The Tesco Gardening Club

On-site at Tesco HQ, Welwyn Garden City

At the centre of the Tesco campus, surrounded by wildflowers planted by Ground Control, sits the Heart building, a hub for colleagues to connect, socialise, and get involved. It’s home to a range of activities, including the Tesco Gardening Club.

Introducing the Tesco Gardening Club

Led by Janet, Tesco Heart Building Manager, the club brings colleagues together to learn gardening and allotment skills while bringing Tesco’s One Planet ambitions to life. It’s also a chance to switch off, get outside during the day, and quite literally get your hands dirty. The club works closely with Wellbeing Champions as an activity to support colleagues’ wellbeing.

During monthly sessions, members grow herbs, vegetables, and fruit, which are used to support Tesco chefs in the test kitchen with fresh ingredients, while also creating a community where colleagues can share or take home produce.

The aims of the club

The club stretches beyond gardening, helping colleagues to:

Experience the journey from “plant to plate” on a small scale, enabling employees to connect with what Tesco does and understand the challenges of food production
Link to the One Planet initiative by exploring new recipes and reducing food waste
Improve their physical and mental well-being through time outdoors

How Ground Control supports

Our on-site team of Paul, Paul, and Tina maintain the grounds using battery-powered tools and supports the club with any additional works required to keep the garden operational. In addition, Chris May, Senior Contract Manager, works closely with the group, sharing expertise through specialist talks, equipment support, and insights. A recent session included a talk and an interactive session with our resident beekeeper.

Chris May standing beside raised herb planter in front of colourful “Hello Welcome to Heart” sign at Tesco HQ

Chris May, added:

Being a part of the gardening club and supporting employees at Tesco to get their hands dirty is a real privilege. By introducing our experts, like our beekeepers, the group and I are learning a lot, and it’s great to hear how people are taking this information back into their lives!

Marc Wilkonson, Sector Director, continued:

Providing education opportunities and supporting the core objectives of Tesco is an important part of what we are achieving on site. The Tesco gardening club is just one part of that, with the whole site flourishing and providing opportunities for nature.