The Thompson & Morgan brand dates back to 1855 when keen botanist, William Thompson, joined forces with knowledgeable businessman, John Morgan, to drive growth in what started as a seed catalogue business.
The Suttons brand was established in 1806 and was awarded the much-coveted Royal Warrant in 1858, an honour we still hold today.
Fast forward to today's fast-paced digital world where our history is the foundation for everything we do. Selling a wide range of products under our varied brands, we provide everything the home gardener needs through our market-leading online channel, our traditional catalogues and our strong partnerships with in-store retailers across the UK and Europe. We have expanded our brands to offer more than just plants and seeds; gardening equipment, tools and bird food are just some of the additional offerings.
We have over 300 employees based across our locations in Suffolk and Devon, as well as our field sales team covering the whole of the UK.
With passionate, experienced teams, we continue to strive for excellence and grow the brands even further.
Our Core Values
Quality
We only sell products that we know will delight our customers, sourced from suppliers with standards as high as our own. We want our employees to strive for excellence, looking for continuous improvement in everything they do, ensuring every business process adds value. We want to be better than our competition, providing a service that is second to none.
Integrity
How we deliver our results is as important to us as the results themselves. We will be fair, honest, and trustworthy in our activities and with our relationships with our suppliers, workforce, and customers. We will provide a safe, inclusive, and diverse working environment. We will strive to foster an atmosphere where if we see things that aren't working, we don't ignore them, we make sure we fix them.
Passion
We are dedicated to the success of our business and that of our employees. Our leadership team will operate with energy and a desire to achieve. We encourage new ideas and new challenges, and we push ourselves to be the best we can be.
Teamwork
Every role is important and plays its part in our success. We value each person and every role. We strive for openness within our communication and information sharing. We encourage and empower decision making, developing our relationships within our teams with respect, honesty, and dignity. We do not operate in isolation; we are one team regardless of our department or location.
Meet Our Leadership Team
Chris WrightChief Executive Officer
- Appointed CEO early 2024, Chris provides strategic leadership and direction for the company, ensuring sustainable growth and long-term success.
- Having been with the business since 2007, originally joining as a Marketing Analyst, Chris became Brand Manager for Van Meuwen, returning it to profit and doubling sales in two years. Following this Chris was made Trading Manager for the T&M Group.
- During 2015 Chris was promoted to Head of Buying and the following year promoted to Head of Commercial. As part of this role, Chris oversaw supply chain, retail, wholesale and stock management, all whilst undertaking an MBA to join his BSC (Hons) Mathematics degree.
- Chris was appointed Commercial Director in 2018 and appointed as Joint Managing Director in 2020 until his 2024 appointment as CEO.
Mel UptonChief Operating Officer
- Appointed COO in early 2024, Mel is responsible for driving operational excellence, organisational efficiency and business performance as well as supporting the CEO in all areas of strategic leadership.
- Mel started with the business in 2004 as Quality Manager and over the years has taken on various roles and areas of responsibility including Customer Service and HR. During this time Mel also gained her PGD in Human Resource Management.
- Mel project managed the implementation of the ERP system (Axapta) in 2018 and in the same year was appointed to Group Operations Director, adding dispatch operations, H&S, IT & ERP, Seed Packet Production and Facilities to her existing responsibilities. In 2020 Mel was appointed as Joint Managing Director until her 2024 appointment as COO.
David PhillipsB2C Sales Director
- In April 2021, David was appointed B2C Sales Director, taking responsibility for sales and marketing for the B2C section of the business.
- David joined in 2000 as Sales & Marketing Executive, having qualified with a BA (Hons) Business & Marketing Degree. In 2007 David became Client Promotions Manager working across the daily press activity. During 2011, David was promoted to Brand Manager working across several direct brands. From there David was appointed as Marketing Manager in 2017 before his promotion to B2C Sales Director in 2021.
Mark BurberryB2B Sales Director
- In June 2025, Mark Burberry was appointed Sales Director with responsibility for leading the B2B division, spanning UK retail, export, wholesale, and promotional sales across all brands.
- He oversees the field sales and merchandising team, the export team, and office-based support functions.
- Mark brings extensive senior commercial experience from previous roles at Weber and Keter, following a long career in the garden industry. His focus is on driving sales growth and profitability through new customer acquisition, deeper partnerships with existing retailers, and expanding international distribution. A key priority is equipping the B2B team with the tools and skills to succeed, ensuring long-term value for customers.
Vicky AgerSupply Chain Director
- In March 2024 Vicky was appointed Supply Chain Director, with responsibility for overseeing purchasing, category management, quality control and new product development for the Group.
- Vicky joined the business in 2004 as a Marketing Assistant having qualified with a BA (Hons) in Business Management from Newcastle University
- Since joining Vicky has also worked in sales, previously heading up B2C Sales with responsibility for Direct, Client and Reader Offer activity giving her excellent insight before her appointment as Supply Chain Director.
Simon Stevens IT & ERP Director
- Simon joined Branded Garden Products in 2025 as IT & ERP Director.
- Simon is a Chartered IT Professional (CITP) with over 20 years of experience in IT leadership, enterprise systems, and digital transformation.
- Simon leads strategic initiatives across ERP optimisation, systems integration, infrastructure and cybersecurity. He is also responsible driving cultural change in a digitally evolving environment, ensuring that technology adoption is secure, inclusive, and aligned with business goals. Working closely with executive colleagues, Simon brings a forward-thinking but realistic approach to technology and business process innovation.
Tony MilneDevon Operations Director
- In 2021, Tony joined Branded Garden Products Ltd as Devon Operations Director.
- He holds a BSc in Horticulture from the University of Bath and an MBA from the University of Bradford.
- Tony began his career in the marketing department at BP (British Petroleum) before going on to own a retail garden centre and develop his own mail order brand. After successfully selling these businesses, he worked as a consultant for several years with clients including Glendale Horticulture, Scotts of Stow, Flying Brands, Dobbies, and Whartons Roses.
- In his role with us, Tony is responsible for all operational activities in Devon, including process management and development to achieve our KPIs at the Devon location, as well as overseeing nursery plant production.