Durstons steps up to meet late-season surge in compost demand

The family-run producer has seen an unexpected surge in demand for growing media throughout September and October, as the UK’s unusually mild autumn encouraged gardeners back outside following one of the driest, hottest summers on record.

With many consumers having written off the summer due to drought conditions and hosepipe bans, the return of warm, settled weather in early autumn created a fresh window for planting, which resulted in a sharp rise in compost sales across the country.

According to Durstons Sales Director, Dan Durston, the shift was both welcome and unexpected. “Autumn has been a really strong selling period for us,” he said. “Once September arrived and people realised there was still time to plant and grow things, they got back out there and were buying compost again. A lot of gardeners had almost given up on the season because of the drought but the great weather in September meant gardening was still very much on the agenda. It created an unusual spike and we had to get bagging pretty quickly once we got into the new facility.”

That new facility, Eclipse Works, came online on 1st September, giving Durstons the capability and flexibility needed to respond to the late-season uplift. The 25‑acre site in Meare, Somerset represents a major investment in production capacity, logistics and efficiency, with upgraded machinery, expanded operational space and a state‑of‑the‑art mixing system designed to support higher volumes and faster turnaround. The move marks a significant step change for the heritage Somerset producer and unlocks further potential going forward.

Although the relocation had been carefully planned to coincide with a quieter period, as the peak season wound down, the timing proved fortuitous. With production switching over just as demand unexpectedly accelerated, Durstons were able to maintain supply, meet retailer requirements and keep stock flowing.