Otter Garden Centres is a well-established family-run business, deeply rooted in community values, customer service, and team development. They have seven thriving locations across Devon, Somerset, and Hampshire. As they’ve grown, so too has their investment in their people, particularly in leadership and management capability.

For over a decade, Otter Nurseries has partnered with Crisp Professional Development to upskill and empower staff across the organisation. Initially, what began with occasional open course participation has since evolved into a long-term, trusted relationship with bespoke training delivered right across their business.

Growing A Partnership

Otter first commissioned a bespoke 6-day Management Development Programme in 2019 for department managers working on the shop floor. The programme blended practical management tools with a focus on behaviour, values, and leadership mindset. Further cohorts were postponed due to the pandemic, resuming in 2021, and were tailored to complement their own internal training.

Since then, Otter has continued to invest in its people. They run at least one major management or leadership development programme each year, alongside in-house specialist training. This covers a wide range of topics that include customer service, sales, and mental health awareness. In 2022, two four-day programmes, ‘Being a Leader‘ and ‘Aspiring Managers’, were launched to support both current and future leaders and create a common management language across the business.

“Great way of reflecting on current performance, taking on new ideas and developing ways to improve. The trainer adapted to all styles, abilities, and understanding of all delegates.” – Retail Manager, 2025 Being a Leader Programme

A People-Centred Business with a Consistent Approach

A hallmark of Otter’s development ethos is consistency and accessibility across all sites. Crisp has worked with teams from each of their garden centres, delivering training to store managers, department heads, supervisors, and emerging leaders.

In 2023, Otter began integrating Insights Discovery theory into its leadership programmes to deepen self-awareness, improve communication, and strengthen team cohesion.

The response was overwhelmingly positive, leading to a new stream of team-based Insights workshops in 2024, in which team members received a full individual profile report. Led by one of Crisp’s Insights Discovery practitioners, these sessions gave entire store teams a chance to explore team dynamics, understand each other better, and build more collaborative, productive working relationships.

“I am a big believer in the Insights programme. If understood well, it can have massive benefits to any company, even if you’re starting from a good place.” – Branch Manager, 2025 Being a Leader Programme

“This course is a powerful tool for developing better self-awareness… It’s a real insight into leadership behaviour.” – Branch Manager, 2024 Team Insights Workshop

Embedding Learning Across the Organisation

Otter’s leadership and development programme now spans multiple levels and touches almost every part of their business. They’ve also begun offering ‘top-up’ programmes to earlier cohorts, ensuring that skills stay fresh and that development is continuous.

Recently, they completed Mental Health Awareness training for managers. In addition to being in the process of qualifying staff with First Aid for Mental Health certifications, another signal of their commitment to both performance and wellbeing.

“The fact that the company is putting the management team through these courses helps us build a united team.” – Deputy Branch Manager, 2024 Team Insights Workshop

A Word from Otter Garden Centres

“We’re incredibly proud of the journey we’ve taken with Crisp Professional Development over the past decade. At Otter Garden Centres, we firmly believe that investing in our people is investing in the future of our business. It’s been inspiring to see how far we’ve come, from dipping our toes into open courses to embedding a bespoke, company-wide training program that’s shaped the way we lead, support, and grow together.

Our team’s enthusiasm and engagement with the leadership programmes, Insights Discovery workshops, and mental health training has been a clear reflection of the value these initiatives bring; not only to individual development but to our overall culture. We’ve seen real, positive change in how our teams communicate, collaborate and support one another.

The ongoing support and tailored approach from Crisp has been key in helping us maintain consistency across our sites while adapting to our evolving needs. We’re especially proud of the shared management language and deeper self-awareness that now runs throughout the organisation.

Thank you to Crisp for being such a thoughtful and adaptable partner. We look forward to continuing to grow together and supporting our amazing team for years to come.”
– The Otter Garden Centres Team

What’s Next?

Otter Nurseries continues to see training and development as a strategic investment. With each year, the partnership with Crisp has grown to reflect the evolving needs of the business. Otter is setting a strong example of how long-term learning can deliver real impact at every level of the organisation.

“Really great to work with Crisp. They’ve enabled us to create bespoke training for our leadership team that lands well and greatly benefits our business.” Branch Manager, 2025 Being a Leader Programme

For information on how we can create a bespoke programme for you, please contact us for a complimentary learning consultation.