerce platforms such as click-and-collect services, develop websites for advice based content, and incorporate RFID systems for better service. Read more here >Looking Ahead: The Future of Garden CentresWhile it remains uncertain if the industry will fully recapture the extraordinary success of 2021, the current momentum indicates a resilient and adaptable sector with the right strategies. Garden centres can continue to thrive and evolve, ensuring they remain a vital part of both the retail landscape and consumers' lifestyles.What do you think? Are we seeing a long-term revival, or is this just a seasonal boost? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

My Day at the GIMA Conference: How AI Can Be Your New Work BFF (And Yes, AI Wrote This) When I walked into the GIMA Conference yesterday, I expected to learn about AI’s role in business. What I didn't expect? To leave with a full-blown existential crisis about how much time I’ve wasted not using it.Oh, and in case you missed the memo: This entire blog was written by AI. Meta? Absolutely. Cheating? Not even a little—just working smarter. Key Takeaways: AI as Your Overqualified Personal AssistantReza Yaghoubi from Manchester Metropolitan University set the tone early: AI isn’t just a fancy search engine—it’s your most efficient employee. He urged us to think of AI as a co-pilot for thinking, not just a tool. Need a letter drafted? AI’s got it. Struggling to structure market research? Let AI compile insights while you focus on strategy. Even better, use it to sense-check your own ideas, like a brutally honest (but always polite) colleague.Then came Edwin Meijer of Green Solutions, who showed us the power of AI to decode 11,390 customer reviews in the horticulture industry. Imagine knowing exactly why customers love (or loathe) a product without spending weeks sifting through feedback. AI doesn’t just spot trends—it hands you the cheat sheet to fixing problems before they escalate.Robert Patten from Empathy took it further, demonstrating how AI chatbots can handle FAQs for gardening businesses. Instead of answering the same question about wilting ferns a hundred times, let AI manage routine queries while your team focuses on high-value conversations.Finally, Jonathan Stobart from Smart dropped the mic on manual marketing. Why waste hours agonizing over product descriptions when ChatGPT can generate 10 compelling options in seconds? Or manually track competitors when AI can summarize their moves for you? He even shared his secret weapons: Canva for AI-generated visuals, Copilot for taming spreadsheets, and Otter.ai to transcribe meetings—meaning you can finally stop pretending to take notes.​My Big Realisation: AI Isn’t Cheating—It’s Just LeverageHere’s the uncomfortable truth: I’ve been wasting time on tasks AI could’ve handled before my coffee got cold. But the bigger revelation? Using AI isn’t "cheating." It’s refusing to do things the hard way just for the sake of it.As a Senior Recruitment Consultant at MorePeople, I see AI as the ultimate admin sidekick. Will it replace my industry expertise or the relationships I’ve built? Absolutely not. But will it draft emails, summarize candidate profiles, and keep me out of spreadsheet hell? Sign me up.​How Recruiters (and Everyone Else) Should Use AIThe message was clear: automate the tedious, enhance the human. AI won’t replace recruiters, but it will make us faster, sharper, and free to focus on what really matters—like actually talking to candidates instead of drowning in paperwork. Tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Otter.ai aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re the difference between working late and leaving on time. Conclusion: The Irony Isn’t Lost on MeThe fact that AI wrote this blog about AI is either hilarious or terrifying—I’m still deciding. But one thing’s certain: if you’re not experimenting with AI yet, you’re not just falling behind—you’re volunteering for burnout.So, here’s my challenge to you: Pick one task this week and let AI handle it. Draft that email. Summarize that report. Then, when you realize how much time you’ve saved, come back and thank me. (Or thank the AI. Either way.) P.S. No robots were harmed in the making of this blog.​On a serious note, if you are considering your next career move within the commercial horticulture industry, or looking to expand your commercial team, get in touch!Rae Goss | Senior Recruitment Consultant | Contact me

​Looking back over the last 25 years, what are you most proud of achieving with MorePeople? There are so many things! For one, creating a business that’s lasted 25 years – immensely proud! When you start up a business, you, of course, hope you’ll be successful, but you never know for sure. Part of me thought we’d start MorePeople, grow it to a decent size and then sell up; we kind of thought of the business as our retirement fund. We threw everything we had into starting MorePeople. I’m so proud of the people who work here and those that have been here along the way, so many great people have joined us on this journey. We always wanted people to work here and enjoy the environment and enjoy working here and I think we have achieved that.We wanted to be able to do high-level recruitment as well as headhunting and recruit for all levels whilst providing a consistently good service and value for money. The idea was to focus on a client and be able to fill all functions in their business, which we now do!How has the recruitment