Leading Yorkshire Christmas tree grower makes the case for sustainability

Preparations for Christmas this year are now in full swing at the historic Newburgh Priory Estate, near York.

Newburgh Priory, situated on the outskirts of the picturesque village of Coxwold, is one of the leading Christmas tree growers and retailers in the north of England.

Stephen Wombwell and his family took ownership of the Estate when his father George retired in 2010 and began growing Christmas trees two years later.

This year 35,000 trees have been harvested across 120 acres and are ready to be sold, just below the tomb containing the headless torso of Oliver Cromwell, which lies in the Newburgh Priory Estate attics.

Stephen commented: “There’s a great irony involved here, as Cromwell tried to ban Christmas.”

“On a more serious note, this year, as in previous years, we are placing great emphasis on sustainability and making sure that we are doing everything we can to minimise damage to our precious planet.

“When my business partner William Standeven and myself started growing Christmas trees 12 years ago, we had one very simple ethos: To sustainably provide our customers, whether they are retail or wholesale, with the freshest and best quality Christmas trees that we could.

“Over the years tastes and the markets have changed but the ethos remains the same. We are proud of our Christmas trees and through the hard work and skill of our professional team we offer a friendly and efficient service to all our customers.

“All the Christmas trees are grown on the estate within a mile of Newburgh Priory. We have invested in new state-of-the-art technology, in the form of machinery which cuts, packs and stacks the trees on-site in the fields to ensure a swifter, more sustainable and more efficient operation.”

“Meanwhile our wholesale business has developed through the co-operative selling group Infinity Christmas Trees, which ensures that no producer’s trees have to travel more than 50 miles, reducing their carbon footprint.”

Sustainability is a key objective for The British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA), who believe there will be a higher demand for locally grown trees this year, not just because of the problem of importing trees from Europe, but because more and more people are putting sustainability at the fore of their spending so will inevitably support British trees grown close to their homes.

A spokesman from BCTGA urged: “Buy a tree from our member growers and you will be supporting a local business, many of which are independent family-run enterprises further supporting local employment and the wider economy.”

Stephen added: “We have a large selection of amazingly fresh sustainable Christmas trees. Nordmann fir trees make up 85 per cent of our crop but we also grow a wide range of other trees including Fraser firs, Norway spruce, Serbian spruce and Blue spruce, together with a range of potted trees.

“Throughout the Christmas period, we cut-to-order to ensure that your tree will be fresh and in perfect shape for the whole of Christmas. If you'd like something specific such as a large pot-grown Christmas tree or an incredible 15ft/4m (or bigger) large Christmas tree, then give us a call and we will certainly be able to help you. Local delivery costs range from £15 according to distance and we can provide prices for further afield destinations.”

Newburgh Christmas Trees, which has another retail outlet at Home Farm in Methley, near Leeds, also supports local charities, hospices, churches, and schools by donating trees free of charge for the festive season.

Tips for getting the best of out your Christmas tree. Ideally a tree should last for six-seven weeks if you:

• Choose fresh, well grown trees – it is worth spending a bit more as cheaper trees tend to be poorer quality and may have been cut weeks before.
• Cut an inch of the bottom when you first buy your tree or take it inside
• Only bring it inside when you are putting it up – otherwise stand it in a bucket of water
• Keep it well watered all the time (a tree can drink more than a litre a day)
• Avoid placing it near radiators, fires or on underfloor heating.

Newburgh Christmas Retail Site will open from 23 November – 24 December: 10am - 4pm Weekends: 10am – 6pm Weekdays. Methley Farm Retail Site will open 23 November - 22 December daily 9am - 5pm. Late night openings until 8pmThursday 28 & Friday 29 November, Thursday 5 & Friday 6 December.

For further information, please contact: info@newburghchristmastrees.co.uk