Suttons

How ethical is Suttons?

Suttons is a garden seeds and plants retailer which has fallen below The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark on our Ethical Garden Suppliers Ratings Table. Suttons’ below-benchmark performance is driven by poor ratings for environmental reporting, peat free status, and packaging.

What does Suttons do?

Suttons was established in Exeter in 1806 and is one of the oldest horticultural brands in the UK. The brand holds a Royal Warrant and is now operated by Branded Garden Products Ltd, a multi-brand horticultural group which also owns Dobies and Thompson & Morgan. Suttons produces and supplies an extensive range of flower and vegetable seeds, plants, bulbs, and gardening tools, with a product range that has grown from its origins as a vegetable seed retailer to cover all areas of home horticulture. Products are sold directly to consumers via its website and catalogues.

Why does Suttons fall below The GOOD Shopping Guide’s benchmark?

Suttons’ below-benchmark performance is driven by poor ratings across three environmental criteria, with no acceptable ratings across any criterion assessed. The poor rating for environmental report is the most significant. For a brand with over two centuries of horticultural heritage and a Royal Warrant, the absence of a published environmental report means that Suttons’ sustainability commitments and practices are not transparently disclosed. Publishing a comprehensive environmental report would address this gap.

Suttons also receives poor ratings for peat free status and packaging. Transitioning to peat-free growing media across its product range and strengthening packaging standards across its direct mail and online operations would bring both ratings in line with the stronger performance demonstrated across other criteria, and align Suttons with the direction of the wider horticultural sector.

Suttons does perform well across several criteria, achieving good ratings for fossil fuels, animal welfare, armaments, irresponsible marketing, and political donations, with no documented public record criticisms. These reflect solid ethical conduct across governance criteria. However, the poor ratings for environmental reporting, peat free status, and packaging mean that Suttons falls below the benchmark required by The GOOD Shopping Guide.

Consumers seeking garden suppliers that meet The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult our Ethical Garden Suppliers Ratings Table and our guide to ethical garden suppliers, and seek out brands that hold The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation. Our how we rate page explains the criteria used to assess all brands in this sector.