landscape changed since you first started MorePeople? There are significantly more recruiters out there now compared to when we started. When MorePeople started there were only a few recruitment companies who specialised in our sectors; they tended to be generalists or big city headhunting companies. There were nowhere near as many specialists as there are now!And of course, how technology has changed in 25 years to use for recruitment!This leads us on to our next questions: how has technology changed the way MorePeople operates over the years?When we first started, we were using fax machines, and candidates were sending their CV’s to us in the post! Google was only just becoming popular, and our main form of communication was a phone. I remember that around 2002, the Grocer had around 150 pages of job adverts, and even Farmers Weekly had 15-20 pages. We were creating multiple print adverts with an external graphic designer. Now, naturally, everything is online – job boards, LinkedIn, email, etc and we don’t do any print advertising!I can’t not mention AI, the rate it’s growing and how we’re all finding ways to use it. I think the challenge for recruiters is to ensure CVs are accurate and reflective of the actual person.What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced over the years, and how did you overcome them? Of course, I have to mention COVID-19. The same for most business owners, I’m sure. I couldn’t get my head around everyone being told to stay at home. For 6 weeks, everything stopped; we had no idea what was going on – we didn’t know how to advise on interviews, some clients were shut down, we couldn’t get hold of anyone, job offers were being cancelled. We couldn’t answer any of our candidate's questions, it really was a terrible few weeks. But as everyone was getting to grips with what was allowed and finding workarounds, the food industry started to pick up, which in turn meant we did too. As with everyone, we picked up using Teams, Zoom, etc for interviews, which in the end has been a massive benefit for recruitment processes and can speed up some processes!Another tough period for a business owner, and most people, was the 2008 recession. It’s the only time we’ve had to cut staff due to economic activity and our first and only year we went backwards and did not grow!What’s been the most surprising or unexpected aspect of running MorePeople for 25 years?I don’t often get surprised, but I suppose it is surprising that I’m still in recruitment and still loving it as much as I did. I still get a massive buzz from helping candidates and clients.What key values or principles have guided the company’s growth and success?This is a great question. I think I’ve always been paranoid about customer service and paranoid about doing a good job. I want our team to genuinely care. Of course, we don’t always get it right, but we always want to address any mistakes. We always aim to hire people who are kind, courteous and want to give a good service consistent with how we started. We were told 25 years ago that recruiters don’t call back and are terrible at communicating, and I’ve tried to ensure for the last 25 years that we do not operate that way. There was a gap in the market for people who knew the sector, could recruit for it AND gave great customer service to candidates and clients. In the early days, we only employed people who had sector experience. Andrew was our first hire, not from the industry but someone who had past recruitment experience. Over the years, he made me realise in order to grow, we would have to employ people with different experiences. Can you share a moment when you knew MorePeople was making a real impact in the industry? There was a point when we were starting to get asked to speak at conferences so we knew we were starting to make an impact. This has continued, and now members of our team are being asked to contribute to industry events, and this shows that the wider sector is interested in what we have to say and it’s not just about the transactional recruitment piece. Also, we’ve had many instances when candidates refer us to friends or family due to the experience they’ve had, so we knew we were having an impact when this started happening. Someone in the earlier days got their son or daughter to work with us – you know you’re doing something right then!If you could go back to the early days, what advice would you give yourself?We probably didn’t employ extra staff fast enough; we could have grown faster earlier, but I’m not unhappy we didn’t, as we grew slowly and steadily. There are plenty of recruiters who are younger than us but bigger. In hindsight, I could have pushed us a bit faster. We also stayed in the old office too long and it wasn’t fit for purpose – we needed a more open plan approach faster as the old office restricted our ability. Do you have any standout stories or memorable placements that reflect what MorePeople is all about?Over the years, we’ve made thousands of placements so it’s hard to pick out ones in particular. But I will say there’s been a few occasions when we’ve had some really emotional and powerful thank you’s from candidates from going over and above to get them a job when things have been really and touch and go for them financially, and to know we’ve genuinely helped someone in distress does always stay in my mind. If you had to sum up the journey of MorePeople in three words, what would they be?Exhilarating, and I don’t want it to stop!Relentless… there have been times I’ve really had to bust through that brick wallAn amazing journey(It is Guy Moreton after all, so it wasn’t going to be 3 words…)  

