From Lincolnshire to Devon: beautiful Wrendale design marks garden centre’s 60th anniversary

Hannah said: “I was excited to be asked to conceive the artwork for Otter Garden Centres special mug. The brief was to try and paint something that spoke about family while taking inspiration from a Coleridge poem and, in keeping with the company name, otters. I loved working on this and am so pleased with how the finished mug has turned out.”

The main focus of her charming creation is a characterful otter with its family, framed by delicate forget-me-nots. The flowers are a nod to the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge who was born in Ottery St Mary in Devon, where Otter Garden Centres started out. One of Coleridge’s best known poems The Keepsake features the tiny blue flowers, which symbolize true love.

There’s more too, as, in keeping with Hannah’s traditional style, the back of the mug has a smaller cameo illustration of a cheeky little otter popping its head out of the water, which the team like to think symbolizes the River Otter which runs alongside the garden centre.

Otter’s Managing Director, Jacqui Taylor said: “We really want to say a huge thank you to Hannah. We’ve been stocking her delightful designs at our garden centres for a long time, and they are always a big hit with customers.

"We feel this is a really special way to mark our anniversary, collaborating with a renowned British artist using prestigious Royal Worcester fine bone china to produce a truly homegrown product that celebrates our connection with wildlife, the environment, and, of course, the plants we grow.”

Otter Garden Centres began in 1964 when founders Malcolm and Marilyn White set up on a plot of land just outside Ottery St Mary, selling plants from their mobile home and supplying local markets. The business has always been family-run, bringing a personal and familiar touch to its loyal customer base.

Jacqui added: “We’ve now reached a fourth generation of family members since Otter was founded – and although the latest members are too young to work here, we hope they’ll join us once they reach working age!

“We were delighted to learn that Wrendale is also a family business, making this a wonderfully reciprocal collaboration.”

600 of the limited edition mugs have been distributed to team members at all seven of Otter’s branches. It is now also available to buy online for just £12.99.