Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) – which owns and operates John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners – has announced the sale completion of a parcel of land belonging to the Waitrose & Partners Farm at Leckford Estate in Hampshire.
The 466ha parcel of land (1,200 acres) has been sold to a private buyer for an undisclosed figure. The transaction includes the sale of two farm cottages and a cluster of farm buildings on the land, which is primarily under arable use.
JLP will continue to provide the new landowner with farming services under a contract farming agreement for an initial period of three years. The sale will not impact the Leckford Estate’s product lines for Waitrose & Partners.
The Leckford Estate, which recently celebrated its 90th year within JLP, will continue to supply Waitrose & Partners stores all around the UK with milk, flour, cox cider, apple juice, sparkling wine, apples, pears, mushrooms and rapeseed oil.
Waitrose & Partners remains the only UK supermarket to own its own farm, with the Leckford Estate welcoming around 10,000 customers and visitors every year to see its attractions, including its water gardens and national plant collections, River Test fishing, fishing lakes, golf courses, nursery and farm shop and café.
Rob Collins, managing director of Waitrose & Partners, said: “Regularly reviewing all of our property holdings is a vital part of ensuring the future strength and sustainability of JLP. Following this sale, we still own 2,800 acres of land at Leckford, meaning that this fantastic farm will continue its development, focusing on where it delivers significant strategic value to our business while also releasing important investment capital.”
