Yearly Archives: 2025
Weekend Kitchen Assistant
We’re on the lookout for a weekend Kitchen Assistant to join our friendly and fast-paced Lime Kiln Kitchen team. You’ll be the behind-the-scenes hero, helping our chefs prep delicious dishes and keeping things running smoothly, all while learning the tricks of the trade.
What You’ll Be Doing:
· Prepping fresh ingredients (think chopping, peeling and portioning)
· Supporting chefs with food preparation during busy service
· Keeping workspaces clean, tidy, and up to health & safety standards
· Assisting with deliveries and storage
· Learning something new every day!
What We’re Looking For:
· A genuine love for food and eager to learn
· Willingness to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in
· Previous kitchen experience is a bonus but not essential- we’ll teach you everything you need to know
What You’ll Get:
· Full training and ongoing support
· A chance to grow your kitchen skills and progress if you want to
· Staff perks and discounts
· A fun, friendly, and supportive working environment
Whether you dream of becoming a chef or just love being part of a kitchen crew, this is your opportunity to step into the culinary world and build something tasty. Ready to join the team? Please send your CV to james@thetfordgardencentre.co.uk
Let’s get cooking!
Bakery Assistant- Part-Time
Are you passionate about baking? Do you love the smell of fresh bread and the idea of creating delicious cakes from scratch? We’re looking for an enthusiastic Bakery Assistant to join our friendly team.
What We’re Looking For:
-
A genuine passion for baking
- Minimum 1 year experience
-
A creative flair and an eye for detail
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A team player who enjoys working with others
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Reliable, punctual, and eager to learn
- Must be over the age of 18 years old
Working Hours:
- Part-time hours only
Why work with us?
- Family-run, friendly team
- A respected, well-established restaurant
- Staff discounts across the garden centre and restaurant
If you’re ready to take the next step in your baking career, we’d love to hear from you!
Please send your CV to – James@thetfordgardencentre.co.uk
Here at Thetford Garden Centre, we’re working to create a more diverse, inclusive team that will bring skills, energy, & enthusiasm to our workplace.
GCA Westland Rising Stars 2025
Our very own Aaron, External Gardening Assistant here at Thetford Garden Centre, has been nominated by our management team for the for the GCA Westland Rising Stars 2025 award.
Aaron is a valuable member of the Thetford Garden Centre team and was chosen for his passion and dedication for plants and wildlife. Being part of the Rising Stars award programme is an exceptional opportunity for Aaron to enhance and hone his skills while being mentored by experts in the garden centre industry. Candidates selected for the award programme will participate in a series of workshops and attend various locations and events throughout the year. The workshops will focus on personal skills, presentation skills, and gaining a broader understanding of the garden centre industry.
As part of the award programme candidates are asked to create a project centered around environmental or sustainability themes. Aaron’s project, titled ‘Circle of Life’ is inspired by the growing loss of wildlife habitats due to new housing developments. Aaron designed and created an eco-friendly garden in the Thetford Garden Centre that anyone can replicate in a modern home. The garden shows how even small changes can make a big impact. With the right plants and a bit of care, your garden can become a sanctuary, not just for you, but for the wildlife that depends on us all.
Aaron said ‘By planting wildlife-friendly flowers, shrubs, and trees, we can help rebuild the delicate balance of our local ecosystems. Many plants that bloom in spring and summer attract aphids- tiny insects that might seem like pests but are actually a vital food source for a host of helpful garden allies. Ladybirds, hoverflies, lacewings, and earwigs all love to feast on aphids, helping to keep them in check. And these beneficial insects are also food for a wide variety of other creatures, like birds, spiders, frogs, dragonflies, and even other ladybirds!
When you create a garden rich in plant variety, you’re not just planting for beauty, you’re planting a buffet for nature. Birds eat beetles and spiders. Hedgehogs snack on slugs, snails, and insects. Bats, shrews, and mice all play a role too, while centipedes help control spider populations. And the best part is by supporting this natural food chain, you’re less likely to need chemical pesticides. A balanced ecosystem is its own form of pest control!’
Aaron’s project will be assessed throughout the year to review the various elements on which he received coaching. The best performing finalists will be invited to the 7th workshop and will then be invited to the annual GCA Conference in January 2026 where they will present the progress made on their project idea to the conference.
We’re rooting for you Aaron!
Come and explore the Circle of Life garden on your next visit and discover how easy it is to create a garden that supports nature. All featured plants are available to purchase, and our friendly team is on hand to help you get started.
12 wildlife-friendly flowers you can add to your garden:
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
• Geranium (Pink Pouffe/Rozanne)
• Sunflower (Brown Eyed Girl)
• Mint
• Salvia (Hotlips)
• Scabious (Pink Mist)
• Roses
• Poppy (Patty’s Plum)
• Alliums (Lavender Bubbles)
• Ferns (Dryopteris Jurassic Gold)
• Nepeta (Six Hills Giant)
• Winter Jasmine
Marketing & Events Manager
Are you a creative and experienced marketing professional ready to take the lead in driving brand growth and customer engagement along with managing a full events programme across the Garden Centre.
Thetford Garden Centre, a long-established independent family-run business, is seeking a passionate and innovative Marketing & Events Manager to oversee and elevate our marketing strategy. With further exciting development plans, we’re looking for someone who brings energy, vision, and a results-driven mindset.
- Key Responsibilities
- Develop and execute a dynamic marketing strategy aligned with brand guidelines
- Create and manage website content, social media, email campaigns, and visual communications using Adobe Creative Cloud, Meta Business Suite and MailChimp.