​Recently, our Horticulture team, Sarah, Kieran, and Emily, stepped out of the office and hit the road for an exciting adventure. Over the course of seven days, they embarked on two action-packed trips, covering over 800 miles and 11 client visits! Immersing themselves in horticulture advancements, networking, building key relationships, and more, the team had a truly productive seven days and left with invaluable discoveries.From ornamentals to protected salads, soft fruits to vines, Sarah and her team had the privilege of meeting incredible growers whilst learning more about their operations. They could see first-hand where the magic happens, and this research provided them with even more industry knowledge, supporting them in placing the best possible candidates with the best possible clients! The team are always looking for new ways to stay up to date with Horticulture news, allowing them to continue supporting their clients.Key visits included Tangmere Airfield Nurseries, Double H Nurseries, Farplants, Fleurie Nursery, Orion Future Technologies, S&A Produce and Oakover Nurseries!With 22 hours of driving, two days spent in Chichester and another two in Kent, the journey was demanding but undoubtedly rewarding, leaving the team with fresh perspectives and strengthened relationships. In the ever-growing industry, where will the horticulture team visit next?Want to learn more about recruitment in the Horticulture sector? Get in touch with us, we'd love to hear from you!Sarah Want| Team Manager | Sarah@morepeople.co.uk​​​

If you’ve ever worked in retail, you know the routine: long hours, repetitive tasks, and dealing with customers who are sometimes less than patient…But what if there was a retail job that offered a more enjoyable environment, better work-life balance, and the chance to work with something truly rewarding? That’s where garden retail comes in. Working in a garden centre isn’t just about selling plants—it’s about being part of a growing, industry that connects people.Here’s why it’s worth considering over a traditional retail job.A garden centre is often filled with fresh air, natural light, and the calming presence of plants. Most retail jobs are set in busy shopping centres or big-box stores filled with artificial lighting, loud music, and endless aisles of products. Spending your day surrounded by greenery can be a huge mood booster compared to working in a crowded, stressful store.In regular retail, customers are often in a rush, focused on getting in and out as quickly as possible. But in garden retail, most customers are passionate about their plants and excited to learn more. Whether it’s helping someone pick out their first tomato plant or advising on the best flowers for a shady yard, the interactions feel more rewarding. You’re not just selling a product—you’re helping people create something beautiful!Garden retail has also evolved beyond just plants. Many garden centres now offer a wide range of products, including homewares, outdoor furniture, garden décor, and even fashion. Customers are often coming to a Garden Centre to a day out, they take their time and wonder around many of the products.This diversification means employees get to work with an exciting variety of products, from high-quality candles and kitchenware to outdoor lighting and seasonal decorations. If you enjoy home and lifestyle trends, garden retail offers the perfect blend of nature and design.Instead of just stocking shelves or scanning barcodes, garden retail gives you the chance to learn about plant care, soil types, pest management, and landscaping. This knowledge isn’t just useful for the job—it can be applied in your own life, whether you want to start a garden or simply take better care of your houseplants. Plus, many garden centres offer opportunities to attend workshops and further develop your expertise.If you hate the idea of standing behind a till all day, garden retail offers a more dynamic work experience. You’ll be moving around, lifting bags of soil, watering plants, arranging displays, and sometimes even working outside. It’s a job that keeps you on your feet and engaged, which can be far more enjoyable than standing in one spot for hours.Unlike the high-pressure environment of a department store or fast-paced food chain, garden centres often have a more laid-back feel. There’s less of a push for aggressive sales, and employees tend to share a genuine interest in gardening and outdoor living. It’s the kind of place where customers are more likely to appreciate your help.Many people assume that garden retail is just a seasonal job, but it isn’t! Whether it’s moving into management, specialising in horticulture, the skills and experience you gain can lead to a fulfilling long-term career. Plus, as sustainability and gardening become more popular, the demand for knowledgeable professionals within the industry is only growing.If you’re looking for a job that’s less stressful, more rewarding, and full of opportunities to learn and grow, garden retail is a brilliant option. It’s a chance to work in a pleasant environment, engage with passionate customers, and develop skills that can benefit you for years to come. So next time you’re looking for a new opportunity- have a think and consider working in garden retail—you might just find it’s the perfect fit for you!