Our story began with a weekly market stall
PLANTING, GROWING, THRIVING
Meadowside Nursery is a small family run business selling home-grown vegetables, plants and cut flowers on the outskirts of Truro. We’re open all year round on weekends and Wednesdays.
If you shop with us you will probably be greeted by my parents and if I’m not busy planting, you may see me around the stall on a Saturday. My parents began growing back in the 1970s and we all work together today, since I joined the business a few years ago.
In the early days of the business my parents sold pot plants and summer bedding at a small market in Redruth. This was popular with local customers and very soon they went on to introduce vegetables and cut flowers. By the early 1980s the family home was relocated to a farm between Redruth and Portreath and th is where the family business grew – and where I grew up.
I’ve enjoyed being involved and helping out on the stall since the age of 12. We began trading at Truro Farmers markets in Truro twice a week and at the weekly market in Falmouth. This was a lovely way to grow the business, meet our customers and get to to know them as we chatted to them during their weekly visits.
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS
The limits of the farm’s capacity were soon reached, however, so we made the decision to move from Portreath to somewhere more central and sheltered. We were lucky to find a smallholding on the outskirts of Carnon Downs – which is the Meadowside that became our home and nursery.
After leaving school, I was keen to carry on in my parents’ footsteps as I knew my heart would always be in the family business. I studied at Duchy College Rosewarne for four years and achieved my National Diploma in Horticulture. I really enjoyed this time and it planted many seeds of ideas to help the business grow further.
The three of us have worked closely together since I left College. As well as growing the produce and plants we have exhibited our plants at the Royal Cornwall Show several times and are very proud to have won Best Large Stand at the 2018 and 2019 shows.
NEW BEGINNINGS
We took the difficult decision to not return to Truro Farmers Market when trading restrictions were lifted. We had offered our selection of vegetables, plants and flowers from a pop-up stall in our car park at Meadowside. But as summer moved on we made considerable changes – improving parking and installing a covered gazebo.
This is the start of a new and exciting chapter for our family business. As well as our regular customers we’re getting to know some new faces and we’ve added some new favourite items to the produce list, such as pak choi and lunchbox cucumbers – and store cupboard staples like Cornish Sea Salt and local eggs and honey. We hope to see you soon.
Ralph Pengelly