- Develop and manage an exciting events programme across all departments
- Work closely with the Senior Management Team to boost sales, footfall, and profitability
- Champion our brand across all customer touchpoints and marketing initiatives
- Lead promotional efforts across product categories and events
What We’re Looking For
- Proven experience in marketing, ideally within a retail environment
- Fluency in Adobe Creative Cloud Suite is essential
- Photography, Videography and editing experience is preferable
- Strong web and digital content management skills using WordPress
- Creative flair with a keen eye for design and detail
- Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
- KPI-focused and confident in collaborating with cross-functional teams
What We Offer
- Competitive salary
- 28 days holiday
- Company pension scheme
- Staff discount and subsidised staff menu
- Uniform provided
- Access to welfare support
- A chance to join a strong, supportive, and forward-thinking team
If you’re ready to bring your marketing talent to a vibrant retail environment with a loyal customer base and growth mindset, we’d love to hear from you!
Please send your CV to – julian@thetfordgardencentre.co.uk
Mr Julian Chittock, Thetford Garden Centre, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2RL
Pizza Chef
Are you looking for a career change? This is a great opportunity to join our restaurant, Norfolk Pizza Co. Working as a key member of our kitchen team, serving all fresh, locally sourced produce with a potential for career progression.
Key Skills Required:
- Passion is everything, no experience needed and full training will be provided
- Creativity – the ability to assist in creating new dishes with a hands-on approach and eye for detail
- A positive attitude and outgoing personality are a must
- Have a flexible approach to working
Full-time Wednesday- Sunday
Please send your CV to – james@thetfordgardencentre.co.uk
Here at Thetford Garden Centre, we’re working to create a more diverse, inclusive team that will bring skills, energy, & enthusiasm to our workplace.
Sous Chef – Lime Kiln Kitchen
This is a great opportunity for a Sous Chef to join an established business with an in-house, public facing restaurant, working alongside the Head Chef in heading up the kitchen operation. Serving fresh, locally sourced produce in both Lime Kiln Kitchen and Norfolk Pizza Co., you will have a passion for good food and consistently high standards.
Key Skills Required:
- Experience gained working as a Senior Chef de Partie or Junior Sous Chef in busy commercial catering or restaurant operations
- Creativity – the ability to create new menus with a hands on approach and eye for detail
- Running the kitchen in the Head Chef’s absence
- An understanding of legislation and compliance
- A positive, can-do attitude
What we offer:
- Competitive Salary
- Sociable hours
- Tip share
- Career progression
- Employee discount
- Pension
- Paid holiday
CVs and Cover Letter to – james@thetfordgardencentre.co.uk
Mr. James Feuer
Thetford Garden Centre, Kilverstone, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2RL
Machinery Assistant – Thetford Garden Centre
- Work closely with the team and build a strong rapport with your colleagues
- To support the line manager with the strategic development of the Machinery department
- To drive sales and profitability of the department through inversion and fantastic customer service
- To ensure retail standards are always at their best and inline with our values as a business
- To ensure all administrative duties are carried out and maintained within a reasonable time frame
- To make sure efficient processes are in place to guarantee consistency across the department
- To keep up to date with all current legislations and trends within the marketplace
- To work with the engineer to push servicing and repairs in our workshop with strategic planning and impeccable customer service
Role will include working alternative weekends.
To Apply – Please send a copy of your CV to: Mr Laurie Dolby
Senior Internal Gardening & Outdoor Living Manager
Thetford Garden Centre
Kilverstone, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2RL
T: 01842 763267
E:laurie@thetfordgardencentre.co.uk
Here at Thetford Garden Centre, we’re working to create a more diverse, inclusive team that will bring skills, energy, & enthusiasm to our workplace.
Your January Garden – Winter Edition
January Gardening Jobs
- Prune apple and pear trees
- Clean pots and greenhouses ready for spring
- Dig over any new vacant plots that have not been dug already
- Disperse worm casts in lawns
- Inspect stored tubers of Dahlia, Begonia and Canna for rot or drying out
- Recycle your Christmas tree by shredding it for mulch
- Start forcing rhubarb
- Plan your vegetable crop rotations for the coming season
- Keep putting out food and water for hungry birds
- Make a polythene shelter for outdoor peaches and nectarines to protect against peach leaf curl
Plants & Flowers
Keep your borders tidy by raking up any winter debris and leaves. Prepare for spring by clearing up weedy beds.
Sweet peas can be sown this month. Place them on a sunny windowsill, or on a high shelf in a sunny greenhouse.
Cut off old leaves of hellebores that produce flowers from ground level to exposed the flowers.
Similarly, cut away some Iris leaves to expose the flowers
Lawn
Even out hollows and bumps – Cut an H-shape into the turn, peel back the grass and fill the space with soil. For a bump, cut the same shape and remove excess soil.
Avoid walking on frost covered lawns – this will damage the grass and leave browned footprints.
If the ground is not too cold, re-cut lawn edges to neaten up the garden and prevent grass growing in your borders.
Ponds
Rake out fallen leaves or shake off any that have landed on protective netting.
Keep an eye on your pond water level as hard frost can cause defects in the liner and even in concrete structures. If you notice a considerable drop in the level, then a leak may have occurred. The repair can be done in the spring so keep the water topped up until then.
Beware of ice forming on the pond if you have fish as this can be fatal. Either install a air pump or pond heater to prevent this.
You can also make a hole by placing a saucepan of hot water on the surface until is has melted. Do not crack the ice as this can harm the fish.
Trees & Shrubs
Continue to plant roses but avoid anywhere that roses have been previously planted. This can lead to issues with replant diseases.
Check tree ties and stakes as cold and harsh winds can loosen them.
Protect new trees, hedges and shrubs from the cold weather, winds and frost. Thick dry mulch will protect the roots and branches can be covered with fleece. For evergreens, keep the light coming through by covering with clear polythene – don’t let it touch the leaves as they could freeze or rot from condensation.